University of Pennsylvania, Gail P. Riepe Center for Advanced Veterinary Education

The addition of a high-tech education building at Penn’s large-animal hospital brings clinical-skills training to it’s New Bolton campus. We worked with the design team to site the building and its parking lot sensitively within the existing pastoral landscape, and to utilize a meadow as screening rather than the suburban-style berms and evergreens that are typically required by code.

The landscape design highlights the beauty of rural planting patterns; thoughtful relationships with neighboring properties; and human and animal wellness. An entry courtyard provides much-desired space for outdoor learning and decompression in nature. The native meadow provides biophilic views from within the building to help calm students and faculty while reducing mowing demands for the campus.