Hedgework is an urban landscape intervention that takes the form of a sentient hedgerow. It is a community of native plants and environmental sensors that create a biodiverse habitat that supports the butterflies, bees, birds and squirrels that inhabit it, while engaging the community members, workers, cyclists, pedestrians and others that surround it. But the essential and unique transformational relationship the Hedgerow creates is the real conversation between human and more-than-human stakeholders. Its infrastructure helps to generate a series of feedback loops that provide many opportunities for playful response and interaction. Hedgework seasonally transforms over the life-cycle of its installation, growing, generating data, building knowledge and writing a soundtrack that reflects the climate and disposition of the site. Hedgework was commissioned by the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC)

The Western New York Environmental Alliance (WNYEA) is an independent, member-run organization. With more than 100 member organizations, WNYEA’s mission is to mobilize change through planning, collective action and collaboration, in order to ensure sustainable, thriving ecosystems and communities in Western New York.

For the past 9 years, WYNEA has held a Congress in Buffalo bringing together the leading voices in the Western New York community around pressing environmental issues. In 2015, with the nations of the world addressing climate issues at the Paris Climate Summit, WNYEA sought to lead a crucial discussion on climate change, solutions and the implications for climate justice in Western New York. Timbre was hired not only to manage the promotion, programming and planning of the Congress, but to also to increase attendance and diversity among panelists and attendees and to a advance a solutions-oriented discussion on climate change.

Timbre successfully met these goals. We rebranded the Congress, “Taking Climate Action: The Future of Western New York,” in an effort to emphasize the collective interest in climate change. Event attendance was at 200+, exceeding expectations and standards set by past years. The hallways were filled with local environmental groups and innovators. Panelists and, through direct engagement with the Greater Buffalo community, attendees represented the diversity of the region. And, in addition press coverage of the event, we reached over 13k people on social media.

As a Senior Strategy Consultant at DEGW, Antonina Simeti worked on the creation of a Learning Landscape concept for the The University at Buffalo SUNY (UB). As part of the UB2020 strategic planning initiative, UB sought to enhance its strategic strengths as a 21st. Century learning institution and wanted to improve services needed to support the learning experience, community, research and scholarship. DEGW’s Learning Landscape approach to the master plan asked the question “where does learning happen?”, bringing to the light the value of learning and discovery in a variety of informal settings across campus.

DEGW’s approach was data-driven, pulling from a range of quantitative, qualitative, primary and secondary sources. Antonina led user research activities including student surveys, faculty interviews, space observation, focus groups, design workshops, and analysis of existing UB data such as wireless usage and classroom utilization. The extensive research process led to the development of a variety of campus concepts including a learning corridor, a service plan for the consolidation of student service points, living – learning spaces for the “heart of the campus”, and teaching, faculty and media hubs for interdisciplinary interaction.

Timbre Consultants has been engaged by the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus to implement healthy retail and workplaces programs. The team is working in partnership with the Buffalo Public Schools and Go Bike Buffalo under the NYS Department of Health’s Creating Healthy Schools and Community (CHSC) Initiative. CHSC is a 5-year coordinated, multi-sector initiative designed to increase demand for and access to healthy, affordable foods and opportunities for daily physical activity in high-need school districts and their associated communities.

Timbre Consultants is currently working to design new and healthy retail models for the City of Buffalo, including healthy corner stores and mobile markets, and supporting their implementation by developing sustainable partnerships, programming, communication strategies, and the tools and technical assistance needed to support retailers. Healthy workplace programs are being piloted within institutions representing a range of sectors and sizes (e.g. hospitals, government agencies, private corporations) and are designed to change food procurement processes and standards while increasing staff awareness of and access to local food and healthy eating practices. The retail and workplace programs will be situated in or be connected to targeted Buffalo neighborhoods in conjunction with schools and complete streets planning activities as part of a holistic approach to place-based health and wellness.

Timbre in connection with the Long Island Institute for Socioeconomic Development and Dowling College to conduct research and produce a narrative for a detailed economic report. The report, to be presented to Congress, broke down the flow of money between the states and the Federal Government. The purpose was to better understand the fiscalresponsibilities placed on individual states while also considering the cost of living and the changing needs of their respective populations.

As the consultants for the Rise Up for Climate Justice (Western New York) campaign launch, Timbre Consultants were charged with three primary goals: to brand and position this new environmental group as a “hub” for Western New York’s environmental community to organize around, to promote “The Western New York Climate Justice Pledge” and program a kick-off rally in downtown Buffalo.

To meet these goals, Timbre launched a full campaign that included targeted and boots-on-the-ground community outreach, engagement and activation; message development and branding; an owned, paid and earned media strategy which included web, print and radio while targeting and developing relationships with members of the press; building a sustainable and robust social media presence; conducting media training and providing interviews with members of the press and publications and; programming and day-of coordination for the rally.

With a narrow window of time the rally and kick-off was a success. There were an estimated 400 people in attendance, and over 30 diverse groups (from labor unions to faith-based organizations) participated. Our social media presence leading up to the campaign engaged with 16k unique users on Facebook 43k Twitter users. And media outlets WBFO / NPR, the Buffalo News, The Public and Time Warner Cable covered Rise Up and the rally text goes here