News - Page 4 of 6 - Ian Smith Design Group

Residential Client Spotlight: Private Residence

This project for a private residence in Montgomery County was filled with challenges that were met head on by IS-DG to stay on top of the process and assist the owner as needed to ensure tasks were completed in order and in a timely manner. The first challenge conquered was working with the Montgomery County…

Industrial Client Spotlight: Maker Space in NE

This medium scale maker space project is located in the Frankford neighborhood in Philadelphia, is an example of (12) similar revitalization investments. While the focus has been on multi-family residential for the renewal of this and many neighborhoods, this project is intended for the makers and creators to work and collaborate. With ample space…

Ian Smith of IS-DG Design Thinking Philadelphia volunteer judge

IS-DG in the Community

Community involvement is an integral part of our operations at IS-DG. Here are some events we've participated in recently. Working with communities is one of our 5 core values. Better Philadelphia Challenge Event This event was a reason to celebrate the Ed Bacon Memorial Committee and Center / Architecture + Design for the successful Better Philadelphia…

PlanPhilly Interview

In this PlanPhilly interview Ian explained his view on how architects can be more empathetic and contribute to communities of color. The interview explored how real estate development is tied to race. Ian discusses his methodology on practicing empathy to discover meaning in design, delves into the reasons for development being limited in communities of…

Sacred Places/Civic Spaces

Ian Smith Design Group has been a part of the Ad Hoc Committee with Partners for Sacred Places/Civic Spaces and the Community Design Collaborative since the start of the 2018. Sacred Places/Civic Spaces is a partnership between the Community Design Collaborative and Partners for Sacred Places to re-envision underutilized, purpose-built religious properties as community hubs.…

CDC: Conceptual Design for North 22nd Street Corridor

The team at IS-DG participated with the Allegheny West Foundation for the conceptual design for creating a sense of place for the North 22nd Street corridor. Working with the Community Design Collaborative, Ian collaborated with several other local architects who volunteered their time to showcase what this underutilized street could be. The team created designs…

IS-DG is DBE Certified

We are proud to announce that Ian Smith Design Group has been certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise. As a special designation awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the DBE program helps ensure that small disadvantaged business enterprises have fair opportunities to compete for federally-funded transportation-related projects. DBE Certified Companies’ services are under public scrutiny, therefore,…

PEA: Stories from an Architect – Diversity in the Profession Panel

Ian will participate in a panel discussion on diversity in architecture at AIA Philadelphia’s “Stories from an Architect” event. There is only one reason I pursued becoming an architect, but 1,369 decisions I had to make to stick with it. I will present a few of them along with a few other talented professionals on…

10,000 Small Businesses Summit: The Big Power of Small Business

IS-DG participated in the 10,000 Small Businesses Summit: The Big Power of Small Business held in Washington DC February 13 and 14, 2018. We heard from industry leaders and experts about optimizing business growth and had the opportunity to meet with policy makers, other small businesses and industry leaders. The event was organized by Goldman…

Grover Washington Jr. Middle School Award Winners

Design Thinking Philadelphia Jury

Ian participated on the jury for Design Thinking Philadelphia initiative which offers K-12 students an engaging and hands-on opportunity to develop 21st century skills—including creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication—while actively connecting what they do in school to what goes on in the world around them. “Let there be no doubt–you are a memorable part…