Jose Almiñana was profiled by PlanPhilly for his role on the Philadelphia Art Commission and Andropogon's work on public green spaces throughout the city, including Lubert Plaza at Thomas Jefferson University, Shoemaker Green at the University of Pennsylvania, the 40th Street Trolley Terminal, and the Salvation Army Kroc Center.

José Almiñana will participate in a roundtable to discuss what has been learned from the Sustainable Sites Initiative™ (SITES™) pilot program. The roundtable will take place at the AIA Convention on May 17. Almiñana will share Andropogon's experience with Shoemaker Green, at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Andropogon is also involved with two other SITES™ pilot projects at Bartholdi Park at the U.S. Botanic Gardens, Washington, D.C., and the Phipps Conservatory, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The Drexel University Campus Master Plan won a 2012 SCUP Honor Award for Excellence in Planning for an Existing Campus. The master plan, entitled "Transforming the Modern Urban University," focuses on bringing the campus to the street, identifying and providing new community spaces, and emphasizing sustainability innovations. In addition to Andropogon Associates, the winning team included Goody Clancy, Kittelson & Associates, Rickes Associates, W-ZHA, and Meloria Environmental Design.

Shoemaker Green is under construction and is scheduled to open on September 20, 2012. The green will serve as a new public commons as well as a tree-lined walk for the surrounding athletic buildings and Penn Park to the east. The sustainable site design will enhance the overall environment for the community by improving water quality, minimizing runoff, increasing local biodiversity, and reducing the effect of the urban heat island by greening formerly paved areas.

The Pennsylvania chapter of the AIA has awarded MGA with a Design Excellence Award for the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in North Philadelphia.  You can see more about our role on the project here, and learn more about the building at MGA's site and at PlanPhilly.

Set to be one of the greenest buildings in the world, Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburg, PA will soon open to the public!  Meeting the requirements for the Living Building Challenge, the project will serve as a sustainable benchmark and a great example of integrated, systems-focused design.  See more about the project on our site here, and check out Inhabitat's coverage of the project over here.

In their new roles Tom, Manisha and Liz will continue to provide leadership regarding the firm’s operational and strategic initiatives to realize Andropogon’s mission “to weave together the landscape of man and nature for the benefit of both”.  Sustainability is a fundamental building block in the firm’s heritage, values and commitment to improving our cities and landscapes. It is this belief that motivates Tom, Manisha and Liz to work together and champion a goal of melding beautiful design with environmentally sensitive solutions.

Avalon Preserve, Cusano Environmental Center at Tinicum, and Thomas Jefferson University are three of the many case studies on the Landscape Architecture Foundation's website showcasing the real, measurable benefits of sustainable landscape design. (Image above taken at Cusano Environmental Center)

Andropogon Associates is excited about TJU Plaza being featured in Danilo Palazzo and Frederick Steiner's new book, Urban Ecological Design:  A Process for Regenerative Places.   The book is a fantastic resource, and we highly recommend it.

Carol will be giving a lecture entitled "The Necessity of Systems Thinking in Making, Preserving, Restoring and Creating Landscapes," on January 23rd at NC State University.  She will be discussing her award winning new book Metropolitan Paradise:  The Struggle for Nature in the City, as well as digging into the incredible work she has been doing in the office both recently and over the past 35 years.  

José Almiñana accepted the 2011 Sustainability Award on behalf of the City of Lewes and Andropogon Associates at this year's AIA Delaware Annual Meeting. read more here...

Carol Franklin, FASLA, and David Contosta, PhD received an award of excellence from the American Society of Landscape Architects for their recent publication “Metropolitan Paradise, The Struggle for Nature in the City: Philadelphia's Wissahickon Valley, 1620-2020”

The plaza outside Thomas Jefferson University's Dorrance H. Hamilton Building (located between 10th and 11th; Locust and Walnut streets) is an example of green stormwater infrastructure that's barely visible to the naked eye.  learn more about the watershed here...

Our work at SUNY College for Environmental Science and Forestry is making headlines due to it's new green roof installation and their use of native plant species.

For young Buffalo-born landscape architect Christopher T. Mendel, Wednesday evening’s public meeting hosted by the Richardson Center Corp. in the Performing Arts Center in Rockwell Hall at Buffalo State College was like a final exam. A very high-stakes final exam. read more...