site design group, ltd.

In honor of National Intern Day, we’re celebrating our summer interns, Anson Tse, Calyn O’Banion, Sheyla Chevarria, and Udochukwu (Udo) Anidobu! They’ve been keeping busy this summer attending public meetings, participating in design pin-ups, going on site visits, gaining hands-on experience on active projects, and more.

+ Anson is a student at the University of Virginia pursuing a Master of Landscape Architecture degree and will be completing his program this December.

+ Calyn is in her final year of a combined Bachelor Architecture + Master of Landscape Architecture degree program at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

+ Sheyla is a student at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, working toward completing a Master of Architecture in Urban Design degree.

+ Udo is spending her third summer at site and is also in her final year at the Illinois Institute of Technology, working towards a Master of Landscape Architecture degree.

Thank you all for your hard work!

The visionary 1901 Project is an ambitious, multi-year development designed to reimagine Chicago's United Center and the West Side by introducing an extensive network of parks and green spaces, diverse mixed-income housing, a cutting-edge music hall, and other innovative amenities.

“We think that this project is going to send a powerful, positive message to the world, and it’s going to showcase how Chicago and Illinois continue to set new standards in partnership, architecture, community commitment, growth [...]” United Center chief executive officer Terry Savarise said.

“What the West Side really needs is really a lot of new space of excitement for kids to come and play, parents to be able to enjoy themselves,” Ernest Wong said. “You saw what happened with Millennium Park. You see what happens in all of these other spaces throughout the country when this green space gets involved, and what that does to the neighborhood. We’re looking at the same thing here.”

We are honored to be working in collaboration with the United Center, team planning lead RIOS, and co-landscape architect Field Operations on this outstanding vision for Chicago.

Learn more at the link below.

United Center owners planning massive $7 billion mixed-use campus around the arena Plans call for a music hall, housing, park and pedestrian-friendly spaces as part of a 10-year development project that could start as early as 2025.

The Shedd Aquarium’s Centennial Commitment initiative is well underway, aiming to transform much of the Shedd’s mission both onsite and across the Chicago area. By the year 2030, which marks the aquarium’s 100-year anniversary, this initiative will enhance efforts on the water, in nature, and through field-based research.

As part of this initiative, our design focuses on enhancing the guest experience while educating and connecting patrons to nature even before they enter the aquarium. This includes significant exterior improvements, involving updates to the aquarium’s entry way and green spaces, as well as the much-needed restoration of their historic terraces.

site is serving as the Landscape Architect in partnership with Architect Valerio Dewalt Train

Click the link for more details about the Shedd Aquarium’s Centennial Commitment: https://www.sheddaquarium.org/about-shedd/centennial-commitment/experience-evolution

Join us in our pursuit of innovation and design excellence! We are currently seeking a talented designer to join our Chicago-based team. The ideal candidate has at least five years of experience in a design role and demonstrated expertise in Landscape Architecture and Urban Design. If you have a passion for generating authentic, place-based design, a dedication to design research, and excellent critical thinking skills, we want to hear from you.

Are you interested? To learn more about the position and how to apply, visit: site-design.com/careers

Last week, we celebrated another significant milestone with Milwaukee Recreation at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the reopening of Carmen Playfield. In addition to a playground, basketball courts, splash pad and game striping, the park also features tuj lub courts, a popular game within the neighborhood. The vibrant revitalization of the park and community space is a testament to Milwaukee Recreation’s ongoing efforts to enhance the city’s network of 52 playfields.

📷: Scott Shigley & John Boehm

Our latest design effort at 1000M, the newest addition to Chicago's skyline in the South Loop, focused on bringing nature to urban living. The 73-story luxury condo building features two elevated amenity decks on the 8th and 10th floors. Residents can unwind in these thoughtfully designed outdoor spaces, complete with a full-sized pool, cozy fire pits, comfortable seating areas and lush landscaping, all enveloped by greenery to provide a moment of natural relaxation amidst the bustling energy of the city.

site served as the Landscape Architect in collaboration with Jahn/ and JK Equities

📷: Scott Shigley

Join our team next week at the City Parks Alliance Greater & Greener Conference! Principals Hana Ishikawa and Ernie Wong are panelists alongside Toni Esparza and Michelle DeGrand of the City of Bellevue, WA and Jill Moore of Landscape Structures Inc. for the "Accessible and Inclusive Parks and Playgrounds" session.

When: Tuesday, June 25, 10:15 AM - 11:30 AM
Where: The Westin Seattle, Cascade 1A 1B | North Tower, 2nd Floor

We hope to see you there!

Read more about the session and the rest of the conference at:
https://www.greatergreener.org/session/physically-accessible-parks-and-play-spaces/

We are delighted to announce that our Managing Principal, Brad McCauley, has been elected American Society of Landscape Architects 2024-2025 president-elect by members!

"I am deeply honored and grateful to be elected as the next President-Elect of ASLA! My heartfelt thanks go out to all the members for your trust and support. I would also like to acknowledge Jeanne Lukenda, whose dedication and vision have been truly inspiring throughout this campaign. As we move forward, I am excited to focus on our collective goals of collaboration, strategic scaling, and inclusivity. Building on the foundation of our major initiatives, strategic plan, and major developments such as STEM designation and the elevation of nature-based solutions by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, we have a unique opportunity to elevate our profession. By leveraging our partnerships, fostering youth engagement, enhancing business skills, and championing diversity in all its forms, we can create a more cohesive, inclusive, and impactful society. Together, we will advance the field of landscape architecture and improve the lives of all our members." says McCauley.

He will officially be sworn in as president-elect at the 2024 Conference on Landscape Architecture this October in Washington, DC. Congratulations, Brad!

Read more at the link below.

President-Elect 2024-2025 | LAND President-Elect 2024-20256/18/2024Leave a Comment In ASLA’s annual election, Brad McCauley, FASLA, PLA, has been elected 2024-2025 president-elect by ASLA Full/Fellow, Associate, and International members. He will be sworn in as president-elect at the 2024 Conference on Landscape Architecture this...

Yesterday, we celebrated the ribbon cutting for the new Milwaukee Recreation Stark Playfield! The renovated playfield now features a new custom playground, splash pad, basketball courts, game striping, a shade pavilion, and new plantings.

We were honored to lead the design team with consultants SMP Group Design Associates, Advance Consulting Group, McEnroe Consulting Engineers, and Quorum Architects.

Learn more about the Stark Playfield at: https://milwaukeerecreation.net/rec/About/Master-Plan/Current-Projects/Stark-Playfield.htm

Senior Project Manager Brenda Kiesgen will present at the Transport Chicago 2024 conference this Friday as part of the "Spaces for People: Activating Public Spaces Along Transportation Corridors" session. This session also includes speakers from CDM Smith, Metra, and Chicago Transit Authority and will feature two of our current transportation projects: the Metra UP North Rebuild and CTA Red and Purple Modernization Community Activation.

When: Friday, June 14, Session 2, 11:15 am
Where: voco Chicago Downtown
Learn more at: https://www.transportchicago.org/tc2024-agenda.html

We hope to see you there!

We are thrilled to announce that we have received an Honorable Mention in the Landscape Architect – Midwest category in The Architect's Newspaper's 2024 Best of Practice Awards!

It's an honor to have our work recognized alongside such talented professionals in the industry. Evaluated on design, culture, and social impact, this achievement acknowledges our team's dedication to designing inspiring and innovative spaces.

We are grateful to The Architect's Newspaper for this recognition and to our incredible team and supportive clients. Here's to more inspiring landscape designs ahead! Take a look at the full list of winners here: https://www.archpaper.com/2024/06/announcing-the-winners-of-ans-2024-best-of-practice-awards/

Congratulations to Mejay Gula, Hana Ishikawa, and Ernie Wong for being featured in Newcity Design’s Design 50 2024: The Fifty People Who Shape Chicago! This prestigious honor recognizes their innovative and dynamic work in shaping Chicago through community-focused design, celebrating them among 50 professionals transforming the city. Mejay, Hana, and Ernie are recognized in the “Planning/Community” category, and are among many outstanding clients, colleagues, and friends of ours. Read about all of the Design 50 at the link below. Congratulations to all the change-makers for this wonderful recognition.

https://design.newcity.com/2024/06/04/design-50-2024-the-fifty-people-who-shape-chicago/

Today, we celebrated the ribbon cutting at Fox Lake’s signature park, Lakefront Park. Since 2018, we have been working with the Village of Fox Lake on a visionary Parks and Recreation Master Plan (adopted in 2019), which has led to the realization of this first phase of the plan. When completed later this summer, the redeveloped Lakefront Park will include an outdoor amphitheater, recreational courts, a splash pad and playground, restrooms, a shade shelter, and more.

Our favorite time of year is Allium season! Check out all the Allium in bloom at the Rush University Medical Center Joan and Paul Rubschlager Building. This outpatient center focuses on cancer, neuroscience, and digestive disease treatment. The innovative new 10-story building features a circular drop-off drive and a welcoming entrance with vibrant, four-season planting and sea Joan and Paul Rubschlager Building. This outpatient center focuses on cancer, neuroscience, and digestive disease treatment. The innovative new 10-story building features a circular drop-off drive and a welcoming entrance with vibrant, four-season planting and seating areas.

site served as the Landscape Architect in collaboration with team leader HDR.

We are thrilled to share that our Managing Principal, Brad McCauley, has been elected to the prestigious American Society of Landscape Architects Council of Fellows. ASLA Fellows are recognized for their exceptional contributions to the landscape architecture profession and society at large. Election to the ASLA Council of Fellows is among the highest honors the ASLA bestows on members and is based on works, leadership/management, knowledge, and service. Brad's election is a testament to his exceptional leadership in Landscape Architecture at the national, regional, and local levels. Extending beyond his innumerable contributions to the growth and shaping of site design group, ltd., he previously served as the Illinois ASLA President and Trustee, as the Vice President of Membership for ASLA National, and played a crucial role in reclaiming licensure in Illinois and reinstating the Landscape Architecture Title Act.

Congratulations to Brad and the rest of the 2024 class of Fellows!

To learn more about Fellowship and all of the 2024 Fellows, visit:
https://www.asla.org/ContentDetail.aspx?id=65494

Congratulations to Principal Ernest Wong for receiving the 2024 Chinese American Service League Community Leadership Award today!

Spring in bloom at Ping Tom Memorial Park.

Located on the South Branch of the Chicago River, the Park District's Ping Tom Memorial Park was once a Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad yard. The transformation of this open space began in 1991. Now, the well-loved public open space features a traditional-inspired Chinese pavilion with gardens, a boathouse with an accessible dock, a fieldhouse with ample recreation opportunities, a naturalized shoreline with a boardwalk, multi-use pedestrian trails, and a variety of small and large community gathering spaces, and more.

team member Russell Heinrichs led a group of wildflower enthusiasts through Jackson Park's Wooded Island a few weeks ago to investigate the flowering spring native plants on display. Learn more about Russ' integral role in the restoration of Wooded Island and the wildflower walk he led in the Hyde Park Herald article below.

Wooded Island blooms With a pair of binoculars and a bag full of nature books slung across his chest, Russell Heinrichs led a group of 20 or so wildflower enthusiasts down a bark-mulch

Last Saturday, team members Ashley Mannix, PLA, Gretchen Gravenstein, PLA, Carl Allen, and Rob Reuland spent the morning at the Pullman National Historical Park for the volunteer Pullman Spring Cleanup. Thank you for everyone's hard work to make Pullman cleaner and greener!

We are thrilled to be working with the City of Chicago Department of Planning & Development on the Harlem Avenue Visioning Study to provide a big picture vision for a two-mile stretch of Harlem between Irving Park Road and Grand Avenue. The study identifies areas of greatest need, opportunities, and aspirations based on collaboration with the community, including recommendations for public realm improvements, celebrating the history and culture of Harlem Avenue, branding and identity, strengthening the small business community, and outlining an implementation framework.

A shout out to our outstanding consultant team: Collabo, Igleski & Associates, Inc., and Goodman Williams Group. Read more about this in-progress project below.

City planners say it’s time to put Northwest Side’s Little Italy on the map A long-running effort to turn a stretch of Harlem Avenue on the Far Northwest side into a showcase for Italian American businesses like Little Italy’s Taylor Street is inching forward.

Sustainable Strategy: Stormwater Management and Reuse
Sustainably managing stormwater is key to helping reduce flooding and overburdening storm sewers during rain events, and also plays an important role in conserving water use in periods of drought.

Project feature: The University of Chicago Keller Center Harris School of Public Policy
The rehabilitated Keller Center serves as an exemplar in comprehensive sustainable design with LEED Platinum and Living Building Challenge Petal certifications. The building rooftop collects rainwater and stores it in a cistern where the filtered water is reused in building toilets and throughout the site for landscape irrigation. During heavy rainfall events when the cistern is full an overflow scupper diverts all roof water through a series of rain gardens that catch site runoff and infiltrate into permeable soils.

At-home application:
Sustainable stormwater management at home can be accomplished through some of the strategies we’ve already highlighted, including planting native plants that have deep root systems that infiltrate water into the soil and utilizing permeable paving materials to help reduce runoff. Other opportunities include planting rain gardens that help filter and cleanse water from surrounding impervious surfaces or rainwater harvesting, where water that falls on your rooftop can be stored and used for irrigation.

Sustainable Strategy: Sustainable Materials
The materials we use to pave the ground and furnish our designs can be a hidden source of waste and energy use, both in the production and removal. The use of innovative low-impact materials can include permeable materials that infiltrate stormwater, reflective materials that reduce air temperatures, locally sourced stones that take minimal energy to produce, sustainably harvested woods that help preserve forests, and reused or recycled materials.

Project feature: Pullman National Historical Park
The Pullman National Historical Park Visitor Center and Grounds rehabilitated the historic and iconic Pullman Administrative Building and Factory Grounds into a vibrant new public space. One of the key components of the design is the Transfer Pit, which reimagined this historical manufacturing space into a high-performance landscape that is central to the park’s education and gathering opportunities. The historic rail tracks were preserved and integrated into the design, with repurposed limestone from historic building foundations serving as an accent feature. On adjacent walkways, permeable unit pavers allow stormwater to percolate below ground, directing excess water into the planted areas.

At-Home Application:
To use sustainable materials at home, try selecting materials with a low environmental impact. For those in the Midwest, natural and locally sourced stone like limestone can be used for applications such as flagstone paving or stone benches, walls, and furnishings. Another option is to choose permeable materials that infiltrate stormwater, such as permeable unit pavers for driveways, walkways, and patios.

Sustainable Strategy: Native Plants
Native plants play a critical role in our ecosystem, providing sources of nectar and pollen for butterflies and bees, a food source for local and migrating birds, and homes for small mammals and organisms. They also require less water than non-native plants and contribute to overall resiliency by preventing stormwater run-off and improving air quality.

Project Feature: The Field Museum of Natural History
In 2013, the Field Museum sought to further its goals for an energy-efficient, sustainable facility maintenance program by creating a landscape that requires limited resources to maintain and promotes biodiversity within the museum campus. Since then, we have worked together with them to create a Landscape Masterplan and design the phased implementation of the Rice Native Gardens that surround the museum.

At-Home Application:
To create a sustainable landscape at home, select native plants that are suited to your yard's microclimate, paying attention to sun and shade, wind, water, and other factors, like pets. Some of our favorite hardy native plants include Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), and Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis).

Each year in April, we celebrate two critical parts of our profession that converge - Earth Day, the worldwide effort to take action to clean up and conserve our planet, and World Landscape Architecture Month, the month-long celebration of our profession. As landscape architects, preserving the Earth’s natural resources through sustainable solutions is integral to what we do.

In 2024, Earth Day focuses on ending plastics for human and planetary health. We strongly support this effort and the movement towards reducing plastic production by 60% by 2040. Apart from reducing plastic, there are several other ways in which we can all contribute to preserving our planet. This year, we will celebrate and together by highlighting three sustainable strategies from our practice and how you can incorporate them at home. Follow us throughout the week as we highlight the impact of Native Plants, Sustainable Materials, and Water Conservation in the landscapes around us.

It's tulip season! Check out some of our favorite seasonal tulip photos from The Park at Lakeshore East.

This 5.3-acre urban park is located in the Loop and serves as the center of the Lakeshore East development. Angular pathways, lush greenery, a playground, a dog-friendly area, and community programming make the park a popular destination for residents and visitors alike.

site was the Landscape Architect of Record, working in collaboration with OJB Landscape Architecture for the Chicago Park District.

Save the date for Principal Ernie Wong's talk at TEDxChicago on Friday, May 10 at THE MART. This upcoming Design Salon features visionaries, architects, designers, and creatives from across Chicago. We hope to see you there!

We’re excited to welcome Ernie Wong to the TEDxChicago stage at THE MART on Friday, May 10!

As the Founder and Principal of Site Design Group, Wong has been a leader in landscape architecture for over 33 years. Also a Fellow of the and Chairman of the Landmarks Commission, he seamlessly blends design excellence with a unique dedication to civic engagement. Through his innovative leadership at site design group, ltd. and numerous not-for-profit organizations, Wong continues to innovate, further shaping the landscape architecture profession while receiving recognition through awards such as the Chicago Tribune's “2010 Chicagoan of the Year”, the 2021 LAI Burnham Award, the 2021 Nat’l ASLA Community Service Award, and the 2022 March of Dimes Professional Services Award.

As part of the ongoing Milwaukee Avenue Urban Identity Study, we have been working with the City of Chicago Department of Planning & Development on the community-led design guidelines for a potential Special Character Overlay District in Logan Square and Avondale. Community members are invited to review the draft guidelines and share their input before two upcoming community meetings on April 17 and 18. The proposed overlay district is intended to maintain Milwaukee Avenue's unique character and sense of place by providing guidelines and tools for renovations, redevelopment, and new construction along the corridor.

We are thrilled to be leading this project alongside an outstanding consultant team, including McGuire Igleski & Associates, Inc., Goodman Williams Group, and Borderless Studio.

To learn more about the study and share your input, visit the link below:

Home Milwaukee Avenue Information

We are thrilled to be working with the Chicago Park District to redesign the East End of the Midway Plaisance. The new 21,000 square foot recreational space is located across the street from the Obama Presidential Center between Metra railroad tracks and South Stony Island Avenue. This unique play experience will be accessible to everyone and will include custom play features, sensory nooks, and sustainable stormwater management.

We look forward to bringing new play opportunities to the Hyde Park and Woodlawn neighborhoods! Learn more below, and stay tuned for future updates about the status of the playground.

New playground, dog-friendly areas envisioned for Jackson Park, Midway Plaisance Park A universally accessible playground is planned for the east end of Midway Plaisance Park. The plans still have to be approved by the park district board. Other improvements include revamped ball fields at Jackson Park, as well as a new dog-friendly area.