News
Several Penn building projects and sustainability initiatives have been recognized over the past few months.
SCUP (Society for College and University Planning) Honor Award for Excellence in Planning for an Existing Campus
The University of Pennsylvania, along with Sasaki Associates, Inc., has received the 2013 Excellence in Planning for an Existing Campus from the Society for College & University Planning for Penn Connects. Awards were announced at the July meeting of SCUP in San Diego.
(July 2013)
Penn Earns Fourth Consecutive Tree Campus USA Designation from Arbor Day Foundation
Tree Campus USA is a national program the foundation launched in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor colleges and universities for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation. Click here to read more.
(May 2013)
EPA Green Power Challenge Champion
With its purchase of 200 million kWh annually, the University of Pennsylvania has retained its top spot among institutions of higher learning on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's list of green-power purchasers. The EPA's Green Power Partnership has tracked and recognized the highest green-power purchases in the nation since 2006, and Penn has led its peers for the past six years. When compared to users of green power across all industries, Penn ranked No. 3 nationally. Click here to view the list of the Top 20 College and University Green Power Purchasers.
(May 2013)
LEED Gold for Wharton San Francisco
Wharton San Francisco's new expanded facility, located in the historic Hills Brothers Plaza at the base of the Bay Bridge, has achieved LEED CI Gold Certification. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized green building program administered by the U.S. Green Building Council; CI refers to the benchmarks for Commercial Interiors. (March 2013)
International Sustainable Campus Network Recognizes Penn’s Green Academic Offerings
The academic component that the University of Pennsylvania has included in its Climate Action Plan caught the attention of the International Sustainable Campus Network when that agency compiled its inaugural Global University Leaders Forum Charter report earlier this year. Click here to read more.
(March 2012)
Weiss Pavilion Receives Preservation Alliance 2012 Grand Jury Award
Weiss Pavilion was recently honored with a 2012 Grand Jury Award from the Greater Philadelphia Preservation Alliance for exemplifying outstanding achievement in the field of historic preservation. Click here for the complete list of Preservation Alliance award recipients. (February 2012)
Morris Arboretum Horticulture Center Receives Montgomery Award
Phase 1 of the Horticulture Center of the Morris Arboretum, located in Springfield Township, earned a 2011 Land Development Award from the Montgomery County Planning Commission for its innovative site planning, energy-efficient building design, and sustainable design features. This successful project demonstrates the Morris Arboretum’s long-term commitment to sustainable practices and achieves the arboretum’s goal of providing a place for work, learning, and community.
(December 2011)
Weiss Pavilion Certified LEED Gold
Weiss Pavilion, Penn’s intercollegiate athletic weight training room and recreation center within the north arcade of Franklin Field, has been certified LEED Gold by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). It is Penn's fifth facility to become LEED Certified, following the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine (Certified), Music Building (Gold), Morris Arboretum Horticulture Center (Platinum), and Joe's Café (Gold, Commercial Interiors). Click here to read more.
(December 2011)
National Geographic Names Capogiro Best Place for Ice Cream in the World
Capogiro Gelato Artisans has been tabbed by National Geographic as the #1 spot for ice cream in the world. Capogiro has been a Philadelphia fixture since the doors of their first store opened at 13th and Sansom in 2002. The café at the Radian opened in 2009 and serves breakfast, panini, coffee, espresso, and cocktails in addition to its award-winning gelato. Click here for the full list of top ice cream spots from National Geographic.
(November 2011)
Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) Design Award
The Pennsylvania Council of SARA awarded the newly opened, $313m, Translational Research Center at the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine a design award.
(September 2011)
Philament Award for Lighting Excellence
Completed in 2010, Wharton’s new On Campus Recruiting Suite (OCRS) has been recognized for its interior lighting design by the Philadelphia Section of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. (August 2011)
SCUP (Society for College and University Planning) Merit Award for Excellence in Architecture Addition/Renovation
Completed in the spring of 2010, the renovation and expansion introduced new state-of-the-art teaching and rehearsal spaces that revitalized the building as well as the School of Arts and Sciences’ Music Department. The building fits perfectly within Penn’s network of open spaces and gardens and is an integral piece of the Penn Connects campus development plan. It integrates multiple sustainable design elements and is Penn’s first LEED Gold building. Click here for the complete list of 2011 SCUP Award Winners.
(August 2011)
Wharton OCRS Wins Philament Award for Lighting Excellence
Completed in 2010, Wharton’s new On Campus Recruiting Suite (OCRS) was recognized in August for its interior lighting design by the Philadelphia Section of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.(August 2011)
Sierra Magazine Cool Schools
University of Pennsylvania ranked #21 for 2011. Penn was cited particularly for its Green Fund program, which awards grants to faculty, staff or students for innovative sustainability proposals. For complete 2011 rankings click here.
(August 2011)
International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Honorable Mention
The Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware Chapter of the IIDA gave honorable mention to the renovations completed in the summer of 2010 to the Chemistry 1958 Wing for the organization of its interior space. (June 2011)
AIA Awards for Design Excellence
AIA Philadelphia's Awards for Design Excellence program recognizes significant achievements by member architecture firms in planning, design, and execution of architectural projects, and promotes the public appreciation of design quality.
Two Penn projects were honored under the Built Projects category:
Gold Medal: Awarded to a single work of the most exemplary design quality.
Out on a Limb, Morris Arboretum, Metcalfe
Honor Award: Awarded to works which exemplify high overall design quality in architecture, interiors and preservation.
Annenberg Public Policy Center, Ballinger
AIA Pennsylvania Architectural Excellence Winners
The Pennsylvania branch of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) awarded the Annenberg Public Policy Center, the Radian, and Morris Arboretum's Out on a Limb exhibit with 2010 Citations of Merit for Architectural Excellence. Click here for a complete list of award winners.
Preservation PA Award for the Music Building
Preservation Pennsylvania has honored Penn's Music Building with an Historic Preservation Award for Compatible New Addition in the Construction Project category of Public and Institutional work.
Weave Bridge Receives Construction Excellence Award from GBCA
The Weave Bridge was recently recognized by the General Building Contractors Association (GBCA) with a 2010 Construction Excellence Award.
SCI - West Community Grant Award
Andria Morales and Jim Garvey, this year's Artists in Residence, have been awarded a $3,000 grant by the Sustainable Communities Initiative - West (SCI-West) for their community outreach projects in collaboration with Neighborhood Bike Works. The grant money will be used to further build upon the Neighborhood Bike Works' youth education and outreach through art. SCI-West was designed to foster community empowerment in all of the areas that make a neighborhood great, including capital investment, economic activity, education, safety, and healthy environments and lifestyles. Thanks to FRES' Gina Renzi at The Rotunda for helping to secure the grant and for keeping our arts and culture initiatives thriving.
Second Nature Climate Leadership Award
Penn was recently honored with the first Climate Leadership Award for Institutional Excellence by Second Nature at the 4th Annual American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment Summit in Denver, Colorado. Penn was one of 12 institutions chosen from over 600 signatories eligible to receive the award. Click here to read the press release and learn more about the award.