Architecture

Building bridges: A feat of engineering and artistry

At the Corning Museum of Glass, professor of architecture Masoud Akbarzadeh and his team have turned fragility into strength with a 30-foot-long span of shimmering glass, blending ancient wisdom with cutting-edge design to redefine the future of structural engineering and architecture.

Nathi Magubane

Turning the desert into an oasis

Students from the Weitzman School of Design journeyed to Senegal to help with a massive ecological and infrastructural greening effort as part of their coursework. The Dakar Greenbelt aims to combat desertification and promote sustainable urban growth.

Nathi Magubane

Toward carbon-negative architecture

A multidisciplinary team of researchers from Weitzman and Penn Engineering are working to develop a new building system that would reduce carbon in all aspects of concrete construction.

From the Weitzman School of Design

‘A place of collaborative conversation’

On Sept. 26 and 27, the Weitzman School will host Landscape Futures: Centennial of the Department of Landscape Architecture, a two-day symposium to celebrate the department’s unique ecological foundations, its evolving curriculum, and its ongoing global influence on landscape architectural practice and education.

From the Weitzman School of Design

Drawn to ArtWell

Drawn by their interests in art, design, and support for children in Philadelphia, two Penn students in the College of Arts and Sciences, Natalie Cheng and Aled Dillabough, are working as interns this summer at the nonprofit ArtWell.

Louisa Shepard



In the News


Dwell

Why do we keep developing in climate disaster zones?

Jessica Varner of the Weitzman School of Design says that the federal buyout timeline for homes destroyed by natural disasters opens the door to predatory buyers. William “Billy” Fleming of Weitzman says that adaptation requires various types of interventions that deal with the urgent effects of climate change.

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WHYY (Philadelphia)

Historic Longwood Gardens in Chester County readies for its next modern chapter

Marion Weiss of the Weitzman School of Design has helped spearhead the renovation of Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

While America dithers over climate change, Swarthmore College shows how we can live without fossil fuels

William Braham of the Weitzman School of Design explains how Penn has cut its total energy consumption by 50% since 2009.

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NBC Philadelphia

Philadelphia’s Ben Franklin Parkway and how it was inspired by Paris’ Champs-Élysées

David Brownlee of the School of Arts & Sciences says the goal of the City Beautiful movement was to create a new American aesthetic, from industrial landscape to urban paradise.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia’s Market Street East searches for growth and renewal — with or without a new Sixers arena

Akira Drake Rodriguez, Rashida Ng, and Dominic Vitiello of the Weitzman School of Design say there should be a more robust and inclusive conversation about the future of Philadelphia’s Market Street East.

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6ABC.com

Chinatown residents brainstorm different ideas for Fashion District instead of proposed 76ers arena

Rashida Ng of the Weitzman School of Design and colleagues attended the Save Chinatown Coalition to propose different ideas besides the 76ers arena for Philadelphia’s Fashion District.

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