edr welcomes Steve Breitzka

Mr. Breitzka earned his bachelors in Landscape Architecture from Cornell University and brings to edr 14 years of experience working on wide variety of projects ranging from small park improvements to campus-wide master planning. Mr. Breitzka was most recently a Senior Associate at RNL in Denver, an international, multi-disciplinary design firm offering architecture, interior design, planning, and LA design services. Mr. Breitzka is a certified LEED AP, BD+C professional and brings a great mix of strong design and graphics skills and project management experience on large projects, including federal work.

Coyne Science Center opens at LeMoyne College

LeMoyne College recently dedicated this new state-of-the-art science complex.

edr teamed with Ashley McGraw Architects on the $20 million project that was constructed in under a year. edr was responsible for providing site design and site/civil engineering services.

edr welcomes two new employees

edr welcomes Dan Barbato and Lydia Brinkley to its diverse staff of professionals.

Mr. Barbato has a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from SUNY Geneseo and a Masters of City and Regional Planning from the Ohio State University. Mr. Barbato joins edr as an Environmental/Planning Analyst, and in general his specialties include GIS analysis and database management, community stakeholder outreach, research and report writing.

Ms. Brinkley received a Bachelor of Science from SUNY ESF and a Masters of Science from SUNY ESF. Ms. Brinkley joins edr as an Ecological Resource Specialist, and in general her specialties include construction compliance monitoring, soils, and benthic macro-invertebrates/stream health assessment, along with research and report writing.

edr presents at the 2012 NYS Wetlands Forum Annual Conference

On March 27, edr Principal Ben Brazell and Sr. Ecological Resource Specialist Brian Schwabenbauer presented at the 2012 NYS Wetlands Forum Annual Conference held at the Radisson Hotel in Utica, New York

Their presentation titled "An Overview of the Relationship Between Permit Commitments and Construction Realities" was well received and generated some interesting questions and discussion.

Click Here to download presentation.

edr graphic and project featured in the New York Times

The Long Island-New York City Offshore Wind Project was mentioned in a recent article in the New York Times regarding renewable energy in the New York City area. In 2010, edr prepared visual simulations and an interactive map for this project on behalf of the New York Power Authority. The New York Times article featured a map graphic produced by edr to show the proposed project location. A link to edr 's interactive map and visual simulations was also included in the article.

Click Here to read the article online.
Click Here to read the article in print.

edr receives 2 ASLA Merit Awards of Achievement

The American Society of Landscape Architects has recognized edr with 2 Merit Awards of Achievement.

RIT Active Transport Systems won in the category of Built Design. edr provided planning, design development and construction documentation for newly dedicated bikeways that offer a safe and viable alternative transportation infrastructure. The campus bicycling system design supports RIT's commitment to both aggressive growth and sustainable practices. Click here to learn more about this project.

Warren Hull House & Homestead took the award in the category of Research, Historic Preservation & Communication. edr provided a site history supplement, illustrative interpretive rendering, and conceptual site development plan to communicate the historic qualities and vision for the restoration of the landscape associated with this important historic landmark located in Lancaster, New York. Click here to learn more about this project.

edr awarded Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan by the Town of Brighton.

edr has been awarded the Town of Brighton Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan. The edr Team for this project is comprised of Sprinkle Consulting (a nationally-recognized pedestrian and bicycle facilities planning specialist) and SRF & Associates (a local transportation planner with a history of successful projects in Brighton). They will provide Brighton with a town-wide plan to establish safe and sustainable active transportation solutions.

The Town of Brighton is adjacent to two municipalities with completed Bicycle Master Plans. Our team was responsible for both. The Town of Penfield Bicycle Facilities Master Plan was completed in 2008 by edr and SRF, and the City of Rochester Bicycle Master Plan was completed in 2010 by Sprinkle Consulting with edr and SRF. Both projects are leading the way in the Rochester community towards the implementation of meaningful and practical active transportation improvements that benefit all modes of transportation. With the Town of Brighton Plan, emphasis will be placed on multi-modal connectivity to priority destinations within Brighton, and promote synergy with parallel initiatives in nearby locales.

edr's work on the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Area Management Plan featured in the Buffalo News.

edr's work on the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Area Management Plan was featured in an editorial in the Buffalo News. edr has been working closely with the City of Niagara Falls on developing a heritage area master plan focused on the rich Underground Railroad history in the Niagara Falls area.

Click Here to read the article.
Click Here to learn more about the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Area Management Plan.

edr serves as landscape architect/civil engineer for Save the Rain green projects.

Located in the heart of the Near Westside neighborhood, St. Lucy's Church recently received a $125K grant from Save the Rain to install a porous pavement parking lot, plant a rain garden, and add more than 75 trees and shrubs to the property. All of these green infrastructure strategies will help reduce stormwater run-off and help keep local waterbodies clean. The project was planned by St. Lucy's Sacred Seeds Green Earth Group.

The Townsend Median project, completed in 2011, is a stormwater retrofit project that features the redesign of the existing Townsend Street median and the planting of ten new trees along both sides of S. Townsend Street between E. Adams St. and McCarthy Ave. The new median is designed to be below surface grade, allowing stormwater from both sides of S. Townsend Street to drain directly into the median, irrigate new vegetation, and eventually infiltrate. The median's new design features combination plantings of native grasses in place of the existing pavement and concrete cobbles. Existing street trees within the median are preserved, while new street trees enhance the existing streetscape, fill vacant treepits, and ultimately increase tree canopy coverage. In addition, four new street trees are designed to be "stormwater trees," with new curb stormwater inlets built into the existing curb to allow stormwater runoff to infiltrate the planting soils around the trees. The entire Townsend Median project is anticipated to capture approximately 317,000 gallons of stormwater runoff per /year.

edr served as the landscape architect and site/civil engineer sub-consultants for CH2M Hill for both of these projects.

Tom Robinson promoted to Rochester Office Manager

edr is pleased to announce that Tom Robinson has been promoted to Rochester Office Manager. Tom has been a Project Manager with edr's Landscape Architecture Division in the Rochester office for 10 years. In this time, Tom has lead the teams designing numerous award winning parks and recreation projects, especially in Rochester and the Finger Lakes/Genesee Region. He is LEED certified by the US Green Building Council and his projects are examples of how sustainability and green infrastructure practices can be successfully integrated into edr commissions, which is pivotal to edr's mission and legacy.

edr Companies president Jo Anne Gagliano featured in Today's CNY Women magazine

Today's CNY Woman magazine featured Jo Anne Gagliano, RLA, President of edr Companies, in their April 2011 edition. The article, The Women of "Her Life" Overcame the Odds, is about women who began in industries traditionally dominated by men, and made their way to the top. Click here to download and view the article (PDF - 8mb)

Carolyne Bean joins edr

Carolyne Bean is starting work at edr's Syracuse office as a civil engineer. Carolyne comes to edr from the Onondaga County Soil & Water Conservation District, where she was employed as a resource conservation specialist designing and implementing agricultural best management practices, and providing SWPPP inspections. Carolyne holds certification as an Engineer-in-Training, is a certified professional in erosion and sediment control (CPESC), and earned a master's degree in environmental engineering science from Syracuse University.

edr Employee News

Congratulations to Rob Seeley for being promoted to the Landscape Architecture Manager. Rob has been with edr since 1999 and has been involved in all facets of master planning, design and construction documentation projects from technical production to project management. His technical strengths and project team-building experience will be excellent tools in his new leadership position.

Please welcome Andy Obernesser as the new Planner with edr. He recently relocated back to CNY after three years in Madison, Wisconsin. While in Madison he obtained a Masters in Urban & Regional Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to obtaining his Masters degree, Andy was a structural drafter for an Engineering firm in Boston, MA. Andy brings to edr experience in agricultural planning as well as transportation planning. Andy is located on the 9th floor in the Syracuse office. Please stop by and welcome him to edr. We hope to visit everyone in the Rochester office very soon.

edr is now a Women-Owned Business Enterprise

The New York State Economic Development Corporation granted edr status as a Women-Owned Business Enterprise on January 20, 2009. We welcome the opportunity to work with agencies, developers, architects and engineers pursuing projects requesting or requiring WBE certification. Our considerable experience, practice areas, and excellent reputation add the competitive edge needed to firms seeking contracts with government and public agencies. In 2008, Jo Anne became the President of edr. As the new majority owner, she, and the entire edr management and staff, remains committed to the resource-based philosophy and stewardship to the environment pioneered by the company’s Founder, David Crandall, RLA.
Read more about edr's WBE certification.

Doug Brackett named Practitioner of the Year

The Pennsylvania / Delaware ASLA Chapter has reviewed nominations and named edr Vice President, Douglas Brackett, Practitioner of the Year / NYUASLA Chapter / 2010. This honor is bestowed on professionals who have demonstrated a career-long commitment to the American Society of Landscape Architects, and to the advancement and promotion of the profession of Landscape Architecture. “On behalf of the Executive Committee, I would like to congratulate you for winning this award,” Doug McCord, RLA, President NYUASLA.

EDR rebrands as edr Companies

Environmental Design & Research (EDR) was founded in 1979 on the fundamental principles of resource-based design and planning. Throughout the history of the firm, we have promoted, fostered and integrated natural and cultural resources into all of our work. Building upon the history of resource-based design and land planning, EDR has re-branded as the edr Companies to emphasize the integration of practice areas that deliver more innovative, sound and sustainable solutions to the clients and communities we serve.

ASLA Awards edr for Excellence in Public Design

The American Society of Landscape Architects / NY-Upstate Chapter has awarded edr with a Merit Award in Planning & Analysis for the Monroe County / Irondequoit Bay Parks Master Plan Project. For this project, edr applied a bio-regional perspective to the master planning of over 1,200 acres of County parkland adjacent to Irondequoit Bay and Irondequoit Creek, both in the Lake Ontario watershed. The land around the Bay is an evolving mosaic of public parks, residential areas, and commercial development. By providing an integrated resource-based approach to planning six Bay Area Parks, a blueprint has been established that supports sustainability, active living, and community connectivity. Ecologically-based site assessments, and a continuous stream of public communications, facilitated by edr, helped establish a balance point between conservation of natural resources, environmental education, and sustainable recreational activities. The resulting master plan emphasizes the social, economic, and environmental benefits of maintaining the ecosystem services provided by the Bay.

Dannielle Carr joins edr

Dannielle Carr has joined edr as a Project Manager responsible for project team coordination, site design, land planning, construction documentation, and construction administration. Ms. Carr is a registered landscape architect with more than 20 years of professional experience. Her specialties include residential, higher education, K-12 school, and health care site planning and design services. She has recently worked with Liberty Central School District, Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services; Elmira, Hobart & William Smith, and Skidmore Colleges. Ms. Carr is also a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and currently serves as Vice President of the Central New York Nursery & Landscape Association (Region 4).