The George W. Nebinger School in Bella Vista has quite the fan club. Well, Philly schools kind of have to nowadays, don't they? The Friends of George W. Nebinger, established to champion the school as "a wonderful place for neighborhood children to receive an outstanding education," have enlisted the help of BLT Architects, the Philadelphia firm behind the new East Market development and also 3737 Chestnut, to redesign the school yard's gateway.
Jamie Gaffke Shindell and Sharadan Chick of BLT Architects organized a design charrette to develop the Nebinger Elementary Community Gateway for their schoolyard redevelopment. In December, nine architects and designers from BLT Architects gathered to create two schemes for a community gateway that layers the history of Nebinger Elementary School and its motto, "One Team, One Planet." The school and Friends of Nebinger selected the open pavilion scheme, which combines ceramic tile details similar to the school's main entrance and reed-like wrought iron trellis with climbing plants connecting the gateway to the rain water garden. Friends of Nebinger and The Big Sandbox are working with the school to raise $280,000 and hope to begin construction this summer.
· Friends of Nebinger
· Nebinger School Yard Storm Water Management Greening Project [QVNA]
· BLT Architects
· 3737 Chestnut: The Hard Hat Tour [Curbed Philly]
· What a difference four years made in Public Education [Curbed Philly]
· The Big Sandbox