The design world has undergone tectonic shifts since our practice’s founding in 1965, but perhaps none more monumental than what we’ve experienced in the last few years. The diligent work of many to build capacity and advocate for change over decades swelled into a rallying cry in response to acts of racially motivated violence like the murder of George Floyd and rising hate crimes against the AAPI community. Set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and the fundamental inequities that were amplified and made clear to a wider audience than ever before, environmental justice and economic inequality has never…

Friends of the North Philly Peace Park gathered on Saturday, May 15 to celebrate a milestone in the growth of this North Philadelphia ecology campus, founded in 2012 by a group of neighborhood residents, activists, designers, organizers, and educators. The event featured a performance by Urban Shaman, remarks from Dr. John Churchville and Empress Jazmine Nicole Umm Ummah, and food from Atiya Ola’s Spirit First Foods.

The Sala Keturah S.T.E.M. Pavilion — a solar-powered facility containing two classrooms and a kitchen — was designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson in close collaboration with the park community, and will host classes, tutoring…

The Waldorf School of Pittsburgh community gathered virtually and in person to celebrate the official opening of its new eighth-grade classroom building, Heartwood Annex, during its annual May Fair last weekend. It was the first opportunity for parents and many students to tour the new classroom.

The classroom’s name emerged from an exploratory process with students, who were inspired by heartwood as the strongest part of a tree. The 1,000 square-foot project occupies a central place on the Waldorf School’s campus, facing onto the primary green space adjacent to its main building, a city-designated historic landmark.

Centering wellness in the design process can reframe our approach to creating spaces that meet a diversity of occupant needs, including physical, environmental, social, emotional, and spiritual health. In a recent virtual event, we convened clients and collaborators from Atelier Ten, Okta, Inc., the Rodale Institute, and the Center for Active Design to hear their unique perspectives on creating places that support, inspire, and educate.

Allen Kachel, AIA LEED AP, a senior associate in our Wilkes-Barre studio and moderator for the event, noted a renewed conviction to “design the world that we hope for” as we emerge from the…

At Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, we believe that exceptional architecture and sustainable architecture are one and the same, and that the role of the architect includes careful stewardship of the built environment for future generations. Since 2015, we have been a signatory firm to the AIA’s 2030 Commitment, whose goal is to support firms participating in the 2030 Challenge to achieve carbon neutral buildings by the year 2030. …

We are pleased to announce that ANSYS Hall at Carnegie Mellon University has earned LEED Gold certification as established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). A hive for teaching, prototyping, and implementation, the 36,000 square-foot project completes the College of Engineering’s “Maker Ecosystem” that includes nano-, micro-, and macro- fabrication. From the adaptable high-bay makerspace to collaborative classrooms, the building was designed to evolve with changing technologies and allows for flexibility to maximize its long-term potential.

A holistic design approach is essential to the success of a high-performance facility like ANSYS Hall. We worked with Carnegie Mellon University to…

Beyond providing the tools for researching and testing new ideas, college makerspaces offer a framework for students to collaborate across disciplines and areas of focus. Working with Carnegie Mellon University on the design of ANSYS Hall, a new maker hub for its College of Engineering, we strengthened connections between engineering environments while addressing the needs of a range of users, from software company ANSYS, Inc. to engineering clubs. When finished this spring, the Siebel Center for Design at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will provide a home for human-centered design and multidisciplinary collaborations. …

Part Two — Gender Inequality & Unconscious Bias

As part of ongoing discussions initiated in 2019 in our practice about equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in the architecture profession, we have held practice-wide conversations guided by the AIA’s Guides for Equitable Practice. With a desire to hear more diverse perspectives within each studio, we’ve interviewed several female staff about their careers, education, and personal experiences in the field. This conversation is part two of a series, shared last March of 2020, with Senior Associate Lee Clark and Jennifer Lema, a designer from our Wilkes-Barre studio.

This second interview highlights experiences in the workplace shaped by gender roles, gender…