+ 13th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale : COMMON GROUND
- one of 58 projects selected for the 2012 US Pavilion : SPONTANEOUS INTERVENTION

+ exhibited at AIA Center for Architecture : Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 2011 show LEVERAGE

chainlinkGREEN is a system of construction designed to realize urban gardens, shade canopies, parks, benches and other urban, social condensers using only materials common to an abandoned lot, including chainlink fencing, standard 90°, steel pipe, rubble, reclaimed lumber, and concrete debris.  chainlinkGREEN’s distinct geometry and aesthetic is borne from three concerns: (a) to develop an efficient, 3-dimensional structural system using only the 90° angles common to chainlink fencing, (b) to realize a construction system that is simple to build without the aid of expensive tools or trained professionals, and (c) to offer an intensely elastic environment that is capable of accommodating the wide variety of programs, materials and uses needed by our urban environments. chainlinkGREEN’s lightweight, easily constructed structure, realized through a simple distortion of the common fence typology, offers great utility, elasticity, and beauty within a very simple palette – creating a work that is affordable, accessible and at home in most urban settings.  From an environmental standpoint, the elasticity of chainlinkGREEN’s potential material and programmatic palette offers opportunities to create sustainable urban gardens, storm water retention systems and animal habitats using only discarded materials and sites.

chainlinkGREEN was one of the first built projects of Philadelphia's Green Citys, Clean Waters Initiative to add permeable surface to existing hardscape conditions in an effort to reduce stormwater runoff into the city's overtaxed combined sewer drainage system. The International Design Clinic team designed using materials found typically at one of Philadelphia's many vacant lots. I sourced all the materials, many of which were reclaimed. We diverted truckloads of concrete rubble from a neighborhood sidewalk reconstruction, and I personally visited dozens of local woodworking shops over several months to divert their wood scraps from the landfill. We led high school students and prison work-release participants through the construction process. Eight years later, it is still a site for congregating, which is a testament to its structural integrity and
usefulness.