Haddington Playspace Project Featured at the IN-FILL PA Exhibition /  by Katrina Rogus

We are thrilled to announce that SALT DESIGN STUDIO’s Haddington Playspace project is now on display at the IN-FILL PA exhibition, located at The Exchange Gallery (24 East Main Street, Bloomsburg, PA) from May 8th to June 9th. This exhibition showcases designs, artwork, and ideas for regenerating in-fill spaces.

SALT was commissioned by ACHIEVEability, a social services organization, to engage the community and develop a design for transforming a vacant parcel into a pocket play park in the Haddington neighborhood of Philadelphia. Thanks to a grant from Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), we conducted interactive workshops with local residents to address safety concerns, determine the desired age range for park use, and gauge interest in nature play. ACHIEVEability utilized our Conceptual Plan to secure state funding for the park's design and implementation.

Spanning just under 3,000 square feet, this small but impactful open space will provide equitable and safe access to play in a busy and underserved area. Construction is slated to begin late summer or fall 2023.

Join us at the IN-FILL PA exhibition and be sure to follow us for updates on this exciting project!

Sara Pevaroff Schuh Interviewed for Grid Magazine /  by Katrina Rogus

Have you picked up a copy of February’s Grid Magazine yet? Principal of SALT, Sara Pevaroff Schuh, was featured in an article speaking to the value of connecting kids to the natural world. The article, ‘Beyond These Walls,’ mentions two of our projects: Greening Lea Elementary in West Philadelphia and the Nature Playspace at McMichael Park in East Falls. Introducing kids (and their parents) to nature-based play helps Philadelphia residents get acquainted with the natural world in our highly urbanized setting. We love designing these types of projects, and deeply appreciate that Grid is helping spread the word about the importance of nature in the city.

Chester A. Arthur School and Lee Elementary School recognized as Stormwater Pioneers by the Philadelphia Water Department! /  by Sara Pevaroff Schuh

Truth: Greening city schoolyards improves the health of our urban ecosystem and positively impacts the wellbeing of future generations. We are so proud that Chester A. Arthur School and Lea Elementary School were two of the 13 public schoolyards recognized as 2021 Stormwater Pioneers of Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) by the Philadelphia Water Department. In the Graduate Hospital neighborhood, the Chester A. Arthur schoolyard has transformed a former asphalt lot into a thriving, green urban habitat that captures more than 28,000 gallons of stormwater through multiple bioretention areas and porous paving. The school landscape provides essential ecological services and creates hands-on learning opportunities for Philadelphia’s school children. Now more than ever, the challenge for our City is to find the bandwidth and the funding to transform every public schoolyard into a high-performance, healthy community hub.

GSI at Chester Arthur. Image Credit: Sahar Coston-Hardy

GSI at Chester Arthur School. Image credit: Sahar Coston-Hardy

GSI Diagram for Chester Arthur.

Permeable pavers and swale at Lea School.

New Park Opens in Morristown, NJ! /  by Katrina Rogus

Last week, the Town of Morristown NJ and SALT celebrated the opening of a new neighborhood park! Still waiting for a new name, this park provides open green space for gathering, socialization, relaxing and play. Check out some coverage on the opening by MorristownGreen.com here!

We're Hiring! /  by Katrina Rogus

JOB-POSTING_2021_0621.jpg

Please email a letter of interest, résumé, references, and portfolio with work samples to jobs@saltdesigns.com. A portfolio link is preferred. Please do not send files larger than 8MB via email as attachments. No phone inquiries please.

SALT Loves to Ride /  by Sara Pevaroff Schuh

Cycle September is over and SALT managed to reach our goal of 500 miles for the month! Finishing first in Philly for organizations with 3-6 staff, we ended up in 5th in the USA leaderboards. Looking forward for future fall rides along the Schuykill River Trail!

We would like to thank Love To Ride for organizing the event.

Untitled-1.jpg
Untitled-12.jpg

Designing from distance : how has physical distancing impacted our design process? /  by Sara Pevaroff Schuh

In this interview, SALT's Principal, Sara Pevaroff Schuh, weighs in on how the studio has adapted to working remotely and the impact the crisis has had on the community engagement aspect of the design process. The logistical challenges associated with social distancing and lack of internet access for households in our more vulnerable communities has made it extremely difficult to capture the same breadth of participation as normal. As this crisis is set to continue how can we continue to engage communities and public in the design process?

Serviceberry Flower_edit.jpg

Evaluating Landscape Performance: A Guidebook for Metrics & Methods Selection /  by Katrina Rogus

_W2A0928_skew_sml.jpg

SALT’s Pre- and Post-Construction Site Assessments for the Chester Arthur Schoolyard have been published as a case study brief in the Landscape Architecture Foundation’s new guide to evaluate performance. The guide, Evaluating Landscape Performance: A Guidebook for Metrics & Methods Selection is available for download here. And check out the case study for Chester Arthur’s Play & Learning Lab here.

SALT is Hiring! /  by Katrina Rogus

JOB-POSTING.jpg

ENTRY-LEVEL LANDSCAPE DESIGNER

SALT DESIGN STUDIO is seeking a highly motivated entry-level designer to join our team. If you’re a critical thinker, a creative problem solver, and the list below describes you, please apply!

  • Strong verbal and written communication skills

  • Enjoy a small, tight-knit collaborative work environment

  • Able to produce visually compelling digital and hand-drawn graphics

  • Eager to learn, highly organized and capable of multi-tasking and self-editing

  • Fluency with AutoCad and Adobe Creative Suite mandatory, 3-D modeling and GIS a plus

  • Enthusiastic about community engagement and public design process

  • Savvy in social media and digital marketing

  • BLA or MLA with minimum of 1-year professional office experience

SALT DESIGN STUDIO is an innovative and energetic landscape architecture, planning and urban design firm with a focus on public work. Projects include parks, college campuses, streetscapes, multi-family housing, secondary schools, cultural institutions and artist collaborations. 

Please email letter of interest, resume and work samples to jobs@saltdesigns.com. Portfolio link is preferred, please do not send portfolio files larger than 8MB. No phone inquiries please.