DesignPhiladelphia 2013: 7 Green & Sustainability Events!
We love Philadelphia and festivals. Which means DesignPhiladelphia 2013 is going to give you more opportunities to see cool stuff around Philly.
What is DesignPhiladelphia?
From October 10 through October 18, DesignPhiladelphia will have nearly 120 events like lectures, talks, workshops, tours, openings, book signings, movie viewings, parties, and exhibitions to celebrate design. From fashion, graphic, product, interior and architecture, events will happen in galleries, boutiques, museums, warehouses and more to highlight how designs impact our everyday lives. This year’s theme is EXPERIENCEdesign.
Don’t worry about combing through all of the events listed – we narrowed down the ‘greenest’ for you.
DesignPhiladelphia 2013 Green & Sustainability Events
Experience the Rail Park Tour:You’ve heard about the Rail Park, but have you experienced it? This three-mile former rail corridor has great promise to become Philadelphia’s next great civic space as a continuous linear park connecting several neighborhoods to some of the City’s most celebrated cultural institutions and Fairmount Park. Join us for a street-level tour to explore the Rail Park’s history and inspiring visions for its future. Suggested tour checklist: camera, friends, imagination, and sense of adventure. (29th St + Pennsylvania Ave – Oct 13, 2:00pm-5:00pm – $ – ticket required)
Friends of the Railpark Tour – Part of DesignPhiladelphia 2013!
Fuller in Phila: The Fuller in Phila Symposium at Drexel’s ExCITe Center re-animates the ideas of pioneering inventor, designer and global thinker R. Buckminster Fuller. As World Fellow in Residence here (1972-1983), Bucky advanced his life’s work in architecture and sustainable design, including his books Synergetics 1&2 and Critical Path, which envisions designs to survive planetary disasters. With keynote speakers Jenny Sabin and Eva Diaz, plus a hands-on design workshop, we explore the significance of Fuller’s thought today. (ExCITe Center, Drexel University – Oct 14, 4:00pm-8:00pm – Free)
Infill Philadelphia: Soak It Up! Exhibition | Opening Reception: Philly’s rivers are places of recreation, refuge, and regeneration. Now the Philadelphia Water Department is introducing a powerful new way to make our rivers cleaner and even more vibrant—green stormwater infrastructure. Infill Philadelphia: Soak It Up! challenged designers, developers, policymakers, public agencies, and communities to explore how green stormwater infrastructure can revitalize both our rivers and our neighborhoods. Join us to see their visions for Philadelphia’s future! An Art in City Hall exhibition. Exhibition on view October 7 through December 7. (City Hall – Oct 15, 5:00pm-7:00pm – Free)
Gray Area Preservation Provocateurs: Post-Preservation? Architect Shohei Shigematsu of OMA New York and a curator of the Cronocaos exhibition with Rem Koolhaas will present diverse responses to historic preservation in the contemporary city. Cronocaos posited that preservation is detrimental to urban environments. Shigematsu will use the exhibit, OMA’s design proposals and built projects to consider preservation in its larger context. GRAY AREA, a project of the University of the Arts and DesignPhiladelphia, is supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. GRAY AREA is an experiment in historic preservation; a public dialogue and study to craft preliminary interpretation, design and reuse strategies that go beyond preservation orthodoxy and could be replicable elsewhere in Philadelphia and other older cities. Space is limited to 150. Please register. (Hamilton Hall, University of the Arts – Oct 16, 6:00pm-8:00pm – Free; advanced registration required)
The Bike Stops Here: SHIFT_DESIGN and Shake Shack are combining forces once again in the quest to create a greener Philadelphia. Join us where good ingredients, thoughtful design and urban intervention meet, as SHIFT_DESIGN pairs local fabrication with Shake Shack’s commitment to eco-responsibility. Hop on the nearest fossil-free vehicle (hint: we’re partial to two-wheeled) and come ready for the unveiling. (Shake Shack – Oct 16, 6:00pm-8:00pm – Free)
Philly Green: Exemplary Sustainable Architecture, Urban Planning & Design | Exhibition Opening Reception: See what’s growing out of Philadelphia! Join the Philadelphia Center for Architecture, AIA Philadelphia, and the Community Design Collaborative for this exhibition of exemplary sustainable design by local firms in the fields of architecture, urban planning, and landscape design. The work represented in this exhibition raises Philadelphia’s national image, builds demand for excellent sustainable designs, and brings attention to noteworthy contributions to our built environment. Exhibition on view October 17 through November 22. (Center for Architecture – Oct 17, 5:00pm-7:00pm – Free)
A Fundraiser for Friends of the Rail Park + DesignPhiladelphia Closing Party. Oct 18, 6-8 PM | Fundraiser for Friends of the Rail Park – Catered wine reception and presentation of conceptual designs by Olin, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, and CVM for transforming the former City Branch of the Reading Railroad into a public park. Meet the design team and board of Friends of the Rail Park. Learn about FRP’s vision for a 3 mile long park along the Viaduct east of Broad and the submerged lines to the west. Stay from 8-11 PM for the DesignPhiladelphia Closing Party! (6:00pm-11:00pm) Supporting the outdoors is the way to go. Check out TD Friends of the Environment donations to see how you can help supporting local initiatives.
Readers, what DesignPhiladelphia 2013 events will you be checking out?
Julie Hancher
Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake.
