Surround yourself with Emojis! / October 5, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

Surround yourself with Emojis? That's right! Our team for the Pearl Street Passage is doing just that for this year's Design Philadelphia Festival. The festival's theme is 'Shift'. We're excited to see how each team interpreted this concept. The festival runs from October 8th through the 16th, but you can only see the Pearl Street Passage installations until Sunday, October 11th. Check out this great article in Metro and learn more about the festival on Design Philadelphia's website: http://2015.designphiladelphia.org/.

Also, check out this awesome trailer produced by Urban Engineers' video production team. #pearlstreetpassage #emojigate #shift #designphiladelphia

Establishing Green and Sustainable Parking Lots / October 2, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

Montgomery County Planning Commission hosted an event on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 that focused on establishing green and sustainable parking lots in the region. The event was provided as part of Planning Smarter Montco 2015, a Montgomery County initiative offering planning education and outreach. Joe Sikora was invited as a keynote speaker to discuss our award winning project Einstein Medical Center.

Einstein Medical Center, East Norriton, PA

Penn students visit Capital Health Medical Center / October 1, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

Joe Sikora met with Penn students today to talk about the LEED Gold accredited hospital and medical office building located in Hopewell, NJ.

Have an idea for the Knight Cities Challenge? / September 24, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

Our Pop-up Pool project, which was one of 32 winners of last year's challenge, brought low cost, high-impact design interventions to transform an underutlized space at the Francisville Playground. The Knight Foundation is launching its second search for innovative ideas. Have an idea? Check out this awesome article about the challenge and our own project's success here.

The Restoration of Kutztown University Alumni Plaza is completed! / August 28, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

The 13-year old plaza, originally designed by Wells Appel, was revamped with new landscape areas, upgraded lighting, resurfaced pathways, and most notably the cleaning and rehabilitation of the large stone waterfall fountain and blue stone basins. The team at Sikora Wells Appel had the opportunity to revisit one of their very successful projects from the past alongside Systems Design Engineering, Inc., the KU Campus Architect, and Facilities team to enhance, enliven, and expand the impact of this very important space at Kutztown University in Kutztown, PA.

Roosevelt Plaza Park H2O Grand Opening! / August 25, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

Camden's Mayor Redd and Anthony Perno of Cooper's Ferry Development, along with supporters of the park, Horizon and Wells Fargo, speak at today's grand opening of RPP H20. This year's installation of RPP H2O re-purposes last year's IBC totes into "green" towers that will collect rainwater in an artful and educational manner. Popular features of the design is a rain curtain and an interactive water organ. Click here to read more about this engaging space.

Joe Sikora talks Roosevelt Plaza Park with NJ Pen's Matt Skoufalos / August 10, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

Image credit:  Matt Skoufalos — Image credit: Matt Skoufalos

Matt Skoufalos recently sat down with Joe to discuss last year's successful pop-up at Roosevelt Plaza located in front of City Hall Camden, and what is in store for this year's installation. Check out this awesome article here.

'How We Play' Exhibition / August 3, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

We are excited to announce that two of our projects, The Pop-up Pool project and William Dick Schoolyard, were chosen for the Community Design Collaborative's 'How We Play' exhibition. 'How We Play' is an international exhibition showcasing play spaces that offer young children diverse experiences filled with opportunities for interacting, exploring, creating, and growing. The selected projects will be on display at the AIA Center for Architecture August 5, 2015 - September 25, 2015. For more info about the exhibit please click here.

Roosevelt Plaza Park Pop-up Phase Two / July 28, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

This year's temporary pop-up installation at Roosevelt Plaza Park will focus on a theme of green infrastructure. By re-purposing the locally sourced totes from last year's installation, green towers with large collection saucers on top will collect, transport, and harvest rainwater in an artful and educational manner. Rainwater will be conveyed from the interconnected towers via a large, blue aerial pipe to a reservoir that will be used to irrigate the planted towers themselves, while the overflow will run into a planter designed as a demonstration rain garden. A "rain curtain" fountain and interactive "water organ" will be integrated into the installation. A grove of wispy willow trees and umbrellas will provide opportunities for shaded seating. The intent is to create a pleasant, tranquil place for park users to enjoy.

The Pop-up Pool Project at the Francisville Playground / June 30, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

Even though it's only been opened for a week, the Pop-up Pool project located at the Francisville Playground is already receiving a lot of publicity. Click here to read this great article on PlanPhilly.com.

Summer has Officially Started! / June 22, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

We are so excited to unveil the pilot site for the Pop-up Pools Project at Francisville Playground. Officially open today, the park now features a custom wood lounge deck with palm trees, a space for family gatherings furnished with colorful furniture, games, and lush planting. This project is an experiment to see if low-cost, high-impact improvements can make Philadelphia's public pools even better and is supported by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. So come, go for a swim, relax on the lounge deck, and let us know what you think! The pool is located at 1737 Francis Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130 in the Fairmount section of the city. Click here to follow the project on Instagram.

Roosevelt Plaza Park Pop-UP makes National News! / June 8, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

When we were awarded the RFP for the Design & Planning for Placemaking & Interventions at Roosevelt Plaza Park, we had no idea the impact this project would make on the city or it's residents. The positive effect has been so wide reaching, it's made national news. Check out this awesome article here.

2015 Great Places Award for Design, Roosevelt Plaza Park Pop-up / May 28, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

We're happy to announce that Roosevelt Plaza Park Pop-up receives another award, the Environmental Design Research Association's 2015 Great Places Award for Design. The EDRA Great Places Awards recognize excellence in design and the special relationship between physical form and human activity/experience. Click here to learn more about EDRA's Great Places Awards.

Another Awesome Event at Fairmount Park Conservancy / May 6, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

Sikora Wells Appel attended the Fairmount Park Conservancy Centennial Celebration, in support of the Conservancy who works to preserve Philadelphia's green space, promote cultural heritage, and transform the civic landscape of the city! Check out http://myphillypark.org for more information on the Faimount Park Conservancy and ways to get involed!

Roosevelt Plaza Park Pop-up: Evidence of Potential? / May 1, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

Amy Syverson, along with Ben Bryant from Group Melvin Design, talk about Roosevelt Plaza Park Pop-up and the uncovering of possibilities for public space in Camden, NJ, at the ASLA PA/DE conference.

The Pop-Up Pool project is One of 32 Winners of the Knight Cities Challenge / March 31, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

The Pop-Up Pool Project will introduce a fun, easy to deploy solutions to Philadelphia’s public pools to make them more vibrant places to meet and interact with neighbors and friends. Ben Bryant, our project partner at Group Melvin Design (and a self-professed fan of the Philly pools), came up with the idea, which was one of 7000 initially submitted. When Ben’s idea got through as a finalist, we got involved in the project, and we are now pleased to say that it has been chosen as one of 32 winners to receive funding nation-wide!

This summer and next, look out for a new kind of pool experience in Philadelphia. Click on the link below to learn more about other Knight Cities Challenge winners.

http://knightcities.org/winners2015/

Working our Pruning Sheers! / March 25, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

Our staff cut back the grape vines on the arbor at Kings Hall to rejuvenate the plants from their previous overgrown condition. The pruning will stimulate new growth and serve as a launching point for the upcoming renovation of the office's landscape. Upon approval from the township's Planning Board, Kings Hall LLC and Sikora Wells Appel will begin implementing the new design for the office's outdoor space.

Exciting news! / February 6, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

Roosevelt Plaza Park Pop-up is featured in February's edition of Landscape Architecture Magazine. Congratulations to our team: Cooper's Ferry Partnership, Group Melvin Design and New American Public Art.

Construction Continues for New Academic Building at William Paterson University / February 3, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

With a heavy blanket of snow, the construction for the New Academic Building at William Paterson continues. The New Academic Building site will create a gateway into the heart of the campus and provide a destination for students and faculty to collaborate. Construction of landscaping is slated for Spring 2015.

View of NYC skyline from top floor of New Academic Building

New Jersey Planning Conference / February 2, 2015 by Rosa Mannion

Joe Sikora presents at the New Jersey Planning Conference on January 30, 2015 about uncovering the possibilities for public space in Camden, using Roosevelt Plaza Park Pop-up as a case study. He is joined by AJ Jensen, Cooper's Ferry Development, and Ben Bryant, Group Melvin Design.