Longwood Gardens, a botanical garden with about 1,100 acres in Pennsylvania’s Brandywine Valley, recently announced plans to transform its core area of conservatory gardens. Across 17 acres, the $250 million project will include expanded gardens and public spaces as well as new buildings.
Dubbed Longwood Reimagined: A New Garden Experience, the project originated with a master plan developed in 2010 by West 8 with Weiss/Manfredi. Longwood has continued working with Weiss/Manfredi as lead designer, in collaboration with Reed Hilderbrand, on Longwood Reimagined. The project is managed by Bancroft Construction.
The centerpiece and largest element of Longwood Reimagined is a new 32,000-square-foot glasshouse, designed by Weiss/Manfredi, with gardens and pools designed by Reed Hilderbrand. With asymmetrical peaks, the West Conservatory will seem to float on water. Inside, the garden will comprise seasonally changing islands amid pools, canals, and low fountains. Building on the 19th-century tradition of glasshouses, the West Conservatory will include operable glass walls and roof.
Longwood’s Cascade Garden is being entirely relocated to a new, 3,800-square-foot glasshouse of its own. An outdoor Bonsai Courtyard will be built alongside the West Conservatory. A public restaurant and private event space will be carved into the topography facing the Main Fountain Garden. And above the restaurant and event space, the South Terrace and South Walk will provide a shady promenade extending along the conservatories to the West Terrace, with views toward the Brandywine’s meadows.
Other elements of the Longwood Reimagined project include the construction of an education and administration building with a library and classrooms, the renewal of the Waterlily Court, and the relocation and preservation of six historic Lord & Burnham glasshouses from the early 20th century.
Building Team:
Owner: Longwood Gardens
Design architect: Weiss/Manfredi, Reed Hilderbrand (landscape)
Architect of record: Weiss/Manfredi
MEP engineer: Jaros, Baum & Bolles
Structural engineer: Magnusson Klemencic Associates
General contractor/construction manager: Bancroft Construction
Related Stories
Building Team | Sep 6, 2016
Letting your resource take center stage: A guide to thoughtful site selection for interpretive centers
Thoughtful site selection is never about one factor, but rather a confluence of several components that ultimately present trade-offs for the owner.
Great Solutions | Aug 23, 2016
11 great solutions for the commercial construction market
A roll-up emergency department, next-gen telemedicine center, and biophilic cooling pods are among the AEC industry’s clever ideas and novel innovations for 2016.
Building Team | Aug 4, 2016
Thought leaders from architecture, engineering and construction to meet at 2016 Bluebeam eXtreme Conference
Bluebeam users inspire technological change through shared insights and training at three-day event.
Building Team | Jul 11, 2016
Design-assist: The way to really fly [AIA course]
Experts explain the benefits of DA, a process where the subcontractors are retained to assist other Building Team members in the development of a design. Earn 1.0 AIA CES learning units by reading and taking the exam.
Building Team | Jul 11, 2016
Addressing client concerns about design-assist
Common concerns about DA include lack of familiarity, obtaining competitive pricing, and design liability.
Sponsored | Building Team | Jul 11, 2016
Construction Disruption at AECX: Technology, hackathons and the promise of change in LA
The lead up to AECX featured a discussion providing insight into the current state of the AEC technological revolution by exploring opportunities, challenges and choices AEC pros face.
Codes and Standards | Jun 17, 2016
Feds publish framework for evaluating public-private partnerships
No single factor determines whether a project yields stronger benefit as a P3.
Movers+Shapers | Jun 14, 2016
VERTICAL INTEGRATOR: How Brooklyn’s Alloy LLC evolved from an architecture firm into a full-fledged development company
Led by an ambitious President and a CEO with deep pockets, Alloy LLC's six entities control the entire development process: real estate development, design, construction, brokerage, property management, and community development.
Office Buildings | Jun 14, 2016
Let's not forget introverts when it comes to workplace design
Recent design trends favor extroverts who enjoy collaboration. HDR's Lynn Mignola says that designers need to accommodate introverts, people who recharge with solitude, as well.
Building Team | Jun 13, 2016
BD+C launches Women in Design+Construction Conference
Inaugural 2.5-day event will convene 125+ leading AEC women in Dana Point, Calif., November 9-11, for professional development, networking, and career training.
