Hunting Park Still a Feather in Philly's Cap /  by Rosa Mannion

In a recent speech, Mayor Kenney lauded the revitalization project at Hunting Park that our office led: “When the City and the Fairmount Park Conservancy invested $5 million in Hunting Park, crime went down 89% within a half mile radius of the park over the next three years.” And in her exit interview upon leaving the Fairmount Park Conservancy, Kathryn Ott Lovell cited the project as the one she was most proud of from her time at the Conservancy.  Read more at PhillyMag.com and MyPhillyPark.org.

 

 

B-K Lighting Training Weekend /  by Rosa Mannion

Our very own Jason Domingues recently participated in a lighting training weekend hosted by B-K Lighting in Madera, CA.  During his visit, he attended educational programs, factory tours, and was introduced to product comparisons.  He was inspired by the future of LED lighting applications, and extremely impressed by B-K's ingenuity and commitment to creating quality lighting products.  While there, Jason took part in a hike to the top of Yosemite Falls (the tallest water fall in North America) where he was exposed to a wide variety of native flora and awe-inspiring views of the park's dramatic landscape.  Jason returned with newly gained lighting knowledge and feeling energized by the experience.

2016 NJ ASLA Awards /  by Rosa Mannion

We are proud to announce that Roosevelt Plaza Park wins another NJ ASLA Award for the park's second iteration, Roosevelt Plaza Park H2O.  It won the Chapter and Honor Award for Site Design.  Also, The Pop-up Pool Project won an NJ ASLA Merit Award for Site Design.  The awards were received during the 2016 NJ ASLA Conference Awards Ceremony that was held on Monday, February 22, 2016.  Congratulations to all team members who were a part of these wonderful projects! 

Joe Sikora: Keynote Speaker at the 2016 NJ ASLA Conference /  by Rosa Mannion

Joe Sikora speaking at the 2016 NJ ASLA Conference earlier today in front of a packed house.  Joe's session, "Temporary Parks Enliven Underserved Communities" illustrated how temporary improvements tested at Roosevelt Plaza Park Pop-Up in Camden and the knowledge transferred to the Francisville public pool in Philadelphia were designed and used to evaluate user experience and to advocate for future improvements at these essential yet neglected public spaces. Improvements were meant to enliven the underutilized spaces into vibrant destinations, and to encourage kids of all ages to spend more time outside in the city.  

Are Cities Becoming More Like Startups? /  by Rosa Mannion

Fortune.com talks with Carol Coletta, V.P. of the Knight Foundation.   The Knight Foundation just recently announced the 158 finalists of their 2nd Annual Knight Cities Challenge.  Ms. Coletta cited our project, The Pop-up Pool Project, as a "victory" and "transforming more than just a pool".  Click here to read more.  The Pop-up Pool Project, was one of 32 winners of last year's Knight Cities Challenge, which transformed an underutilized public space into a dynamic destination for the City of Philadelphia.  

William Paterson - University Hall's Ribbon Cutting /  by Rosa Mannion

On Wednesday, January 13, 2016, William Paterson celebrated the opening of its new academic building, University Hall.  We are so proud to be a part of this project.  The facility is an 8,000 sf structure with 16 general use classrooms that will serve at least four thousand students every semester.  For more information regarding WPU's newest building click on the below articles.

NJBIZ.com

NorthJersey.com

Photo Courtesy of NK Architects

Photo Courtesy of NK Architects

Public Space Prototypes: Temporary Parks Transform the City /  by Rosa Mannion

Are you in Chicago attending the ASLA 2015 Meeting and Expo?  Come out and listen to Joe Sikora, along with David Fierabend from Groundswell Design Group, Julie A Bush from LRSLA Studio, Inc., and moderator, Inga Saffron, an Architect critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, discuss the pop-up phenomenon and the design of temporary spaces.  Their session begins at 3:30 pm today in Room E450A, Level 4.

Surround yourself with Emojis! /  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 /  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

Have an idea for the Knight Cities Challenge? /  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! /  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! /  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.

 

'How We Play' Exhibition /  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 /  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 /  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! /  by Rosa Mannion

IMG_3324.JPG

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! /  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.