Westminster Seminary | Campus Landscapes

Westminster Theological Seminary was founded in 1929 by a group of ministers and Princeton professors with the mission of training students for ministry in Presbyterian and Reformed churches in the US and abroad. Since the 1930’s, the seminary has resided on a 16-acre campus in suburban Philadelphia. Over the years, the seminary’s growth has been accommodated opportunistically, with modest new structures and no larger vision shaping the development of campus. For the last eight years, Jonathan has been consulting with the seminary on its campus design, starting with a campus master plan, prepared in association with Ayers Saint Gross, and continuing with the design of incremental campus transformations. Guided by the seminary’s commitment to “enlightened frugality,” the firm’s designs for new campus landscapes have created high-value improvements for relatively modest investments. These include greening and pedestrianizing the campus core, new gathering spaces for outdoor teaching and social interaction, an recreation hub with sports courts, playground and firepit, and a new formal garden for hosting institutional events and receptions. These designed landscapes have transformed the campus’ character and resulted in a more thriving living-learning community.