On June 12, over 200 ULI members and colleagues from around the industry, joined ULI Philadelphia for its 6th Annual Willard G. “Bill” Rouse III Awards for Excellence at the Ballroom at the Ben. The event’s featured speaker, John Gattuso, President & CEO of Gattuso Development Partners, called on the real estate community to “view the world through the eyes of a child” and continue evolving new developments to our ever changing built environment. His call to action for a values-based approach to development included the following highlights:

• Respond to the evolution of the workplace by developing spaces that encourage collaboration and promote a unique culture; both of which are critical to adapting to the changes brought on by technological innovation and the shift in generational preferences;
• Strive for sustainability and high-quality design by focusing on the value of each design “move”. Create an emotional connection between the people and the place by maximizing space efficiency and paying attention to the space between buildings; and
• Remember the importance of relationships because despite the changes in the real estate industry, the connection and collaboration between people is still the critical piece to a successful development.

After Gattuso’s speech, the winners of the ULI Rouse Awards for Excellence were announced by three of the national jurors: Stuart Ackerberg from Minneapolis, MN, Yolanda Cole from Washington, D.C., and Nolan Leinhart from Portland, OR. In alphabetical order, the 2019 winners are:

• 1800 Arch Street/Comcast Technology Center: a mixed-use office and hotel complex developed by Liberty Property Trust and Comcast Corporation that has redefined Philadelphia’s skyline.
• 3675 Market Street: a creative office and laboratory space developed by Wexford Science + Technology that fits commercial, academic and community into one building.
• American Water Headquarters: the first corporate office building in downtown Camden in decades, it is an energy efficient and sustainably-designed building developed by Liberty Property Trust
• MaKen Studios North and South: a transformation of two abandoned warehouses buildings in Kensington into entrepreneurial studios for socially-minded makers by Shift Capital.
• PHS LandCare: a neighborhood greening program from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, which uses gardening to effect large scale change across local communities by creating healthier and safe environments as well as access to nutritious food and economic opportunities.

To read more about each of the winning projects, click here.

ULI Philadelphia would like to thank our sponsors, speakers and all of the members and volunteers who made this event possible. Congratulations to all of the winners, and finalists, for these exceptional projects!

Contributed by Jesse Weiss. Jesse is is one of the 2019 ULI Etkin Johnson Scholars and is currently a Master of City Planning candidate at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design.