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Our 2016 Community Design Award finalists

Every year, the Community Design Collaborative recognizes one of our pro bono projects for excellence in design, collaboration, and community impact with its Community Design Award. 

We are proud to announce the three finalists for this year's award, chosen from among the twenty five Design Grants we completed in 2015. Our finalists were selected by the Collaborative's Design Services Committee, a group of board members and volunteers who know our work thoroughly. The ultimate winner will be announced at AIA Philadelphia's Excellence in Design Awards celebration on October 19th. 

Here are our 2016 Community Design Award finalists and  a few words about what makes each one a standout. 

New Kensington CDC
Conceptual Design for Neighborhood Gateways      

Volunteers 
BWA architecture + planning Richard Winston, AIA | William Collett, AIA | Kathy Lent, Associate AIA | ThinkGreen Peter Johnson, ASLA | Anna Schmitz, ASLA

This project focused on the Lehigh Somerset neighborhood, but it provided ideas and strategies that many neighborhoods can use. It explored how an underpass and intersections leading into the neighborhood could be enhanced to connect communities and create a sense of welcome. The conceptual design led to a pop-up project by New Kensington CDC and Penn Praxis to engage the neighborhood in further visioning for the underpass.

School Advisory Council, Southwark Elementary School
East Passyunk Crossing Civic Association and Town Watch
Dragon Green Park

Volunteers
OLIN Allison Harvey | Agnes Ladjevardi | Chris Landau | Vivian Martinez | Richard Roark, ASLA | Brian Velleman | The FGX Group Frank Gallagher 

Everyone was blown away by this amazing design for a schoolyard and community gathering place! The school's mascot, a yellow dragon, inspired the design. The project benefitted from a strong partnership between the community and the school. They brought the project to us and worked closely together throughout the design process. In July, Southwark Elementary School was named one of Philadelphia’s first nine community schools, launching the Kenney administration's five-year plan to create 25 such schools.

Wynnefield Overbrook Revitalization Corporation
Facade Improvements for the North 54th Street Commercial Corridor

Volunteers
Jeffrey Brummer, AIA | James Conners | Gardner Fox Associates Joanna Trago

The goal of this project was to unify a block of Spanish Revival storefronts where great original details had been obscured by decades of individual renovations. The project had a quick turnaround with improvements to the second story roofing and bays completed this year. Improvements to the first floors of several businesses are now underway. WORC has hired a design consultant to implement the project and is using the preliminary design to guide improvements.

Do you know a nonprofit organization that could benefit from a grant of preliminary design services? We accept applications for Design Grants on a rolling basis and announce grant recipients four times a year. Apply for a Design Grant.

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