Best Green Space Project

Sister Cities Discovery Garden Improvements

Project Description

This project, inspired by Philadelphia’s Wissahickon Valley, provides visitors—especially children—with winding pathways, scalable rocks, and a meandering stream that connect natural elements with the man-made environments surrounding them. Boulder stones and wood elements were locally sourced. Workers’ craftsmanship is showcased in the hand-carved and placed stones and the woodwork and IPE Coping details in the play areas. The sensory-friendly twig nest was designed and woven with timber and children’s safety in mind. Regular on-site meetings including the Owner, Architects, and Subcontractors ensured that the landscaping was installed as “naturally” as possible to mimic the outdoors.

Contractor
Bittenbender Construction

Owner
Center City District

Architect
Studio MB
Landscape Architect: Studio Bryan Hanes

Engineer
Structural Engineer: CVM Civil
MEP Engineer: Pennoni Associates, Inc.

Other GBCA Members
PCS General Partner, LLC

2020 Construction Excellence Awards Sponsors