Stuart Weitzman School of Design
102 Meyerson Hall
210 South 34th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Professor Randy Mason, Associate Professor and Chair of the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation and Executive Director of PennPraxis gave an interview to PennCurrent, which appeared as the headlining article of the March 19th issue. Throughout the interview, Professor Mason explained his views on the future of the preservation field, and the future of PennPraxis. Part of that vision is a wide reach for preservation programs, and not being restricted to mindsets and projects of traditional ‘Preservation.’ Public engagement and city development is a key part of the study and work of faculty and students in the Historic Preservation Program at PennDesign. PennPraxis provides a platform for these efforts, and a chance to collaborate with other graduate programs.
Active community discussions are critical for cities moving forward in a productive manner, and the LOVE Park redesign mentioned in the interview is one project currently under public scrutiny. The public meeting unveiling the redesign was held on Tuesday, March 24th. To get involved and be a voice in the community view the plans, and attend the next public meeting, scheduled for April 30, 2015. Find more information about the new design and meeting here.
Recent events for PennDesign include the Rebuilding Together weekend, starting Friday, March 27th and running through Sunday, March 29th, engages both PennDesign and Wharton students to be in the neighborhood, helping homeowners in West Philadelphia to repair and renovate their homes. More projects, including the Social Impact Projects from PennPraxis, created by interdisciplinary teams of students, are forthcoming and will certainly reflect the progressive and interactive nature of PennPraxis and PennDesign.
Andrea Haley is a first year student in the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation at PennDesign. She moved from Pittsburgh, PA to attend Temple University for undergrad and has stayed in Philadelphia since. She is interested in vibrant, mixed-use communities and the combination of contemporary and historic design.