landscape architecture ecological planning & design
brochure
| RECENT WORK
an–dro–po–gon \ n: a common field grass, is one of nature’s remarkable adaptations to stress and change in the landscape. Wherever the landscape has been disturbed, andropogon is one of the first field grasses to colonize the ground, providing a self-sustaining cover for the gradual return of our native forests. The economy and elegance with which these grassy meadows heal the wounded landscape aptly describes Andropogon’s goal in ecological planning and design, “to weave together the landscape of man and nature for the benefit of both.”
FIrM ProFIle
Founded more than thirty years ago, Andropogon is committed to the principle of “designing with nature,” creating beautiful and evocative landscapes inspired by the careful observation of natural processes and informed by the best environmental science. The elegance and economy of natural form and process continues to be the benchmark by which we measure the success of our work—from the smallest construction detail to the multi-layered patterns of regional sites. Andropogon is a certified MBE with a multi-cultural staff of professionals. We are committed to the successful maturing of each project, from initial concept designs to construction review and long-term landscape management. Our national and international bodies of work include early examples of innovative green strategies that have withstood the test of time as well as a broad range of landscape, site planning, and environmental projects, ecological restoration, and innovative stormwater management techniques. Our clients often tell us that we combine integrated design with a depth of ecological understanding in synergistic ways. With every project we embody our mission...”to weave together the landscapes of man and nature for the benefit of both.”
FIRM PRINCIPALS José Almiñana Yaki Miodovnik
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPALS Thomas Amoroso Manisha Kaul Elizabeth Kulkarni
PRINCIPALS EMERITI Carol Franklin Colin Franklin
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DeSIgN PrINcIPleS
Place First Our goal is to understand and express the essential character of a place. We tell the story of a site by learning what it was, understanding what it is, and realizing what it can become.
Creating High-Performance / Multi-Functioning Landscapes Creative problem-solving shapes our landscapes making them interactive. We are committed to synergistic designs where roles are inter-dependent and mutually supporting.
Harmonize People and Place Our designs find opportunities for a dynamic and relevant future in the fundamentals of the place and the aspirations of the community.
Heal Ecosystems Our core approach is to build dynamic, holistic systems and establish a healthy web of relationships.
Economy of Intervention We protect the integrity of ecological and social systems through non-invasive and carefully targeted solutions; maximum impact with minimal invasion.
Beauty is More than Skin Deep Our landscapes are not only artistic and aesthetically beautiful; they create evocative experiences with lasting impressions while serving as essential organizing elements of a site.
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R e c e nt W o r k
a collection of projects recently completed or under construction
UNIVERSITY OF PENNS Shoemaker Green
SYLVANIA
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Sh oema ke r G r een Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Shoemaker Green is a 3.75 acre site located immediately east of 33rd Street between Walnut and Spruce Streets. The green is a major component of the east-west connection between the central campus and Penn Park, serving as a new continuation of the Locust Walk / Smith Walk corridor. The site is surrounded by two of the University’s most iconic athletic facilities – the Palestra and Franklin Field – and will serve as the “front doors” to these historic structures. Shoemaker Green will also serve as a model for sustainable campus design. Through the innovative use of a variety of strategies and technologies, Andropogon’s design for Shoemaker Green will minimize the transportation of materials to and from the site during construction, optimize the capture and control of storm water from the site and surrounding rooftops, provide viable native plant and animal habitats, and serve as a starting point for the development of a sustainable landscape maintenance strategy for the University at large. D e s i g n Stage: Under Co n structio n . Op e n in g S e p t . 2 0 1 2
1. SHOEMAKER GREEN 2. WAR MEMORIAL 3. 33RD STREET TREES 4. WEISS / DINNING COURT 5. DAVID RITTENHOUSE ENTRANCE PLAZA 6. PEDESTRIAN CROSSING 8. WEISS TERRACE 9. PALESTRA / HUTCHINSON TERRACE 10. SMITH WALK (PROPOSED EXTENSION) 11. RAIN GARDENS 12. CONNECTION TO PALEY BRIDGE / PENN PARK
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SALVATION ARMY Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Comm A n d r o p o g o n
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munity Center renderi ng cour t esy of M G A A n d r o p o g o n
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salvation army
R ay and J oan K r oc Corp s C o m m u n i ty C e n te r Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Andropogon Associates teamed with MGA Partners to provide site development and landscape design services for the new 87,000 s.f. Community Center for the Salvation Army. The new facility, which opened in October 2011, is a highly diversified headquarters offering recreational facilities, job training, and educational and spiritual programs for Philadelphians from the Germantown and Nicetown neighborhoods. The existing project location, a 14 acre contaminated brownfield, was formerly an industrial site and parking lot. After performing an initial site analysis and contamination review, Andropogon developed a comprehensive, sustainable landscape approach to accommodate the diverse demands of the site and facility. Included in the plan is an urban farm, synthetic turf field, playground, daycare with play lot, and a network of rain gardens and cisterns. The site is organized around a central open space and adjoining formal garden. Intended for ceremonies and outdoor events, the formal garden is designed in sections so it can be expanded to accommodate larger gatherings. D e s i gn Stage: Rece n tly Comp lete d
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renderi ng cour t esy of M G A A n d r o p o g o n
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UNITED STATES COAS
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T GUARD HQ
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UNITED STATES COAST GUARD HEADQUARTERS Washington, D.C.
As a member of the master planning and site development team led by architects Perkins + Will, Andropogon is serving as the landscape architect and ecological planner for the adaptive reuse of the West Campus of the former St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C. The St. Elizabeths campus, a National Historic Landmark located 2.5 miles from the U.S. Capital, is a 182-acre site with 61 buildings, abundant open space, a Civil War cemetery, and stunning views of the surrounding area. The Coast Guard Headquarters building is the first phase of the General Services Administration’s plan for the adaptive reuse of the entire campus. Andropogon worked with Perkins + Will to create a vibrant workplace environment that provides natural daylight and views to the exterior landscape for the majority of the offices, and also provides exterior courtyard spaces that offer a space for employees to immerse themselves in nature. The aim of the landscape design is to reflect the richness of the place while also functioning programmatically, ecologically, and aesthetically. The landscape design includes a 9-acre ecoroof and is targeting a “Gold” Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) rating. D e s i gn Stage: Under Construction. O p e n i n g J u n e 2 0 1 3
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r i d g e + N o r t h e r n P i e d m o n t Trap Rock + Conglomerate Uplands
N o r t h e r n P i e d m o n t Piedmont Uplands + Foothills
N o r t h e r n P i e d m o n t Lowlands + Outer Piedmont
F a l l L i n e
S o u t h e a s t e r n P l a i n s Chesapeake Rolling Coastal Plain
m i d d l A t l a n t i c o a s t a p l a i
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ChesapeakeAlbemarle Silty Lowlands + Tidal Marshes
EPA Lev el I I I + I V E c o re g i o n s o f th e D C -Me tro A rea
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C oncept D i agram of C ourtyards an d Cor r esponding E coregi on A s s o c i a t e s
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J. CRAIG VENTER INST A n d r o p o g o n
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TITUTE i ma g e c o u rte s y o f ZGF A rchi tects A n d r o p o g o n
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j . craig vent E r institute La Jolla, California
Andropogon is collaborating on a new research and laboratory facility in California. The J. Craig Venter Institute is a not-for-profit research institute dedicated to the advancement of the science of genomics; the understanding of its implications for society; and the communication of those results to the scientific community, the public, and policy makers. The proposed project, a new three-story building over a single level parking garage, is on track to becoming a stateof-the-art laboratory, meeting a number of aggressive sustainability targets. The project intends to be “net-zero in electrical energy” which means that it will produce as much electricity on-site as it consumes annually. Andropogon designed the site in keeping with the project’s “zero discharge” philosophy by integrating the combined strategies of infiltration, on-site wastewater treatment, and water reuse. Rainwater will be collected and stored in a cistern, filtered, and then reused for toilet flushing and site irrigation. Wastewater from the building will also be collected, treated, and reused on-site. S t a g e : Under C onstru ction. Openin g A u g u s t 2 0 1 3
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CENTER FOR SUSTAIN Phipps Conservatory
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ABLE LANDSCAPES
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center for sustainable landscapes Ph ipps C ons er v at or y Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania As the nation’s first teaching conservatory, the mission of the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens has evolved to position the institution at the forefront of the environmental education movement. To advance their mission, the Conservatory is currently embarking on the last phase of its three phase expansion: the construction of an Education-Research-Administration Building. Planned on a brownfield site, the19,000 s.f. facility will showcase cutting-edge environmental technologies to make the building as much a part of the exhibit as the specimens showcased within. Designed to meet the rigorous criteria of the Living Building Challenge, The Design Alliance and Andropogon have collaborated to create a truly integrated design. With the building and landscape working in unity, one hundred percent of the building’s energy and water needs will be met by on-site renewable energy, captured precipitation, and reused water (Net Zero Energy and Net Zero Water). In addition, all site-related stormwater will be treated on-site (Sustainable Water Discharge). Once finished, the new facility will serve as a demonstration facility unlike any other in the world: a true living building. D e s i g n Stage: Under Co n structio n . Op e n in g J u n e 2 0 1 2
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LOWER VENICE ISLAND
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lower venice island Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Lower Venice Island is a five-acre island located between the Schuylkill River and the Manayunk Canal in Philadelphia. Like many cities across the country, Manayunk is faced with the challenge of planning for change in a post-industrial city and determining new uses for abandoned and underutilized waterfront property. However, Manayunk’s waterfront is evolving into a highly desirable area where parks, greenways, upscale retail, and residential development are envisioned. Andropogon Associates developed a master plan and site design for Lower Venice Island that incorporates public access to the river along with boating, fishing, and enhanced facilities for a Venice Island Recreation Center. The new facility will include performance, flexible classroom, and meeting spaces. Outdoor recreational activities will include hockey, basketball, and a children’s water spray park. Urban open space must serve many functions such as providing connections, active recreation, passive recreation, and community gathering spaces, as well as improving stormwater management. The Lower Venice Island project demonstrates how to achieve a better balance along the waterfront and extend the vitality of the city and the community down to the river and canal edge. D e s i gn Stage: Under Co n structio n . Op e n in g S p rin g 2 0 1 4
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THOMAS JEFFERSON U
UNIVERSITY PLAZA
T homas jefferson university D orra nce H. Ham ilt on P l a z a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The new Dorrance H. Hamilton Building opened in early 2008; it was the first major structure to be built at the Center City Philadelphia medical school campus in 15 years. The state-of-the-art building, designed by Burt Hill, is part of a $60 million expansion-and-renovation project that also includes a 215-space underground parking garage and a 60,000 s.f. plaza for use by students, faculty, and the community. Andropogon’s expansive green plaza is intended to transform the 14-acre urban campus by providing a new “heart of campus” where formerly two parking garages consumed half a city block and overshadowed the functions and identity of the University. The plaza is designed to accommodate academic events and ceremonies as well as to serve as an inviting public space for the urban community with a cafe, public art, and diverse, shady seating areas. The plaza landscape is irrigated solely with rainwater and air conditioner condensate collected in underground cisterns. The elliptical forms radiating from the center of the plaza create a feeling of expansiveness within Philadelphia’s dense urban fabric. Canopy trees embrace the central paved oval and the large event lawn, but the site was designed to be very open to ensure users feel welcome and secure. Innovative lighting design was used to enhance both the design intent and campus safety. 2006 Stormwater BMP Award from the City of Philadelphia Water Department D e s i gn Stage: Re cently Co mple ted
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R e c e nt W o r k
a collection of projects on the boards
CONSTITUTION GARDE
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constitution gardens National Mall, Washington D.C.
Since L’Enfant’s time, Washington’s story is marked by a precarious balance of urbanism and water. A shoreline, two canals and a creek once met at the present Constitution Avenue and 17th Street intersection. Thus, the park struggles with unnaturally developed soils and with an equally artificial lake. Andropogon’s team, consisting of architects Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, our longtime friends and collaborators Biohabitats, and Washington DC locals/experts Michael Baker Jr., Inc., was invited to compete in an international competition to redesign this area of the National Mall. A healthy and vibrant lake is the heart of the new Gardens. Variegated shorelines, paths, and boardwalks offer multiple ways to experience this water-centric park. Informed by the aesthetics of regional aquatic and terrestrial habitats, a new resilient park landscape is sustained by biologically enhanced soils. The restored nutrient cycling capacity and diversity of this landscape minimizes maintenance requirements over time. D e s i gn Stage: Comp e titio n Finalist, R u n n e r Up
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di agram courtesy of Biohabit at s
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INITIAL L CONDITIONS: LAWN L & POND
CONSTRUCTION & INSTALLATION: YEAR 1
YOUNG PLANTED COMMUNITIES: YEARS 2 & 3
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MATURING WETLAND COMMUNITY WITH YOUNG FOREST AREAS: YEAR 4 AND ONWARD
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Existing Edge By diversifying the edge conditions around the pond, the Andropogon Team was able to provide a wider range of experience while also helping to alleviate some of the many maintenance issues plaguing the site today.
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PORTAL A n d r o p o g o n
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4 0 Th S T r e e T T r o l l e y PORTAL Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Andropogon has been retained by the University City District (UCD) to develop plans for the transformation of the 40th Street Trolley Portal in West Philadelphia. Once a street and now a gateway to University City, this is among the busiest public transit hubs in Philadelphia. The design proposal stems from a collaborative effort, led by Andropogon and coordinated by UCD, that included representatives of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, the Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities, higher educational institutions, and the surrounding community. The proposed design seeks to create a “gateway� for UCD, improve pedestrian and rider safety, reduce the urban heat island effect, and mitigate combined sewer outfall discharges. The design includes provisions for a new food establishment, retrofitting the existing catenary trolley poles to support a high efficient motion activated LED lighting system, and installing new pavements and landscaped areas to provide insect and pollinator habitat, seating opportunities, and reduce stormwater runoff. In addition, Andropogon is collaborating with the Philadelphia Water Department to implement green streets along the sidewalks surrounding the station. D e s i gn Stage: De sig n De velo p ment
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ALMONO BROWNFIELD
ALMONO BROWNFIELD Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Once home to two of the largest steel manufacturers in Southwestern Pennsylvania, the master plan for this 178-acre parcel develops a vision for how a brownfield can transform into a vibrant mixed-use development. Owned by a consortium of four local foundations, and managed by Pittsburgh’s Regional Industrial Development Corporation (RIDC), the site is expected to respond to the social issues of the surrounding Hazelwood community while simultaneously addressing the environmental challenges associated with a former heavy industrial site. Rothschild Doyno Collaborative led a multidisciplinary team including Andropogon Associates to craft a vision for the former LTV site in Hazelwood that attracts economic investment, creates jobs, connects communities, and advances sustainability. The site will be connected by a signature “River” boulevard and trail that will weave along the river’s edge, past the remarkable industrial artifacts, under the working railroad, through new neighborhoods, and into Hazelwood’s street grid. The vision connects Hazelwood to the shores of the Monongahela River while working within the realities of property lines, sewer conditions, and railroads so it can readily move forward. Along the mile-and-a-half long signature road, a mixture of park spaces and proposed uses offer a wide range of development opportunities in four “districts.” Andropogon Associates developed a conceptual ecological infrastructure that integrates natural systems with stormwater management, green technology, traditional infrastructure, site circulation, and open space. The vision also includes development of site phasing plans and recommendations for interim uses, as well as an economic development model. Rothschild Doyno Collaborative is currently assisting the managing partner, RIDC, in the development of SP District Zoning and in community outreach to share the vision as the zoning process advances. D e s i gn Stage: In fra structure P la n n ing
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INDIA INSTITUTE OF T
ECHNOLOGY
india institute of technology Jodhpur, India
Andropogon Associates was invited to be part of an international competition to design a brand new campus master plan for Rajistan’s India Institute of Technology. By carefully considering the existing conditions on and around the site, the team was able to sustainably plan for a growing school population. The design worked toward a Net-Zero approach for water, energy, and food production, using innovative technologies combined artfully with traditionally viable techniques. By celebrating the infrastructure of the campus rather than hiding it in pipes and conduits, the design itself becomes a teacher, showcasing both what has worked for thousands of years to sustain the people who inhabit this area, as well as what is only today being dreamed of and manufactured for the first time. India Institute of Technology, as imagined by Andropogon Associates and Fred Schwartz Architects, would serve as an icon of regional sustainability. D e s i gn Stage: Comp e titio n Finalist
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Building Mass
Micro Grading
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“to weave together the landscape of man and nature for the benefit of both.�
10 shurs lane philadelphia, pa 19127 www.andropogon.com 215 487 0700