The Charles River is one of Boston's most iconic features, yet it is one of the most toxic rivers there is. It can reach 9 on the pH scale, contains high levels of phosphates and nitrates, and has high levels of heavy metals. It is so bad you are supposed to wear shoes when swimming in the river.

The "Tessellating Gardens" presents a potential solution to address this issue. It will biologically filter out chemicals such as phosphates and nitrates as the plants grow and mussel/oyster chains that naturally reduce heavy metals. The plant beds themselves are hexagon shaped and can tessellate in order to be modular and adapt to whatever the plants and environments require. The hope is that over time and with investment, the garden will be able to make the River a cleaner, more hospitable place for more than just humans and spread awareness of the potential to rebuild using recycled materials.