EwingCole
Encyclopedia
EwingCole is an integrated architecture
, engineering
, interior design
and planning firm founded in 1961 as Alexander Ewing & Associates. Headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, with offices in Washington, DC and Irvine, CA, the firm provides services for project types including academic, corporate, cultural, government, healthcare, science + technology and sports & entertainment.
(since 2009 a subsidiary of Dow Chemical Company
) to design the expansion and renovation of their corporate headquarters in Philadelphia. George Ewing’s son, Alexander, a partner in his father’s firm, was assigned to the project; Rohm and Haas designated their in-house architect, Stanley Cole, to serve as professional aide to the management committee overseeing the project.
During the early stages of design, however, it became clear that the existing site near Washington Square would not satisfy the company’s needs. Rohm and Haas worked with the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority
to exchange their existing property for a key site on Independence Mall just across 6th Street from the Liberty Bell
. The exchange was beneficial to the city as well as to Rohm and Haas because the project ignited the subsequent further development of the Mall.
In order to ease City Art Commission approval for design on such a prominent site, Stanley recommended adding renowned architect Pietro Belluschi
to the team as design consultant. The resulting design was lauded for its respect to the nearby park and historic buildings; Philadelphia's city planners praised the Rohm and Haas Corporate Headquarters
as a standard for all redevelopment buildings. (The experience was so successful that the Belluschi, Ewing and Cole collaborated again in the late 1960s on the University Lutheran Center; in the early 1970s, Belluschi, then a consultant to the Federal Reserve Bank
in Washington, DC, recommended EwingCole for the design of the new headquarters of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
.
Stanley Cole served as project manager until the completion of the Rohm and Haas project, when he joined Alexander Ewing & Associates. Cole, Michael P. Erdman and Joseph P. Eubank became partners in 1970, and the firm was renamed Ewing Cole Erdman & Eubank. By 1979, Robert Cherry and Robert Parsky had succeeded Erdman and Eubank in Ewing Cole Cherry Parsky; this partnership continued until 1992, when Parsky’s departure resulted in Ewing Cole Cherry. In 1993, M. Paul Brott (who had worked in the Washington, DC office of the George M. Ewing Company from 1960–1978, rising to the level of partner) became Chairman and CEO of Ewing Cole Cherry Brott. Following the death of Paul Brott and the departure of Bob Cherry, the firm emerged in 2003 as EwingCole.
In 2009, Robert D. Lynn Associates (RDLA) combined with EwingCole. A 40-person firm, RDLA brought a portfolio of healthcare projects which complemented EwingCole’s own healthcare design experience.
EwingCole was the third largest in Philadelphia per the Philadelphia Business Journal
’s 2010 Book of Lists, and No. 158 in the Engineering News-Record
(ENR) 2010 annual ranking of the Top 500 Design Firms.
John Gerbner, AIA, became President and COO of EwingCole in 2005.
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, interior design
Interior design
Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
and planning firm founded in 1961 as Alexander Ewing & Associates. Headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, with offices in Washington, DC and Irvine, CA, the firm provides services for project types including academic, corporate, cultural, government, healthcare, science + technology and sports & entertainment.
History
In 1958, the George M. Ewing Co. was retained by Rohm and HaasRohm and Haas
Rohm and Haas Company, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based company, manufactures miscellaneous materials. Formerly a Fortune 500 Company, Rohm and Haas employs more than 17,000 people in 27 countries, with its last sales revenue reported as an independent company at USD 8.9 billion. On July 10,...
(since 2009 a subsidiary of Dow Chemical Company
Dow Chemical Company
The Dow Chemical Company is a multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. As of 2007, it is the second largest chemical manufacturer in the world by revenue and as of February 2009, the third-largest chemical company in the world by market capitalization .Dow...
) to design the expansion and renovation of their corporate headquarters in Philadelphia. George Ewing’s son, Alexander, a partner in his father’s firm, was assigned to the project; Rohm and Haas designated their in-house architect, Stanley Cole, to serve as professional aide to the management committee overseeing the project.
During the early stages of design, however, it became clear that the existing site near Washington Square would not satisfy the company’s needs. Rohm and Haas worked with the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority
Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority
The Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, with the legal name of "Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia", was created by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Urban Redevelopment Law of 1945...
to exchange their existing property for a key site on Independence Mall just across 6th Street from the Liberty Bell
Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American Independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House , the bell was commissioned from the London firm of Lester and Pack in 1752, and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY...
. The exchange was beneficial to the city as well as to Rohm and Haas because the project ignited the subsequent further development of the Mall.
In order to ease City Art Commission approval for design on such a prominent site, Stanley recommended adding renowned architect Pietro Belluschi
Pietro Belluschi
Pietro Belluschi was an American architect, a leader of the Modern Movement in architecture, and was responsible for the design of over one thousand buildings....
to the team as design consultant. The resulting design was lauded for its respect to the nearby park and historic buildings; Philadelphia's city planners praised the Rohm and Haas Corporate Headquarters
Rohm and Haas Corporate Headquarters
The Rohm and Haas Corporate Headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States is the headquarters for the chemical manufacturing company Rohm and Haas. Completed in 1964, the building was the first private investment for the urban renewal of the Independence Mall area. Only two blocks from...
as a standard for all redevelopment buildings. (The experience was so successful that the Belluschi, Ewing and Cole collaborated again in the late 1960s on the University Lutheran Center; in the early 1970s, Belluschi, then a consultant to the Federal Reserve Bank
Federal Reserve Bank
The twelve Federal Reserve Banks form a major part of the Federal Reserve System, the central banking system of the United States. The twelve federal reserve banks together divide the nation into twelve Federal Reserve Districts, the twelve banking districts created by the Federal Reserve Act of...
in Washington, DC, recommended EwingCole for the design of the new headquarters of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is responsible for the Third District of the Federal Reserve, which covers eastern Pennsylvania, the 9 southern counties of New Jersey, and Delaware...
.
Stanley Cole served as project manager until the completion of the Rohm and Haas project, when he joined Alexander Ewing & Associates. Cole, Michael P. Erdman and Joseph P. Eubank became partners in 1970, and the firm was renamed Ewing Cole Erdman & Eubank. By 1979, Robert Cherry and Robert Parsky had succeeded Erdman and Eubank in Ewing Cole Cherry Parsky; this partnership continued until 1992, when Parsky’s departure resulted in Ewing Cole Cherry. In 1993, M. Paul Brott (who had worked in the Washington, DC office of the George M. Ewing Company from 1960–1978, rising to the level of partner) became Chairman and CEO of Ewing Cole Cherry Brott. Following the death of Paul Brott and the departure of Bob Cherry, the firm emerged in 2003 as EwingCole.
Growth and expansion
EwingCole, in the interest of serving federal government clients, opened its Washington, DC office in 1995. In 2002, the firm added an office in Irvine, CA .In 2009, Robert D. Lynn Associates (RDLA) combined with EwingCole. A 40-person firm, RDLA brought a portfolio of healthcare projects which complemented EwingCole’s own healthcare design experience.
EwingCole was the third largest in Philadelphia per the Philadelphia Business Journal
Philadelphia Business Journal
The Philadelphia Business Journal is a weekly business-oriented newspaper published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is published by the American City Business Journals....
’s 2010 Book of Lists, and No. 158 in the Engineering News-Record
Engineering News-Record
Engineering News-Record is a weekly magazine that provides news, analysis, data and opinion for the construction industry worldwide...
(ENR) 2010 annual ranking of the Top 500 Design Firms.
John Gerbner, AIA, became President and COO of EwingCole in 2005.