SITIO FOUNDING PRINCIPAL ANTONIO FIOL-SILVA JURIES THE ULI GLOBAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

Antonio Fiol-Silva, SITIO’s Founding Principal and a Global Governing Trustee of the Urban Land Institute, is on the Jury for this edition of the ULI Global Awards for Excellence.  The Jury is composed of recognized industry leaders who apply the highest standards of appraisal to real estate projects that achieve excellence in design, construction, economics, planning and management.  Nineteen extraordinary developments from around the globe were recently named as finalists to what is recognized as one of the industry’s most prestigious awards:

• 150 North Riverside, Chicago, Illinois

• 1800 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Cornell Tech Campus Framework Plan & Phase I Site Development, New York, New York

• Crosstown Concourse, Memphis, Tennessee

• Empire Stores, Brooklyn, New York

• Frick Environmental Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Gathering Place, Tulsa, Oklahoma

• Guoco Tower, Singapore

• H Queens, Hong Kong

• Ink Block, Boston, Massachusetts

• International Market Place, Honolulu, Hawaii 

• Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC), Shanghai, China  

• Lingnan Tiandi (LNTD) Lot 1, Foshan, Guangdong, China 

• Moscow Street Program, Moscow, Russia

• Pier 17 at the Seaport District, New York, New York 

• Renaissance Downtown Lofts, Denver, Colorado

• The Mark, Seattle, Washington 

• The Scioto Peninsula Cultural District, Columbus, Ohio 

• The Wharf Phase I, Washington, D.C.

Antonio is a past recipient of a ULI Global Award for Excellence for the SteelStacks Art and Cultural Campus, which was honored for its dramatic transformation of one of the country’s largest industrial brownfields sites into a dynamic destination for music and art festivals and cultural events.  At SteelStacks Antonio was Principal-In-Charge and Design Principal for the SteelStacks Campus Master Plan, the Levitt Pavilion at SteelStacks, and the Hoover-Mason Trestle at SteelStacks.

SITIO’S ANTONIO FIOL-SILVA FEATURED PANELIST AT UPCOMING CCPA ‘MEET THE DEVELOPERS’ EVENT

SITIO’s Antonio Fiol-Silva will join a distinguished panel discussion presented by the Center City Proprietors Association. The “Meet the Developers” panel will feature the city’s innovative developers, builders, architects, and engineers. The moderated discussion will explore current developments and their impact on the city’s economic growth and vitality. Panelists include:

• Antonio Fiol-Silva FAIA, LEED AP, Founding Principal, SITIO architecture + urbanism

• Michael Barmash, Senior Managing Director Philadelphia, Colliers International 

• Della Clark, President, The Enterprise Center

• Sarina Rose, Senior Vice President of Development, Post Brothers

• Jason Tucker, Vice President, Acquisitions, The Goldenberg Group

• Moderated by: Caitlin McCabe, Real Estate Reporter, Philadelphia Inquirer

 More information can be found here.

ULI PHILADELPHIA WELCOMES SITIO AS AN URBAN VISIONARY SPONSOR

SITIO is proud to expand our commitment to the Philadelphia Urban Land Institute, to join Brandywine Realty Trust and Liberty Property Trust as an Urban Visionary, the top sponsor tier.  Through material support and enthusiastic engagement, SITIO vigorously embraces ULI’s mission of providing leadership in the responsible use of land, while creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide.  ULI is the oldest and largest network of cross-disciplinary real estate and land use experts in the world. Through its members' dedication to the mission and their shared expertise, the Institute sets standards of excellence in development practice.

SITIO’s Founding Principal, Antonio Fiol-Silva, FAIA has been a vital member of the Institute for over two decades, currently serving as a Global Governing Trustee, a Jury Member for the Global Awards for Excellence, and the local Governance Chair for ULI Philadelphia.  

Learn more about ULI Philadelphia at: https://philadelphia.uli.org and ULI Global at: https://uli.org

SITIO ANNOUNCES MAJOR MILESTONES PASSED ON THE HUBBARD-VERNOR PROJECT IN DETROIT!

SITIO is pleased to announce the Hubbard-Vernor project has been unanimously approved by the Detroit Historic District Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals!

Working in collaboration with Cinnaire, Southwest Business District Association, and Invest Detroit, SITIO has recently completed schematic design on the 53-unit affordable housing mixed-use development in the historic Mexicantown neighborhood of Southwest Detroit. Located a mile from the former Michigan Central Station and soon to be home of the highly anticipated Ford Innovation Center, the project brings density and urban vitality to the Vernor-Bagley commercial corridor through diverse housing options, low-rent retail space for local business, enriching community amenities, and landscaped public space. Identified as a site for strategic catalytic development, the project has undergone significant community participation and will set precedent for equitable growth in the region.

In keeping with the context of the Hubbard Farms Historic District and the Bagley-Vernon Traditional Main Street guidelines, the project integrates contemporary design that thoughtfully responds to the local vernacular. Working with the challenges of a constrained site footprint, the project’s massing is articulated to create an inviting pedestrian-scaled street frontage that enhances the continuity of active facades along Vernor Highway. With two major project milestones underway, the project is moving full speed ahead with anticipated completion in the Spring of 2021.

BRIDESBURG PARK RECEIVES WILLIAM PENN FOUNDATION GRANT

The Bridesburg Park recently received a William Penn Foundation grant which will help launch Phase 1 of construction as featured in a recent Philadelphia Inquirer article. SITIO has completed design and documentation of the architectural components of this 10-acre riverfront park that includes a performance pavilion, picnic pavilion, and restroom facilities. These structures evoke the site’s existing industrial context and celebrates the iconic Betsy Ross Bridge that can be seen from nearly every corner of the site. The Bridesburg Park serves as a keystone in connecting the community of Bridesburg not only with their waterfront, but also their industrial heritage.

The project team includes Langan, Ground Reconsidered, O’Donnell and Naccarato, Arora Engineering, Milrose Consultants, and Becker & Frondorf.

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON THE CHESTNUT AT UNIVERSITY CITY!

Construction has begun on 3720 Chestnut! Our 30-story multifamily residential project in University City is being developed by EPG Urban and Mapletree Investments. The project is being built by the Hunter Roberts Construction Group, and will be completed in mid 2020.

SITIO'S KAREN BLANCHARD COMPLETES 2018 AIA PHILADELPHIA PRESIDENTIAL TERM

Congratulations to SITIO principal Karen Blanchard who ends her 2018 term as Philadelphia AIA President and joins SITIO founding principal Antonio Fiol-Silva as distinguished past-president alumni!

ANDREW FERRARELLI MENTORS STUDENTS AT COMPETE 360

SITIO’s Andrew Ferrarelli presents to a group of middle school students at Welsh Elementary in Philadelphia, PA as part of Compete 360's Designers in Schools week.  For several years Andrew has volunteered as a mentor at various schools helping students creatively solve problems they identify in their school or community. The program empowers students to become change makers while learning about design thinking.

Compete 360 is an organization to support the education and development of urban youth. For fourteen years, the charity provided academic support and enrichment programming to children in grades K-8 in Atlantic City, Camden, and Philadelphia. Their mission is to cultivate a design thinking practice in under-resourced city schools, helping teachers bring new ideas and practices to their work, and helping students engage in hands-on, inquiry-driven learning.  

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