KAREN BLANCHARD JOINS TEMPLE UNIVERSITY SYMPOSIUM PANEL

On October 10th SITIO Principal Karen Blanchard spoke on design challenges and opportunities of library buildings at The Building the 21st Century Library symposium series at Temple University. The session explored a library’s potential to transform a campus, from the building’s impact to the relationship between the university and its neighbors to the university’s vision of sustainability. The conversation, moderated by Kevin Delaney, Vice Provost of Faculty Affairs, Temple University, also included:

Siobhan Reardon, President and Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia
Dozie Ibeh, Associate Vice President of the Project Delivery Group at Temple University.
Anne Krakow, Director of the Post Learning Commons and Drexel Library at Saint Joseph’s University.

STEELSTACKS’ RUDY BRUNNER GOLD MEDAL AWARD CASE STUDY RELEASED

The Brunner Foundation released the in-depth case study publication that accompanies the biennial Rudy Brunner Gold Medal that was awarded to the SteelStacks Arts & Cultural Campus in Bethlehem, PA for the transformation of a former steel plant intro a mixed-use cultural and entertainment district.  The publication discusses in depth the context and development of the landmark district and features the planning and design work led by SITIO Principals Antonio Fiol-Silva and Karen Blanchard on the Levitt Pavilion and the Hoover-Mason Trestle, the centerpieces of the district’s public realm.

Download Investing in Urban Infrastructure: The 2017 Rudy Brunner Award for Excellence at: http://www.rudybruneraward.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/03-SteelStacks-Arts-Cultural-Campus.pdf

KAREN BLANCHARD JURIES AIA DC CHAPTER DESIGN AWARDS

SITIO Principal Karen Blanchard recently chaired the jury for the 2018 AIA Washington DC Chapter Design Awards. These annual awards not only demonstrate the value of good design, but also illustrate the wide variety of services performed by architects. Following the two-day review of over 200 submissions, awards were given in the categories of architecture, interior architecture, historic resources, and urban design. The jury represented distinguished architects from across the country including Rick Archer FAIA from Overland Partners, Jean Carroon FAIA from Goody Clancy & Associates, Steve Dumez FAIA from Eskew+Dumez+Ripple, and Ron Rochon FAIA from Miller Hull Partnership.

ULI GLOBAL URBAN OPEN SPACE AWARD JURORS ANTONIO FIOL-SILVA AND STUART ACKERBERG TOUR BAXI RIVER ISLAND IN CHANGSHA, CHINA

Baxi River Island is one of five finalist for the ULI Urban Open Space Award.  Baxi was reclaimed from former industrial use as an ecological park serving the burgeoning Changsha metropolitan region in Hunan Province.

The  ULI global award recognizes vibrant parks and open spaces that have been transformative in promoting healthy, sustainable, and equitable outcomes in their communities. This year, five projects were selected as finalists from among the 49 submissions from five countries. The announcement of the winning project will be made at the 2018 ULI Fall Meeting in Boston, October 8–11

The jury for the award include Jury Chair Stuart I. Ackerberg, chief executive officer of the Ackerberg Group; Antonio Fiol-Silva, founding principal of SITIO architecture + urbanism; Lynn S. Carlton, vice president and regional leader of planning at HOK; ; Glenda E. Hood, cofounder of TriSect; Mehul J. Patel, chief operating officer of Midwood Investment & Development; Mitchell J. Silver, commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation; and F. Karl Zavitkovsky of Drever Capital Management. 

The five finalists are: 

— Levy Park, Houston, Texas
— Madrid Rio Park, Madrid, Spain
— Baxi River Forest Island, Changsha, China
— Quequechan River Rail Trail, Fall River, Massachusetts
— Ricardo Lara Park, Lynwood, California

SITIO WELCOMES ANDREW FERRARELLI!

SITIO welcomes Andrew Ferrarelli the team!

Andrew brings over 10 years of experience in cultural and institutional projects at a variety of scales for both local and national organizations including Case Western Reserve University, The Shipley School, The Haverford School, and AKA . He received his Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech which provided a strong foundation rooted in process and design exploration to shape space.

Andrew extends this passion through volunteer work designing and building several Little Free Libraries, most recently collaborating with the Buffalo Architecture Foundation. In addition he is a mentor to high school students through Compete 360; a program that teaches students problem solving skills and helps them identify and creatively solve issues in their local community.

SAINT KATHARINE DREXEL’S TOMB TRANSFERRED TO THE CATHEDRAL BASILICA OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL IN PHILADELPHIA

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced that the sacred remains of Saint Katharine Drexel will be transferred to the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul this summer.  “SITIO is humbled to be entrusted with the design and oversight of the relocation of Saint Katharine’s tomb to the Cathedral Basilica, the shrine will be open to the public this September”, said Antonio Fiol-Silva.  The celebration of the installation of the tomb will be on Sunday November 18, 2018 at the 11:00 Solemn Mass.  “With the new opportunity to honor Saint Katharine at the Cathedral, even more people will be exposed to her extraordinary life and example.”, said Reverend Dennis Gill, Rector and Pastor of the Cathedral Basilica.

Saint Katharine Drexel was canonized on October 1, 2000. She is the second American-born person ever to be canonized. Born into tremendous wealth as part of the Drexel family, she gave up her life of privilege to found the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in 1891. She dedicated her life to serve the needs of African Americans and Native Americans, and inspired so many women, who joined the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, to follow her example. Today, the Sisters continue to serve in elementary and secondary schools, as well as at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, the first Black Catholic university in the U.S.

CBS News Story:  https://youtu.be/IgjsHUqeQBw

ANTONIO FIOL-SILVA ELECTED ULI GLOBAL GOVERNING TRUSTEE

The Urban Land Institute recently announced the election of Antonio Fiol-Silva as a ULI Global Governing Trustee. Antonio joins a distinguished roster or industry leaders from across the world to a four-year term of service. The Global Governing Trustees serve as the high-level leadership group of ULI, responsible for representing and serving as the voice of the broad and diverse membership in substantive matters facing ULI in the execution of its mission. 

ULI, a 40,000 + member organization, is the oldest and largest network of cross-disciplinary real estate and land use experts in the world.  ULI’s mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide.  Through their members' dedication to the mission and their shared expertise, the Institute has been able to set standards of excellence in development practice. 

Antonio’s longstanding commitment to ULI include service as: former ULI Philadelphia Chair and current Governance Chair; Faculty and National Advisory Board Member of the joint NLC/ULI Rose Center for Public Leadership; member and Vice-Chair of the Public-Private Partnerships Council; and as a frequent, presenter, Advisory Services Panelist, and regional & global award programs Juror. 

EL CORAZÓN CULTURAL CENTER WINS A BILL ROUSE AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Taller Puertorriqueño’s El Corazón Cultural Center recently won a ULI Philadelphia Willard G. “Bill” Rouse III Awards for Excellence for its thoughtful design, community impact, sustainability and financial success. The recognition marks the sixth award to one of our projects in the five-year course of the Rouse Awards. “A great project begins and ends with a great client, we have been extremely fortunate to be part of fantastic collaborations”, said Antonio Fiol-Silva who led all projects, “Taller’s win is particularly sweet, as it caps a 10-year labor of love to realize a place (sitio) that stands to have an enormous impact in the Latino community in Philadelphia.”

The Awards for Excellence celebrate all aspects of development and land use and recognize superior projects completed in the region within the last five years. The winners represent a variety of project types and were selected by a national jury of 12 experts based on not just one element, such as innovation in design, but for a range of characteristics including high standard of real estate development, achieving sustainability and building performance, innovation in site reuse, social impact for the surrounding community and financial success. This year’s winners rose to the top amidst a group of excellent projects by impressing the jury in overcoming obstacles in development and representing models of innovation and leadership.  The winners were announced at a celebration featuring Inga Saffron, Pulitzer Prize winning Architectural Critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Read more about it at: 

https://philadelphia.uli.org/press-releases/announcing-winners-awards-excellence-2018/ https://philadelphia.uli.org/news/reflecting-uli-philadelphia-awards/

DESIGN OF 3720 CHESTNUT STREET UNVEILED

3720 Chestnut a 30-story mixed-use residential tower will be presented to the city’s Civic Design Review board this month. Located in University City, proximate to The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of business, the development will integrate 420 luxury apartments, vibrant retail spaces and open courtyards within a stately block framed by churches and gardens.   Click here for a recent Philly.com article.

BRIDESBURG PARK DESIGN UNVEILED

All along the Delaware River, derelict industrial sites are being transformed by the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department and the Delaware River City Corporation into a string of waterfront parks interconnected by trail extensions that will become part of the East Coast Greenway.  In the Bridesburg neighborhood, SITIO, in collaboration with Langan Engineers and Ground Reconsidered, recently unveiled the design for a new 10-acre park to the community.   SITIO’s design for the park’s pavilions - to include a performance stage, a picnic pavilion, restrooms and way-finding signposts - found inspiration in the brawny infrastructure and industrial character of the bridges and structures that surround the sweeping waterfront site. The creation of this large Park will also feature event spaces, terrace seating, boardwalks offering sweeping views out into the waterfront, and connections to the Richmond and K&T trails to the north.

ANTONIO FIOL-SILVA SERVES ON THE 2018 CNU AWARDS JURY

The Congress for the New Urbanism recently convened a Charter Awards jury of distinguished designers, architects, planners and scholars to review entries and selected winners for the 2018 CNU Charter Awards.   Antonio, a recipient of two CNU Charter Awards, joined a distinguished Jury Co-Chaired by Maurice Cox, Director of Planning for the City of Detroit, and Jennifer Hurley, Principal at Hurley-Franks & Associates.   Award applicants were judged on the extent to which they fulfill and advance the principles of the Charter of the New Urbanism, which defines the essential qualities of outstanding buildings and urban places. This year’s jury had a particular interest in equitable and inclusive placemaking.

Since 2002, CNU's annual Charter Awards have recognized outstanding achievements in architectural, landscape, and urban design and planning worldwide. Regarded as the preeminent award for excellence in urban design, the CNU Charter Awards honors a select number of winners.  Winning projects represent major contributions to building more equitable, sustainable, connected, healthy, and prosperous communities.

Learn more about the CNU Charter Awards at  https://www.cnu.org/charter-awards.  The Charter Awards will be presented at CNU’s 26th Congress on May 16-19 in in Savanah, GA, https://www.cnu.org/cnu26

NEWMAN CENTER UNVEILS PLANS FOR ITS NEW HOME

The Newman Center in Philadelphia’s University City, home to the Penn Newman Catholic Community and the Drexel Newman Catholic Community, unveiled plans for its new home at 38th and Chestnut Streets at the heart of Philadelphia’s University City.  The 30,000 s.f. state-of-the-art facility integrates two stately stone buildings through a new glass-enclosed garden pavilion to create a seamless Newman Center that is engaging of its campus context.   

The Center’s program includes a large 200-seat meeting space conducive to receptions, dinners and lectures; a large lounge for informal gatherings and events; meeting rooms; offices and a chapel.  The buildings will be accessed through a gracious entry plaza off 38th Street, and a green courtyard off Chestnut Street that is designed to both serve as a contemplative oasis, as well as a vessel for receptions and events.  

SITIO’s project team includes Studio Bryan Hanes as Landscape Architect, Bruce Brooks & Associates as MEP engineers, Larsen & Landis as structural engineers, and BEAM lighting designers. Intech Construction is the general contractor, with a March 2018 groundbreaking set for the initial phase of construction.