A great article regarding the pop-up culture and how even the smallest of change makes the biggest impact. Click here to read more.
Park(ing) Day 2016, Haddonfield, NJ
Swim Philly, formerly know as The Pop-up Pool Project, Philadephia, PA
PARK(ing) Day Arrives in Haddonfield /
Park(ing) Day will be located in front of Community Bikes and Boards on Kings Highway. Come check it out!
PARK(ING) DAY IN HADDONFIELD /
Park(ing) Day is coming to Haddonfield on Friday, September 16, 2016. The annual global event, where metered parking spaces are temporarily transformed into public spaces, is intended to improve the quality of our urban environment, at least until the meter runs out. This year’s collaborative project is sponsored by Sikora Wells Appel, Landscape Architects; Knolltop Nursery; and Community Bikes and Boards. Please stop by and relax at the Pop-up Beach in front of Community on Kings Highway East between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM.
Pro Bono Design for W.B. Saul High School Pays Off /
Philadelphia's agricultural high school's 130-acre campus contains barns, fields, pastures, classrooms, labs, and a gym. Saul came to the Community Design Collaborative for a master plan to connect a campus divided by busy Henry Avenue. The plan outlines strategies to improve the streetscape to celebrate the school's unique identity, add a teaching pathway and an outdoor gathering space, add outdoor classrooms throughout the campus, and improve infrastructure to manage stormwater and farm waste runoff. A highlight of the plan included a trail through the existing woodland with 15 interpretative stations centered on existing natural features. The team included Sikora Wells Appel, Land Health Institute, and Meliora Design. Due to the team's hard work, W.B. Saul High School, along with The CH2M Foundation and The Nature Conservancy, received an award for the innovative, cross-sectoral approach to connecting students to real-world STEM learning opportunities. To learn more click here.
Day of Play Extravaganza /
Join us Wednesday, July 27, at the Day of Play Extravaganza, an event organized by Philly Play and the Health Promotion Council during the Democratic National Convention to connect young people from Philadelphia to the convention and to amplify the importance of giving children access to active play every day. We designed some fun and playful elements for the event and are excited to see it all come together! Watch this video to learn more about the event.
Photo Courtesy of Staack Moore Woodworking
Photo Courtesy of Staack Moore Woodworking
The Healthy Pop-up! /
Anthony Perno, CEO of Cooper's Ferry Partnership, speaks at yesterday's press conference unveiling Roosevelt Plaza Park's third iteration - The Healthy Pop-up.
This summer's third installation at Roosevelt Plaza Park, located in front of City Hall in downtown Camden, gives residents an opportunity to help the environment while getting exercise in the process. The orange-colored treadle pumps allows visitors to activate water jets that send collected rain water into a surrounding herb garden. To learn more about the interactive park, click here to read this awesome article in Courier Post.
RPP 3 - The Healthy Pop-up /
Please join us Monday, July 11, 2016 at 11 am in front of City Hall in downtown Camden for the unveiling of our third installation of Roosevelt Plaza Park. Check out our 'spin' on RPP H2O which incorporates a focus on health and wellness.
Swim Philly Press Event /
Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovel of Philadelphia Parks & Rec, Councilwoman Cindy Bass, and members of the Mt. Airy community held a press event on Wednesday, July 6, 2016 to launch PP&R's program, Swim Philly, at Pleasant Playground. Swim Philly brings free active programming, special events for all ages, comfortable seating and lounges, umbrellas, plants and more to enliven underutilized pool decks at five neighborhood locations across Philadelphia. Click here for Yoga and water workouts for each location.
Swim Philly and Tactical Urbanism /
Our pools project, the City of Philadelphia's new inititiative 'Swim Philly', is already receiving great press. Click here to read this awesome article!
Pinelands Adventures /
Our summer outing at Pinelands Adventures in Shamong, NJ. We ventured out on a 4-hour narrow, winding Batsto River trail through the Pine Barrens. We began our journey at Quaker Bridge, which lead us through a dense forest of Pitch Pine, Atlantic White Cedar, Red Maple and Black gums, just to name a few. Our trip ended at the historic Batsto Village. Even when we are so busy, these rare but treasured outings help remind us of who we are and why we love what we do!
Pools are Open! /
With increased amenitities, fun programming, and special events for all ages, meet your friends at the pool this summer. Last year's pop-up at Francisville Playground was so successful that our project team decided to expand these popular design interventions to more neighborhood pools. This summer's program, re-branded Swim Philly, brings lots of opportunities to connect with your neighbor. The four Swim Philly locations for this year are now open and are: Pleasant Playground (Mt. Airy), O'Connor Pool (South Philly/Center City), Lee Cultural Center (West Philly), Lawncrest Recreation Center Pool (lower Northeast) and Francisville Playground Pool (Fairmount). So grab your towels and relax Swim Philly Style! Visit our Instagram for a constant stream of new photos: instagram.com/swimphila.
Welcome Jinah Kim! /
We are pleased to announce that our office is expanding this summer with the addition of our intern Jinah. She is currently attending the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Landscape Architecture program with an anticipated graduation date for the Spring of 2017. Jinah began her journey at Konkuk University in Seoul, Korea; moving to the United States three years ago. She received her Bachelor of Arts, and a Master of Environmental Science. As an Environmental Scientist by profession, she chose to study Landscape Architecture because she saw the potential to shape urban development with beautiful interventions that contribute to ecological sustainability.
Camden Night Gardens /
Photos Courtesy of Sikora Wells Appel
Joe Sikora attended Camden Night Gardens: Intergalactic Block Party on Friday, May 27, 2016. The City of Camden and Connect the Lots hosted the event at Roosevelt Plaza Park, which is located downtown in front of City Hall. RPP was transformed into an 'out-of-this-world' festival of music, dance and art. City Hall was illuminated with colorful lights and projections. A neon car-show, illuminated sports contests and a night picnic rounded out the cosmic event.
AIA Guided Tours at Longwood Gardens /
Joe Sikora and Rosa Mannion guided tours through the East Conservatory Plaza for this year's AIA National Convention. Along with Farewell Architects, Bancroft Construction, and Longwood Gardens, we presented our work on the landform, plaza, and green wall to a total of 60 architects from all over the country.
Eagleview Construction is Under Way /
Exciting to see site construction activities moving along at the 411/415 Eagleview Boulevard project! Site is being prepped for plant material and bluestone pavement gathering space, adjacent to new stone walls and walkways that lead to reconstructed builidng entrances.
Happy Arbor Day! /
Giant Sequoia Trees at Sequoia National Park, CA. Photo courtesy of Getty Images/Mark Ralston.
It's Arbor Day, an annual observance that celebrates the role of trees in our lives and promotes tree planting and care. National Arobr Day is celebrated on the last Friday in April. Did you know it was first observed in 1872 in Nebraska? Over the course of time the tree has become a symbol of life, of hope: "He who plants a tree plants hope." ~ Lucy Larcom
Construction at DTCC Stanton Has Begun! /
The construction of the Delaware Technical Community College Stanton Campus Courtyard is in full swing! Scheduled to be completed later this spring, the courtyard incorporates a large canopy structure, terraced wood benches, a wood deck stage, dining terrace, a bluestone patio with moveable seating, a rain garden, and lush plantings. The courtyard will enliven a formerly underused courtyard in the heart of the campus providing students with areas to eat, study, gather, and the school with outdoor event space.
Light City Baltimore /
Blue Hour (2016), Baltimore, MD. Courtesy of New American Public Art.
Light City Baltimore was a festival of art, music and light innovation that lit the streets of Baltimore this past weekend. Light City celebrated the ideas of ingenuity and innovation which transformed Baltimore with world class light displays and sculptures, video projections on buildings and interactive technologies that created once-in-a-lifetime experiences for families, residents and visitors. 'Blue Hour' was the result of a team effort which involved our firm, Group Melvin Design, Cooper's Ferry Partnership and New American Public Art. The first iteration was brought to life at Roosevelt Plaza Park located in front of City Hall in downtown Camden, NJ.
For more information regarding Light City Baltimore, please click here.
Blue Hour (2014), Camden, NJ. Courtesy of New American Public Art.
Joseph Sikora and Rosa Mannion Speak at the 2016 PA DE ASLA Conference /
Joseph Sikora and Rosa Mannion spoke at the 2016 PA DE ASLA's conference on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Both spoke of the successes of each of their projects, Roosevelt Plaza Park and Swim Philly, formerly known as The Pop-up Pools Project, respectively, and how the phenomenon of tactical urbanism helps to improve local neighborhoods and city gathering spaces. To learn more about each of these projects click here: Roosevelt Plaza Park and Swim Philly.
Albert Einstein Healing Garden Wins a PA DE ASLA Award /
We are pleased to announce that the Einstein Healing Garden at Albert Einstein Medical Center - Montgomery wins a PA DE ASLA Merit Award for General Design. Congratulations to the project team for a job well done!