We are proud to announce that last month the Engineering News-Record’s (ENR) MidAtlantic chapter honored two projects as part of the ENR MidAtlantic’s 2017 Best Projects on which Ground Reconsidered collaborated.

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Roberts Center for Pediatric Research received an Award of Merit in the Higher Education/Research category. Close coordination between design disciplines allowed for bridging the gap, literally and figuratively, between the site and its surrounding neighborhood. Ground Reconsidered designed the landscape planting, and detailed and documented over 4.5 acres of public realm space, much of which is built on top of building structure. Situated along the Schuylkill River, the site manages nearly all of its stormwater runoff with raingardens and cisterns. Lushly planted public spaces welcome visitors from South Street and the adjacent neighborhoods, and provides direct access to the popular Schuylkill River Trail via a newly constructed pedestrian bridge.

The SEPTA Crum Creek Viaduct Replacement Project received an Award of Merit in the Highways/Bridges category. While the replacement of the bridge was an engineering feat of its own, Ground Reconsidered prepared the landscape plan to restore and reestablish Crum Woods back to its ecologically rich state. The presence of Crum Creek, endemic geology, and varied topographic changes creates a naturally diverse landscape and abundant wildlife habitat. The landscape restoration plan will be nurtured over the next few years until the initial plantings are established under the care of the Crum Woods Stewardship Committee. (Photo courtesy of Figg Bridge Engineers, Inc.)

In June, The Urban Land Institute of Philadelphia recognized two projects Ground Reconsidered collaborated on with Awards of Excellence at the 4th Annual Willard G. “Bill” Rouse III Awards. The plazas and amenity roof garden at FMC Tower at Cira Centre South (left) and the playground, sprayground, rain garden and streetscape at the South Philadelphia Community Health and Literacy Center (right) were designed by Ground Reconsidered.

Criteria for the awards include innovation in planning and design, including adaptability to other communities, sustainability, economic success, overall community health and social impact to address neighborhood revitalization goals. An independent and national panel of jurors, including leaders in real estate, land use and development from across the country, were tasked with selecting the highest quality projects.

On Wednesday, May 17, Ground Reconsidered was in King of Prussia for the grand opening and ribbon cutting for the initial segment of THE PARK—a new linear park created within the heart of the King of Prussia business park at 650 Park Avenue.

This initial segment is a demonstration project for the full linear park, currently in design. Once complete in late 2018/early 2019, THE PARK will transform the business park into a cohesive community for the businesses, residents, and visitors while bringing many new amenities to the area. Some amenities include multi-use sidewalks, lush landscaping, solar-powered pedestrian lighting, active workstations, recreational games, benches, movable tables and chairs, trash receptacles, seating walls, and plazas for gathering and respite. Phase Two will continue the linear park along First Avenue from American Avenue to Allendale Road.

THE PARK is a superb example of collaboration between KOP-BID (a private, not-for-profit business improvement district), Upper Merion Township, PennDOT, and 21 private property owners to create a public park utilizing access easements on private property. The demonstration park was funded, in part, by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Commonwealth Financing Authority provided through Upper Merion Township and managed by KOP-BID, along with matching funds from Brandywine Realty Trust and KOP-BID. The next phase of the 2.6-mile linear park is expected to begin construction in 2018.

Bartram’s Garden: The Preservation of the John Bartram House and Re-Creation of the Ann Bartram Carr Garden has recently been awarded a 2017 Grand Jury Award by the Preservation Alliance of Philadelphia.

In 2016, Bartram’s Garden launched a $2.7 million house and garden restoration project that created a welcoming new entrance and broadened interpretation as the garden gains momentum as a regional destination. The house and garden restoration included three major components: preservation of the historic John Bartram House, re-creation of Ann Bartram Carr’s nineteenth century display garden, and the introduction of geothermal heat sourcing for the house and historic outbuildings, including the barn, stable, coach house, and John Bartram’s original seed house dating back to the 1760’s.

Located to the west of the house, the Ann Bartram Carr Garden is the first major garden restoration project at Bartram’s Garden in nearly a century. The garden is restored to reflect both its nineteenth century roots and twenty first century potential. Restoration efforts were based on historic descriptions, photographs, drawings, and archeological investigation.  Extensive research was conducted on every aspect of the garden, from the overall layout of the beds and paths to the plants, paving, and the detailing of the fence and trellis structures within the garden.

Ground Reconsidered would like to thank: our client, the John Bartram Association; our team members Johnson Mirmiran & Thompson and Materials Conservation Co.; and our partners in the house restoration and construction, Frens and Frens, Fairmount Park Conservancy, and CVMNEXT.

In December on a rainy Tuesday evening, Ground Reconsidered gathered with friends and colleagues at the Center / Architecture + Design to celebrate 25 years of partnerships and collaborations. We drank, we noshed, and we reminisced about past projects on the slideshow and with our newly produced promotional books.

As the night came to a close, Julie took to the podium to acknowledge Anita who has stepped down as Principal but remains an integral part of our team in a position of support and wisdom.

We welcome the changes that 2017 brings: new projects, new staff, and new collaborations all while creating a positive contribution to the connective tissue of our City.

(Event photos by Teresa McCullough)

Early-childhood education is really hands-on, play-based learning. Ground Reconsidered’s winning entry for the Community Design Collaborative’s Infill Philadelphia: Play Space, once again makes the news. For more information about this exciting initiative, check out the following article.

The Mantua Greenway is a one-and-a-half-mile corridor along the northern boundary of the Mantua neighborhood in West Philadelphia, overlooking Amtrak’s Keystone Line rail corridor.

Once complete, the project will transform this overgrown, ignored and littered strip of land on Mantua Avenue, into a much needed community green space and bicycle/pedestrian corridor.

As the second part in a series of programmed events for the “Mantua Greenway Design Month”, Ground Reconsidered, along with Whitman Requardt & Associates, the project’s prime consultant, worked with the community to transformed the intersection of 37th Street and Mantua Avenue with a roadway mural, crosswalk paintings, and fence art. The neighborhood turned out in force and worked throughout the day to actualize these festive works of art. Our thanks go out to all those involved in making this day was an overwhelming success.

Ground Reconsidered has been leading the design effort to revitalize the much loved Markward Park at Schuylkill River Park. At a press conference last week, Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, State Representative Brian Sims, Parks & Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell and officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources presented funding totaling $633,000 toward the park’s rehabilitation and development.

VERDANT TEMPLE: Temple University Landscape Master Plan has won an Honor Award in the Analysis and Planning category from the American Society of Landscape Architects PA/DE Chapter.

VERDANT TEMPLE is the first Landscape Master Plan for Temple University’s main campus in north Philadelphia. The master plan establishes a strong vision for the campus landscape environment, increases aesthetic appeal and functionality, integrates new landscape and capital projects within the existing campus fabric, and guides and informs future campus development. Detailed strategies for improvements to the campus landscape, and a prioritized action plan guide implementation for developing a cohesive landscape.

The master plan is comprised of four key components: a landscape plan that includes lighting, furnishings and planting; a circulation and transportation plan; a stormwater management plan; and a signage and wayfinding plan. Phase l of the Landscape Master Plan, the redesign of Liacouras Walk between Montgomery Avenue and Polett Walk has already been completed.

Congratulations go out to all members of the design and consultant team.

Ground Reconsidered is pleased to announce that our entry for the Community Design Collaborative’s Play Space Design Competition was one of the three winning entries from a field of nine finalists.  Three sites in Philadelphia were featured in the competition – a school, a library, and a recreation center. Our submission, “Play Structure|Story Structure” won for Learning Landscapes: Blanche A. Nixon/Cobbs Creek Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Our thanks and appreciation go out to our talented team of designers and consultants: Designed for Fun, Friends Select School, JR Keller Creative Partnership, Meliora Environmental Design, and The Parent Infant Center.

For more information about the competition, click here.