Andropogon Associates, Ltd.

We love to see students out enjoying the fall weather at Shoemaker Green!

Spent the past several months reporting for LAM on the creeping (and at one recent point, crushing) effects of climate instability in Olmsted Woods, a small, beloved forest at the foot of the Washington National Cathedral. Andropogon Associates, Ltd. is engaged in a project with All Hallows Guild, the stewards of the Cathedral grounds, to stop losses and rehabilitate the ecology of the forest. It's a long game, except it's not a game—it's a microcosm of climate effects on forests throughout the Mid-Atlantic. #landscape #climate #urbanforestry #trees

We are so honored to have our work at the Washington National Cathedral’s Olmsted Woods featured in the October issue of Landscape Architecture Magazine A big thank you to Bradford McKee for writing such a thoughtful and thorough article. We are grateful for the hard work of our collaborators at?Meliora Design?and?Morris Arboretum & Gardens of the University of Pennsylvania, and, of course, for the?All Hallows Guild's ongoing stewardship of this special place. “…Olmsted couldn’t have foreseen the effects of climate chaos—of greenhouse gases that would wrap the globe and tax the ecology of this and every other forest on earth. The hardened environment of Olmsted Woods, the climate precarity, and the wear of visitor traffic around the Cathedral Close have left the place with just about every affliction known among forests and watersheds across the heavily metropolitan mid-Atlantic region: torrents of stormwater runoff, erosion, stream sedimentation, canopy loss, opportunistic plants, fragmented habitats, and the steady, perplexing demise of its keystone trees.” “Evidence of the woods’ decline was spelled out earlier this year as part of a long-range reversal strategy by the landscape architects at Andropogon Associates, Ltd. and Meliora Design. The guild first worked with Andropogon 25 years ago, when two of Andropogon’s founders, Carol Franklin and Leslie Sauer, led a restoration plan for Olmsted Woods with civil engineers at Cahill Associates, after an ecological assessment of the site in 1997 by Biohabitats urged immediate action to protect it.” Check out the full story for more details, and stay tuned for updates! https://lnkd.in/g2g6EAq4

Check out our work at Penn's Shoemaker Green and Vagelos Laboratory for Energy and Science (VLEST) during Greenbuild 2024! Nov 12-15.

We’re hosting some great tours and education sessions at #ASLA2024 this year! Hope to see you in DC! American Society of Landscape Architects

Our work at Phipps Center for Sustainable Landscapes is featured in this fall’s edition of AIA Philadelphia’s Context! “Landscape architect José Almi?ana, principal of Andropogon, has been thinking about the relationship between carbon and the landscape for some time. ‘We must design the most complex and diverse systems . . . the more complex the community, the greater the capacity to absorb carbon.’ A decade after opening, the project has matured into a landscape that feels natural but is, in fact, a series of integrated ecological and constructed systems. CSL is a working environment that includes biodiverse habitats, a net-zero building, and serves as an active carbon sink. The success of the professional collaboration can be measured by the seamlessness of each discipline’s efforts.” Check out the article for more details on our design solutions at Phipps! https://lnkd.in/eZFm6Zwe

"We all understand that architecture is the practice of creating the habitats where people live, but what about the plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria that also call planet Earth home? Landscape architecture plays a critical role in restoring polluted areas and rebuilding habitats for all living things. We plant native species, reconstruct natural hydrological systems, and design regenerative management plans to guide ecosystem succession" -- José M. Almi?ana, FASLA, Principal, Andropogon Associates, Ltd. and ASLA Climate Action Plan Task Force Member Learn more about Andropogon’s work restoring a rich and biodiverse ecosystem at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Center for Sustainable Landscapes: https://bit.ly/4adjeuw At #COP28UAE, ASLA will be advocating for projects like these. Learn more about what ASLA delegates will champion: https://bit.ly/3Rijkte Image Credit: Habitat diagram / Andropogon; Aerial view / Lofty Views; Lagoon oblique / Paul G. Wiegman; Native plants / Cory Doman; José M. Almi?ana / Andropogon #LandscapeArchitecture #GreeningOurFutureUS #Biodiversity #DesignWithNature

We're thrilled that stream restoration construction is moving forward at the NC Museum of Art Park Preserve this spring! Check out the Winter NCMA Preview for more details. https://lnkd.in/eBy63evn

We're making good progress with our partners at David Mason + Associates (DMA) on a new campus green space at Drexel University on the former site of Myers Hall! "The space will provide a kind of 'front lawn' for students, fulfilling a longstanding need for outdoor and recreation space on the University City Campus. In addition to eight critical existing trees, 104 new native canopy and understory trees will be added. While a lawn and planting beds will cover much of the site, it will also include pathways of porous pavers and a plaza with seating. New native and adapted species of plants and natural grass were chosen for adaptability to urban conditions, drought tolerance to reduce irrigation demands, increased biodiversity, support of birds and insects, ability to provide shade cover, and reduction of the urban heat island effect." https://lnkd.in/gYhhPxjX