andropogon

To weave together the landscapes of humans and nature for the benefit of both. a blog by Andropogon Associates Ltd. www.andropogon.com    

[androblogon]

The Center for Sustainable Landscapes

In 2012, Phipps reached new heights with the opening of the Center for Sustainable Landscapes (CSL), which was the first and remains the only facility in the world to meet four of the highest green building standards: Living Building Challenge™, WELL Building Platinum, Four-Stars Sustainable SITES™ and LEED® Platinum.

[androblogon]

In collaboration with Deborah Berke Partners, Andropogon is awarded its 11th LEED Platinum project. The residence hall is only one of approximately 50 LEED Platinum-certified projects in Pennsylvania, and it's the only one directly associated with an institution of higher education.

[androblogon]

Landscape Performance + Metrics Primer is Out!

ASLA has just released the Landscape Performance + Metrics Primer, which is free for ASLA members. Written by Andropogon’s Emily McCoy, with contributions by Lauren Mandel and Marin Braco, learn best-practice methods to assess the performance of your own work  throughout the planning, design, construction, and post-occupancy phases.

You can also earn 3 LA CES Credits and/or 2 GBCI/SITES Credits if you take the follow up exam.

[androblogon]

but wait... there’s more!

Andropogon’s work with the GSA on the Site Commissioning White Paper was also recognized with a 2018 ASLA PA/DE Honor Award for Research. This publication establishes a progressive, policy framework for field-verifying landscape performance at a national scale. It’s full of really great information and is available on GSA’s website.

[androblogon]

Center for Sustainable Landscapes wins Award of Excellence

We’re extremely proud to announce that the Center for Sustainable Landscapes at the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens has been recognized with the 2018 ASLA PA/DE Award of Excellence. The Phipps Conservatory has demonstrated remarkable leadership in not only promoting, but actively implementing, regenerative design practices for a healthier environment. The success of the Center required a fully integrated building and landscape design, so we are extremely pleased to see the landscape receive this recognition. Congratulation to Phipps, the architects at The Design Alliance, and the entire design team!   

[androblogon]

AIA SF Releases 2018 Equity by Design Survey Results

Design professionals feel an increasing responsibility to promote social justice, equitable places, and accessible design in their work. San Francisco’s AIA has been asking the architecture field to take a hard look at its own practice to see how it fares in creating just, equitable, and accessible workplaces. Since 2012, their Equity by Design surveys have revealed weaknesses in the profession that need targeted solutions. We can all learn from (and enjoy the beautiful design of) this data.

A summary of the 2018 results is here. Look for future updates on their Equity by Design website here.

[androblogon]

Examining Nature as Medicine November 15

Please join Andropogon’s Lauren Mandel and Erin Ramsden at the Ecological Landscape Alliance conference this Thursday, November 15, at Winterthur in Delaware. With an emphasis on research and best practices, the conference will showcase how ecological landscape design impacts human beings.

[androblogon]

Regenerative Design, Green Roofs, and Urban Agriculture

At Georgia Tech’s Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, Andropogon is exploring the possibilities of regenerative design by maximizing green roofs to provide urban agricultural. Find out more from the architect, Lord Aeck Sargent, on the Green Roofs blog. 

[androblogon]

Engaging High School Students with Sustainability

Green Building United is working with Philadelphia-area high school students to educate youth about sustainable design through involvement in a real Living Building Challenge project. Andropogon’s Jason Curtis has been part of the team working with Upper Dublin school district students design a learning-lab at the Robbins Park Environmental Education Center. Stay tuned at Green Building United’s newsroom to find out more or get involved. 

[androblogon]

Headed to Philly for ASLA?

We’re excited to be hosting ASLA in our hometown of Philadelphia. Check out our completely biased guide to Philadelphia here to check out some local flavor!

And please join us for our field sessions and presentations:

Friday, October 19

7:30 AM - 12:50 PM - FS-005: Discover Bartram's Garden and Bartram's Mile Along the Schuylkill River Trail 

7:45 AM - 3:15 PM - FS-008: Morris Arboretum: Blending a Grand Historic Landscape with Sustainable Design Initiatives 

8:15 AM - 12:30 PM - FS-011: University of Pennsylvania Campus-A Cultural and Environmental Legacy

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM - FRI-C04 - Design Changes Place—Advocacy Changes People

3:30 PM - 5:00 PM - FRI-D08 - Turning Research into Practice: Using Research to Support and Inform Design Decision 

Saturday, October 20

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM - SAT-A10 - Design Like It Matters: Do Rating Systems Work? Saturday

Monday, October 22

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM - MON-A01 - Edible Skyline: Pushing the Limits of Rooftop Agriculture 

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM - MON-B03 - Evidence-based Design: From Strategic Vision to Site Management

[androblogon]

“A luxuriant expanse of meadow flowers... a vital community space”                                                   

Not your typical review of a transit hub. 

Philadelphia Inquirer’s architecture critic, Inga Saffron, visited the recently completed Trolley Portal Gardens in West Philadelphia this week. Her article provides perspective on trolleys and the transformation of a fragmented neighborhood.

“Maybe the most important achievement of the Portal Gardens is how its new landscape helps stitch those places [Spruce Hill neighborhood, Penn, and Woodlands Cemetery] back together.”

Our work at the Trolley Portal Gardens includes greening and safety improvements to the trolley stop area, as well as the creation of a new public plaza anchored by a cafe. Previously, the busy trolley stop was just an expanse of flat concrete, with little protection for pedestrians.                                                                                    

“Now, when the trolleys pull into the portal, they weave through a varied landscape of planted mounds, lush rain gardens and large planters...[brick paths] make it safer for pedestrians to navigate among the four trolley lines.”     

The plaza is an entirely new public space that will serve both trolley riders and the neighboring community.                                                                                 

“A curving communal bench defines its boundaries and gives a cozy, room-like feeling... What was just a transit hub now promises to be a busy community hub as well.”

We are extremely happy to celebrate the opening of Trolley Portal Gardens tonight , September 27, with our partners, the University City District, SEPTA, and the City of Philadelphia. We’ll see you there!

[androblogon]

We’d like to congratulate the Shield-Ayres-Bowen Family for their award-winning commitment to land conservation  in Texas. We had the unique opportunity to collaborate with the family to craft a 10-year master plan to guide their tradition of stewardship, advocacy, and education into the next generation. The master plan team, led by Andropogon, received a 2018 ASLA Honor Award in Analysis and Planning in recognition of the plan’s unique sustainable land stewardship approach.

You can also read Bob Ayres personal account of the challenges and opportunities of land conservation in the face of neighboring-Austin’s explosive growth.

Congratulations all!

[androblogon]

On schedule for completion during the summer of 2019!

https://www.andropogon.com/work/academic/living-building-challenge-and-eco-commons/

[androblogon]

Come join us to celebrate the official opening of Trolley Portal Gardens on September 27 from 5-7pm at 40th and Baltimore in West Philadelphia. University City District is asking that you register here. See you there!

[androblogon]

Resilient Barrier Island Exhibit: Revisiting Long Beach Island

The 50 year anniversary of Ian McHarg’s chapter, “Sea and Survival” from his seminal work Design with Nature, inspired us to revisit the conditions on Long Beach Island in New Jersey.  We used the Long Beach Island Foundation’s exhibition as a chance to explore how the relationship between humans and this dynamic landscape functions today. The exhibit is currently up at the Long Beach Island Foundation gallery until July 15. 

Andropogon’s José Almiñana calls Long Beach Island his second home and has been participating in a series of lectures, which concludes the weekend of July 14-15.

Our intern, Dorothy Jacobs, was central to the research and presentation of the LBI Exhibit, including the graphic shown above. Thank you, Dorothy!

[androblogon]

We appreciate our client’s perspective on why they value the Sustainable SITES Initiative for Bartholdi Park. The U.S. Botanic Garden remained committed to SITES v2 throughout the project, which achieved Gold certification. We look forward to hearing from the community who use the park!

[androblogon]

Bartholdi Park Reviewed on Garden Rant

They liked it!

“Bartholdi Park has been a favorite of mine for decades!... So when I heard about the make-over, a redesign focused on eco-services, food and accessibility, I worried. But then I saw the result, now just over a year in the ground, at a recent press conference and was totally won over. Though still too new to judge, it’s very pretty, and even more human-friendly than before.”

Read the full post here.