Ann Sussman has spent years studying how people respond to the built environment. Now the Concord architect and researcher is showing neighbors how she sees one of the town's most iconic landscapes, through the lens of a camera.
Sussman, who creates art under the name Benet, photographed Minute Man National Historical Park for The Concord Bridge's "Concord Camera" series, published Sunday, Aug. 9. The images include views of North Bridge and The Minute Man statue.
"View from the Concord Bridge (literally)," Sussman captioned one photograph.
The feature, compiled by Kim Carpenter, is part of a recurring community photo gallery in the nonprofit Concord Bridge newspaper. Residents are invited to submit their own high-resolution photos from around town, along with a few lines about what they saw, to [email protected].
An architect's eye
Sussman brings an unusual perspective to the park. She is president of the Human Architecture + Planning Institute, a nonprofit focused on improving design through education and research. Her book Cognitive Architecture: Designing for How We Respond to the Built Environment, co-authored with Justin B. Hollander, won the 2016 Place Research Award from the Environmental Design Research Association. She also teaches a course called "Buildings, Biology + the Brain" at the Boston Architectural College, where students use eye-tracking and facial-expression-analysis software to study how people experience structures.
Her latest co-edited volume, the Handbook of Neuroscience and the Built Environment (Routledge, 2025), compiled 31 chapters by 50 authors across four continents.
The park
North Bridge remains the most popular attraction at Minute Man National Historical Park, which spans Concord, Lincoln and Lexington. The Minute Man statue beside it, sculpted by Daniel Chester French, was erected in 1875 for the centennial of the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
The park drew fresh attention in July when the National Park Service announced the discovery of five musket balls fired at North Bridge on April 19, 1775, as the park marks the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.
The park is free. The North Bridge Visitor Center is at 174 Liberty St., Concord. Information: 978-369-6993 or nps.gov/mima.
How to participate
Residents who want their own Concord photographs featured in "Concord Camera" can email high-resolution images and a brief description to [email protected]. No deadline has been announced; the series is ongoing.
Coming up
The Tour de Cure charity bicycle ride rolls through the area Sunday, Aug. 16, with a beer garden hosted by Craft Food Halls. The free Friday film series at Harvey Wheeler Community Center continues with screenings open to all Concord residents.
