Out on a Limb

I'm a sucker for anything tree-house-like, so of course I love "Out on a Limb" by Philadelphia's Metcalfe Architecture & Design. Located in the Morris Arboretum of the University of Philadelphia, "Out on a Limb" was awarded the TOP Gold Medal award in the AIA Philadelphia 2010 Awards for Design Excellence. It is a sustainable and fully accessible 450-foot tree canopy walk, and one of the most elaborate in North America. Metcalfe explains that the design balances perceived danger with actual safety, and real trees with beautiful materials, creating a playful forest learning experience. The awards jury, led by Cesar Pelli, said it "liked this project from the first moment we saw it," adding, it "is an exciting and delightful piece of architecture."

The project has been awarded thus far:

~2010 AIA Philadelphia Design Excellence Gold Medal
~2010 AIA Pennsylvania Architectural Excellence Award
~2010 "Best of Philly" Award
~2010 American Association of Museums Excellence in Exhibition Design Award