Founded in 1990, site design group, ltd. is an award-winning landscape architecture, urban design and architectural firm that provides professional design services to architects, engineers, municipalities, corporations and institutions throughout Chicago, the Midwest and Asia. The firm has 21 landscape architects, urban designers, planners and architects, and is led by four principals: Ernest Wong, FASLA, APA; Bradley McCauley, ASLA, CSI, CDT; Robert Sit, AIA; and Hana Ishikawa, Associate Member, AIA. The firm constantly looks to other disciplines and new collaborators for ideas, new materials and leading-edge technologies. The firm is certified as a Minority Business Enterprise and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise.

Founded in 1990, site design group, ltd. is an award-winning landscape architecture, urban design and architectural firm that provides professional design services to architects, engineers, municipalities, corporations and institutions throughout Chicago, the Midwest and Asia. The firm has 21 landscape architects, urban designers, planners and architects, and is led by four principals: Ernest Wong, FASLA, APA; Bradley McCauley, ASLA, CSI, CDT; Robert Sit, AIA; and Hana Ishikawa, Associate Member, AIA. The firm constantly looks to other disciplines and new collaborators for ideas, new materials and leading-edge technologies. The firm is certified as a Minority Business Enterprise and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise.

Argyle Shared Street Streetscape, Chicago
Client/Owner: Chicago DOT, Burns and Mcdonnell As a subconsultant to Burns and Mcdonnel, site design group, ltd. is providing landscape architecture and urban design services for streetscape design of Argyle Street between North Broadway and North Sheridan Road, an innovative, pedestrian-only corridor through Chicago's Chinatown corridor. When complete, Argyle Street will become Chicago's first street based on "shared street" design guidelines, creating a plaza-like feel by raising the street and eliminating curbs. The new streetscape design will include permeable unit pavers, infiltration planers, large pedestrian areas that allow for sidewalk cafes, planters and community identifiers.

Garfield Park Conservatory Children's Play and Grow, Chicago
A new natural playground is proposed at the Garfield Park Conservatory to engage children in play with the natural environment and watch it grow. When the two-phase "Play and Grow" project is complete, it will contain a hand pump and water runnel, boardwalk, exploratory pea-gravel dig area, tree carvings, living structures, adult and children council rings, fire pit, building areas, and discovery gardens. The design also incorporates elements from neighborhood artists, including a hammock-hanging structure and custom furnishings. The testing phase (Play and Grown 1.0) is currently under construction.

 



Henry Palmisano (Stearns Quarry) Park
Client /Owner: Chicago Park District / Chicago Department of Environment / Chicago Department of Planning & Development

For the first half of the 20th century, Henry Palmisano Park was a privately-owned, 380-foot deep limestone quarry. It was later sold and converted into a landfill for construction waste for Chicago. As a joint project between three Chicago agencies, this 27-acre site has been transformed into an active and educationally focused environmental park that includes nature trails, wetland habitat, native plantings and bioretention. At the entry, a sculptural fountain marks the beginning of the water cycle, then winds its way through wetlands, splashing over recycled limestone outcroppings and eventually feeding a fishing pond. Nature trails provide access to various native plant systems and a bird habitat.

Mary Bartelme Park, Chicago
Occupying the site of a former infirmary, this 2.4-acre urban park is an amenity to a growing residential neighborhood that was previously underserved by green space. Crisscrossing paths creating distinct, programmed zones that were selected by an extensive community process. Unique park features include a series of stainless steel gateways that mist when activated; a sunken dog park with an oversized, continuously filling dog bowl; native planting beds defined by corten steel walls; and architectural terracotta artifacts salvaged from the original infirmary building embedded within linear seatwalls. A large playground is almost fully accessible by ramps, and creates opportunities for inventive, nonlinear play.

Pingtom Memorial Park, Chicago
PingTom Memorial Park is a shining example of the transformation of vacant open space for Chicago. Completed in more than 10 years and five phases, the park includes traditional Chinese gardens, a playground, pavilion, naturalized shoreline, community plaza anchored with terraces into the water and a boardwalk. The most recent additions are a boathouse and fieldhouse, providing new recreational opportunities and access to the Chicago River. Through continued development, this unique park continues to serve as a symbolic cultural destination for Chicagoans, and a vibrant anchor to the Chinatown community.

State Street Lightscape, Chicago
"Lightscape: A Multisensory Experience on State Street" expanding on the Chicago Loop Alliance's placemaking program, site design group, ltd. designed this custom lighting installation located along State Street in Chicago's busy downtown shopping and business district. From morning to night, the programmable LED lights are uniquely choreographed to seasonally themed songs. Using materials that are durable and attractive, this installation is designed to sway in the wind and withstand the harsh Chicago environment for years to come. By using low-energy LEDs in place of costly temporary holiday lighting displays, Lightscape advances Chicago's standing as a leader in smart energy use.

University of Chicago 58th Street West
The University of Chicago's new 58th StreetWest is the redevelopment and enhancement of the heavily utilized east-west pedestrian thoroughfare through the heart of campus. The project includes a complete renovation of a vehicular street into a pedestrian-oriented gateway to the campus, creating a safe, functional and beautifully detailed pedestrian experience. The new streetscape is as an extension of the university's main quadrangle, and an important connection between the biological and physical science campuses, and several nearby institutes, centers, and academic offices. site design group, ltd. led the coordination, planning, design, and engineering of the streetscape, including the circulation network, paving, planting and site lighting.