Urban Design | WPA - Work Program Architects

Work Program Architects Recognized as a Top Impact Company by Real Leaders

Written by WPA on January 16, 2025. Posted in AIA, ERT, Monticello Arcade, St. Pauls, Urban Design, Vibe District, WPA, WPA Studio.

Real Leaders® has unveiled its Top Impact Companies for 2025, and Work Program Architects (WPA) made the list! The Norfolk-based firm placed 66th among all honorees and 11th in the “Construction, Energy, and Facilities” category.

The Real Leaders Top Impact Companies list celebrates privately-owned businesses that excel in making meaningful contributions to the world. The competition, now in its seventh year, assessed companies based on revenue, growth and six key pillars of I.M.P.A.C.T.: Intention, Model, People, Accountability, Collaboration, and Transformation. WPA was recognized for creating “projects unique to their location that advance sustainability, climate resilience and social justice.”

“We truly appreciate being included on this list,” said CEO Mel Price. “Everyone at WPA believes in the power of design to have positive impacts on people and communities. We work hard to do good, and we believe strongly in a more resilient future for our communities and environment.”

Real Leaders highlighted WPA’s contributions to sustainable design, emphasizing the firm’s commitment to creating spaces that promote environmental stewardship, community well-being, and lasting impact.

This year’s list includes a variety of respected impact-driven brands across industries, such as Cotopaxi, PATH, Alter Eco Foods, and Climate First Bank.

“It seems like every company is calling themselves an impact company these days,” said Kevin Edwards, President of Real Leaders. “We wanted to spotlight businesses that are genuinely dedicated to making a difference. By incorporating CEO interviews and community-driven impact evaluations, we ensured that only the most deserving organizations made the list.”

A special “Real Leaders UNITE” awards celebration will be held in San Diego on Feb. 3-4, 2025 to honor the winners.

About Real Leaders

Real Leaders is the fastest-growing community for impact-driven leaders, supported by a global media platform that advocates for purpose-driven business. Founded in 2010, Real Leaders promotes responsible leadership that prioritizes employees, society, and the planet alongside profit. An independently owned Certified B Corporation and member of the UN Global Compact, Real Leaders is on a mission to unite farsighted leaders to transform our shortsighted world.

WAVY, WHRO Highlight Functionality and Resilience of New Perry Glass Studio

Written by WPA on January 10, 2025. Posted in AIA, Architecture, Chrysler Museum, Education, ERT, Glass, Glass Studio, Hampton Roads, Monticello Arcade, Norfolk, Reslience, St. Pauls, Urban Design, Vibe District, Virginia, WPA, WPA Studio.

As the second and final phase of the Perry Glass Studio’s expansion and renovation nears completion, members of the press are taking notice of the new structure standing tall alongside the main Chrysler Museum of Art building in Norfolk, Virginia. These recent stories show how the WPA-designed project is elevating the museum’s beloved studio to become a world-class center for glass artistry that also demonstrates innovative approaches to flood mitigation.

The Perry Glass Studio has long been a cornerstone of the museum, offering hands-on experiences and drawing artists from around the world. With the $30 million expansion tripling its size, the studio will better meet a growing demand. “My favorite feature of this whole project is […] the ability to do more than one thing at once,” said Perry Glass Studio Program Director Robin Rogers in a recent WAVY segment.

While the renovation of the previously existing studio into additional instructional space is just now nearing completion, the studio’s 24,000-square-foot expansion has been open for months, providing a cutting edge facility for education, exhibitions, and live demonstrations, while also creating welcoming spaces for the community.

In addition to functionality, the building’s design prioritizes resilience in the face of flooding. This was the focus of another recent segment, from WHRO. Norfolk’s vulnerability to sea level rise required innovative solutions to ensure the studio could withstand future flooding.

“In our area in Norfolk, where many of our projects are, we have to deal with the environment first because of flooding,” project architect Robert Crawshaw told WHRO. “So not only are they getting the tidal (flooding), but they’re also getting all of the water that’s draining off of several square miles of area uphill.”

Measures include raising the building and the power transformer that keeps the furnaces running above the floodplain, as well as the installation of a large rain garden, designed by Stromberg Garrigan & Associates. As WHRO highlighted, the project emphasizes sustainability and adaptation, showcasing how design can address both creative and environmental challenges.

Watch and listen to the complete coverage at WAVY and WHRO.

Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab Is a Finalist in Fast Company’s 2024 Innovation by Design Awards

Written by WPA on July 23, 2024. Posted in Architecture, Awards, Civic, Elizabeth River, Elizabeth River Project, Environment, ERP, Innovation, Norfolk, Urban Design, Virginia, WPA.

The innovative structure is designed to help the world’s urban coastal residents protect themselves – and nature – as sea levels rise.

The Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab was recently honored in Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards for 2024. The Norfolk project, designed by Work Program Architects (WPA), was recognized as a finalist in the competition’s Urban Design category, alongside the Lynn Wyatt Square for the Performing Arts in Houston. Omaha’s Riverfront Revitalization was this year’s winner in the category.

The Innovation by Design Awards, which can be found online and in the Summer 2024 issue of Fast Company, honor the designers and businesses solving the most crucial problems of today and anticipating the pressing issues of tomorrow. The competition, now in its 13th year, features a range of blue-chip companies, emerging startups, and promising young talent. It is one of the most sought-after design awards in the industry.

The Ryan Resilience Lab was designed by WPA to house operations for the Elizabeth River Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring the Elizabeth River, and to showcase what the future of sustainable coastal living might look like.

“This recognition highlights the importance of this project and the valuable contribution the Elizabeth River Project is making to the restoration, sustainability and resilience of coastal communities around the world,” says WPA CEO Mel Price. “It is also a testament to the hard work that the team at WPA put into this project and the brilliance of the project’s architect, Sam Bowling.”

The lab was intentionally constructed inside a flood zone along one of Norfolk’s busiest commercial corridors and flanked by multiple residential neighborhoods. Inside and out, visitors will find ways to live sustainably and prepare for rising tides. Everything from the floating entry pavilion and storage shed to a “living shoreline” instead of a hardened shore, an 80,000-watt solar energy system, 10 gallons or rainwater collected and re-used in the toilets and a permeable parking lot to keep polluted runoff from reaching the river. Meanwhile, green roofs and walls covered in vegetation reduce runoff and conserve energy in winter and summer.

“This year’s honorees show how essential creativity is to the process of innovation,” said Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. “It’s inspiring to see how some of the best minds across industries are using design to shape our world for the better.”

The judges include renowned designers from a variety of disciplines, business leaders from some of the most innovative companies in the world, and Fast Company’s own writers and editors. Entries are judged on the key ingredients of innovation: functionality, originality, beauty, sustainability, user insight, cultural impact, and business impact.

Earlier this summer, WPA gathered with the Elizabeth River Project and members of the community to celebrate the opening of the lab. View WTKR coverage of the event here.

Railroad District in Park Place in the News

Written by WPA on July 25, 2023. Posted in Blog, Community, Event, Hampton Roads, Norfolk, Park Place, Urban Design, WPA.

WPA has teamed with Yard + Company and the City of Norfolk to host the Railroad District in Park Place charrette. The focus of events is to gather input from members of the community. This feature from WTKR talks about the area and the charrette process.

Team including WPA wins 2020 HRACRE Merit Award

Written by WPA on November 17, 2020. Posted in Awards, Uncategorized, Urban Design, Virginia Beach, WPA.

The team of Work Program Architects, Yard & Company, WPL, CVB SGA Office, Team Better Block and Stromberg/Garrigan & Associates won a 2020 HRACRE Merit Award for Best Master Planned Project for the Resort Area Strategic Action Plan in Virginia Beach.

Congratulations to all of the 2020 HRACRE Design Awards Recipients!

View the virtual awards presentation here, and look for the WPA team around the 19:13 mark.

Click here to view the pdf of the Resort Area Strategic Action Plan.

Olde Huntersville Wins Award

Written by WPA on September 28, 2020. Posted in Awards, Blog, Norfolk, Olde Huntersville, Urban Design, Virginia, WPA.

The APA (American Planning Association) Virginia Chapter has awarded the Dogwood Award — Virginia’s Citizen Planners of the Year to the Olde Huntersville Community.

ULI – Hampton Roads

Written by WPA on June 6, 2019. Posted in Blog, Downtown Norfolk, Educational, Event, Government, Norfolk, Residential, ULI, Urban Design, WPA.

Speakers:

Jeremy Sharp, AICP, Zoning Administrator, City of Norfolk

and
Peter Johnston, Lead Urban Designer, Work Program Architects

Program Description:

This program will explore the purpose and requirements of Norfolk’s Commercial and Mixed-Use Pattern Book. The Book has been created for developers to make the development process more predictable. The Book is to be used as a companion piece to the new zoning ordinance and includes a checklist for new project development.

Venue
Slover Library
235 E Plume Street
Community Engagement Room: 6th Floor
Norfolk, VA 23510

Agenda

June 20, 2019

3:30 pm – 4:00 pm: Registration + Networking

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Program + Q&A

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Cocktail Reception

REGISTER NOW: The Future of Development According to the New Norfolk Commercial & Mixed-Use Pattern Book

World Below the Brine

Written by WPA on December 19, 2018. Posted in Blog, Civic, Event, Hampton Roads, Public Art, Structures, Uncategorized, Urban Design, Virginia Beach.

Herndon Heritage Preservation District – Public Meeting 1

Written by WPA on October 26, 2018. Posted in Blog, Charrette, Event, Preservation, Uncategorized, Urban Design, Wayfinding.

WPA is excited to be collaborating with the town of Herndon, VA to update their Heritage Preservation District Guidelines.

The WPA + Commonwealth Preservation Group Team held the first Public Outreach Meeting in Herndon on October 19th and 20^th. The team met with the Historic Preservation District business owners, city officials and residents to give an overview of the process for developing updated guidelines and to hear suggestions and ideas for these revisions.

Spreading the Word

Written by WPA on August 23, 2018. Posted in AIA, Blog, Convention, Educational, Event, Uncategorized, Urban Design.

Sometimes we are so focused on our own practices and communities that we don’t stop to think that there may be worthwhile messages to share with others.

Practitioners who traveled to CNU 26: Savannah (Congress of the New Urbanism) in May learned about Norfolk’s Vision 2100. A multi-disciplinary team led and in-depth discussion on efforts to address sea-level rise and resilience to protect the city’s sweeping tidal landscape from recurrent flooding. The Ohio creek Watershed project, funded by a grant as a result of the National Disaster Resilience Competition, was featured. Presenters included Stephanie Bothwell, Urban and Landscape Design, Washington, D.C., Ann P. Stokes, Ann P. Stokes Landscape Architects, Norfolk, and WPA’s Mel Price.

WPA then headed to New York City for the AIA National Convention, June 21-23. WPA helped make eight videos for the Small Firm Exchange, dealing with such issues as attracting and retaining talent.