design : Development News

When the Philadelphia Housing Authority created the Lucien E. Blackwell housing plan that would see the demolition of the Mill Creek Housing Development in 2000, they knew they couldn't stop with just a few buildings. Growing up in the Mill Creek neighborhood as a kid, architect Michael Johns knew that certain blocks in the distressed neighborhood could help bring the new Mill Creek back stronger. But after adding over 700 housing units and an assisted living facility, there was not enough left to save the most distressed block in the neighborhood, the 800 block of Markoe Street.

Johns, who acts as PHA's General Manager of Community Development and Design, and his colleagues had a plan. They would host a design competition while the plan waited for funding. PHA chose Jibe Design, a small Center City firm. Funding finally became available and the project began construction earlier this month. This week, the American Institute for Architecture acknowledged the project with one of 16 national awards for design excellence.

"So often with (this type of) housing, there is a challenge to get something that is modern and sustainable and cost-effective," says Johns. "And we didn't want to create something that, in ten years looked like bell bottoms and a tie-dye shirt. We needed something that would last."

What they got was a proposal for 17 rehabs and six new constructions, all LEED Platinum. This is no ordinary public housing. Exposed brick, reclaimed wood beams and modern amenities finally give Markoe Street the renovation that began here 10 years ago. As for Johns and his team, the project was worth the wait.

"What this award shows is, at the base level, there are folks at the Housing Authority that are committed to changing neighborhoods and this award really draws attention to that effort," says Johns.

Source: Michael Johns, Philadelphia Housing Authority
Writer: John Steele

With its shimmering glass facade, distinctive shape and LED display, University City's Cira Centre has cemented itself as a larger-than-life landmark in the Philly skyline. So when the Cira Centre opened its lobby space to restaurant development with Rae, the swirling, seasonal tastes and 200-bottle wine cellar graced many headlines. But over the last four years, its popularity waned. It seemed the restaurant's style couldn't keep up with its tony, trendy home. Now it's time for one of Philadelphia's premier tastemakers to take his turn at Cira. This week, Philadelphia's Iron Chef Jose Garces brings his gastrointestinal stylings (and his corporate offices) to 30th Street with JG Domestic, a tribute to all-American ingredients.

"American cuisine has its roots all over the world, so from a culinary standpoint I'll be drawing inspiration from a host of cultures and cuisines," says Garces. "This restaurant will celebrate domestic produce, meat, poultry, seafood, wines, beers and spirits. Our primary focus is creating dishes that honor the ingredients themselves, however we choose to prepare them."

With such high-concept creations as Distrito and Village Whiskey, the flavors in the decor are equally as strong as the flavors on the plate. Garces called on Jun Aizaki of Cr�me Design Collective in Brooklyn, NY, who has worked on all previous Garces restaurants. As JG Domestic's space is large for a restaurant, the challenge was creating intimacy. Complete with pictures of farms where ingredients come from, a "living wall" of plants and real trees growing in the middle, Garces  offers a counterpoint to the sleek modernity of the Cira Centre, bringing freshness to both his cuisine and design.

"Jun's work is wonderfully textural and helps to make the restaurant feel as though it's organic to the space, even though none of my restaurants have gone into new buildings," Garces says. "In fact, many were restaurants before, and it's a testament to Jun's skill that you would never know that."

Source: Jose Garces, Garces Restaurant Group
Writer: John Steele

When Mayor Nutter endorsed Penn Praxis' Civic Vision for the Central Delaware waterfront plan in 2008, he sent the City Planning Commission and other organizations on some early action projects to get things rolling. Just two years later, the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation is making the rounds with local community groups presenting renovation plans for connecting streetscapes. It turns out a waterfront proposal doesn't get very far without a way to get to the waterfront.

Delaware Avenue's dividing barrier I-95 separates Front Street from the Delaware River. But as urban decay has struck the river lands, it has also hit 47 connecting blocks, leaving pathways to the waterfront dark and uninhabitable for pedestrians. This week, DRWC held a meeting with the Old City Civic Association, unveiling improvement plans for a new Race Street, and creating a model for the 46 other blocks in need of repair.

"These improvements make Race Street an interesting place to go, not just a normal street that you walk on to get to the waterfront," says DRWC master planner Sarah Thorp. "The Race Street Connector is a perfect pilot project. We wanted to add some things that we might be able to replicate in other areas of the waterfront."

The proposal calls for painted bike lanes, lit underpasses, and an LED-illuminated pixel array, allowing for announcements and public art. The project will lead pedestrians to the Race Street Pier, a park project slated for May 2011. Tonight, DRWC hosts their second community meeting for the Delaware River master plan. With a pathway design in place, the future looks bright on the Delaware.

"One of the reasons we chose this park is because it is pretty close to the center and to areas with a ton of foot traffic, rather than starting at the ends, which are more isolated," says Thorp. "Its location toward the center of the waterfront, we feel, is a great place to start."

Source: Sarah Thorp, DRWC
Writer: John Steele

When Community Design Collaborative (CDC) Executive Director Beth Miller ran into volunteer Scott Page at Reading Terminal Market two years ago, a chat about their favorite Amish pastries turned to what was next in industrial redevelopment. Page mentioned a partnership between Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation and the City Planning Commission to create an industrial reuse strategy. CDC's Infill Philadelphia project was already on the lookout for opportunities to lend a hand and this project seemed like a perfect fit.

In February, Infill Philadelphia launched its Industrial Sites initiative, a design proposal contest searching for three types of industrial redevelopment. The Neighborhood anchor focused on creating an incubator for new industry. Mixed-use focused on creating new industry side-by-side with housing. And the Making Connections challenge coupled industry with environment to create an industrial campus and riverfront amenity in one. Three volunteer design firms unveiled redevelopment proposals to the design community in May. On Tuesday, CDC released a publication to show off the projects to the rest of the city.

"Industrial redevelopment is one of those problems that seems unsolvable," says Miller. "There are so many older buildings out there and nobody quite knows what to do with them. We thought this was a good strategy to showcase a new generation of urban industry."

The Industrial Sites initiative is the third phase for Infill, an ongoing redevelopment advisory project that has worked on affordable housing, commercial corridors and food access. With their new publication showing what they can do, Miller hopes to draw inspiration for her next project.

"We hope to make this an ongoing thing through our service grants, so non-profits can apply to us to address an industrial site in their neighborhood," says Miller. "We've already gotten two or three applications like that so we hope to continue that work on a case-by-case basis."

Source: Beth Miller, Infill Philadelphia
Writer: John Steele

It's hard to imagine a game cooler that pool. Everyone from Tom Cruise to the Rat Pack have famously chalked up. But for a sport known for scotch, suits and smoke, Philadelphia's billiard halls instead attract the young college set to brightly lit amusement centers or back-room, quarter-vended tables. A new project from architecture/interior design firm DAS Architects looks to bring billiards center stage, giving the game's classic cool the home it deserves.

On Friday, the Philadelphia Historical Commission approved a proposal from Philly developer Paul Giegerich to redesign the former Beneficial Bank building at 1200 Chestnut Street into an upscale billiard hall. The project would feature a circular, second-floor bar overlooking the action below, board rooms transformed into banquet spaces and a rooftop lounge with a retractable glass roof. The proposal goes before the Center City zoning board this week, trying to sink the 8-ball on this high-concept development.

"A lot of vagrants have used the porch as a place to hang out," says DAS principal David Schultz of the long-vacant building. "Everybody is, I think, excited that there is going to be a positive use for the building, that we are bringing life back to the building and will help improve the neighborhood."

1200 Chestnut is a historic space, designed in 1916 by famous Philadelphia Museum of Art architect Horace Trumbauer, so architects are limited in their alterations. DAS will add LED light fixtures and green roof elements like reflective roof tiles for the outdoor lounge, but hope to bring understated design elements from its last bank building renovation, Union Trust steakhouse, to the stately design of Trumbauer, an achievement Schultz says he wouldn't change if he could.

"One of the benefits of this space is that it doesn't require any meaningful changes," says Schultz. "We will beautify the existing space while maintaining its architectural elegance."

Source: David Schultz, DAS Architects
Writer: John Steele

These days, sustainability is everywhere, and no one understands that reality more than Brandywine Realty Trust's Executive Vice President and General Counsel Brad Molotsky. Charged with keeping Brandywine's assets green, Molotsky's current specialty may not have existed 10 years ago. Today, some buyers are attracted to certifications like LEED and EnergyStar as a way to save energy, making sustainability efforts a priority. Brandywine has gone from four EnergyStar Certified properties in 1999 to 29 today. This week, the Radnor firm added three more to that list, receiving the EPA's top certification for ts 401 Plymouth Road, Plymouth Meeting; 5 Eves Drive, Marlton, NJ; and its 3 Barton Skyway, Austin, TX projects. 

"There is a lot of good data that the EPA publishes to suggest that if your building is EnergyStar Certified, it will consume 35 percent less energy, which is significant," says Molotsky. "Are people paying attention to this? Not yet but I think the brokerage community is coming around to this, and tenants are getting smarter about it."

As certain municipalities begin to mandate publication of sustainability information, Molotsky says, certifications like EnergyStar will become increasingly valuable as the U.S. moves toward more sustainable building assets.

"You are going to see this in New York, for instance, this January where every building over 50,000 square feet will be required to measure and publish their EnergyStar score," says Molotsky. "What's that going to do? All these buildings will be measured against each other, creating a natural competition and people will start paying attention."

Source: Brad Molotsky, Brandywine Realty Trust
Writer: John Steele

Along the post-industrial corridor of Northern Delaware Avenue sits an abandoned trolley garage where Philadelphia's oldest transit assets were once serviced. So when architectural salvage firm Provenance decided to relocate to accommodate more retail customers, they couldn't think of a better location than a garage that once restored rolling symbols of Philadelphia's past.

"We feel that a lot of the material that is pulled out of the city is part of the fabric that makes this city cool," says Provenance partner Scott Lash. "We're hoping that people will start looking at stuff that was probably put in other buildings at the time their buildings were built."

The team at Provenance has expanded in the last year, offering flooring and many salvaged items for home and garden projects. While the floor is still concrete and the showroom still has a warehouse feel, Lash believes the place has a much more retail feel, with more organization and better lighting, allowing easier browsing.

With the new space, Provenance hopes to offer home improvement classes and First Friday events, like the Happy Hour they hosted on October 1. Making connections in the tight-knit Northern Liberties neighborhood, Lash believes, will stimulate foot traffic and draw not only DIY weekend warriors but also artists and designers looking for vintage pieces and custom home projects.

"We hope to be doing art work in our space on a permanent basis," says Lash. "We want to display painting, old architecture and elements from buildings we've torn down because we feel like that brings out some interesting ideas."

Source: Scott Lash, Provenance
Writer: John Steele

When it comes to sharing experiences, Barney Leonard just can't help himself. As a veteran of corporate communications, Leonard has spent his career blogging and filming for profit. After five years searching for a home in Chester County, Leonard and his wife stumbled on a piece of land with views of the Brandywine River, nestled in the wooded seclusion of Pocopson Township near Chadds Ford. They decided to build their dream home and they decided to build it green. Leonard began chronicling the experience on a blog, 60BraggHill.com, named for the lot, in order to make some extra revenue and gain community support. This week, after three years of well-documented battles with state and federal regulators and Mother Nature herself, construction began on 60 Bragg Hill, the most sustainable property in Chester County.

"We decided that, not that we are tree huggers, but if you are going to start from scratch, why not be smart and use green building techniques," says Leonard. "What we didn't realize is how difficult that would be to do. We just broke ground but it took a long, long time."

As his project ran into several roadblocks, the blog became increasingly dramatic, gaining hundreds of weekly readers. For one thing, the wood from their property had been pillaged by loggers, leaving only stumps and remnants that had to be collected for construction. The property nudged up against the natural habitat of the endangered Bog Turtle, living in nearby wetlands. It wasn't easy being green, especially with an audience. But eventually, local construction companies began helping out, hoping to show off their sustainable abilities, and community support kept pressure on the powers-that-be. Today, Leonard firmly believes that without the blog, he never would have gotten this far.

"I will say this: the government agencies who issue permits and environmental groups who provide clearances for land disturbance tend to be highly conservative and overly cautious because these issues are new," says Leonard. "I want to go through this so maybe it will be a little bit easier for the next guy."

Source: Barney Leonard, 60BraggHill.com
Writer: John Steele

When Levi Strauss created his first work pants for Gold Rush workers in 1873, he fastened his stitches and buttonholes with hard, brass buttons and rivets for strength. Ever since, these brass denim appendages have symbolized the toughness of the American worker. So when the Fairmount Park Art Association approached Irish artist John Kindness to create a monument to Philadelphia's role in U.S. labor rights history, Kindness created seven brass work button tables, each representing a famous moment in Philadelphia labor history.

The monument, unveiled at Elmwood Park in Southwest Philadelphia last Friday, is part of a city-wide movement called New Landmarks, an effort to involve local citizens in the process of creating public art projects. When asked at various community meetings what sort of piece would best represent the Elmwood Park neighborhood, the vastly blue-collar Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood asked for a monument to the working man, to celebrate the history and the sacrifice of labor unions in the U.S.

"In Elmwood Park, they were very clear that they wanted to honor the working class because this particular park had actually been created for workers in industry because Westinghouse and General Electric and Hog Island Shipyard were all right there," says FPAA Executive Director Penny Balkin Bach. 

Each button table was molded out of brass and made to honor a famous event in history. Working with the Friends of Elmwood Park, Kindness, the son of a Belfast shipyard worker, created each table to be not only an urban history lesson but to make the park a gathering place for working people once again.

"These tables call attention to issues that are still going on today around the United States and across the world," says Balkin Bach. "It really calls attention to the really groundbreaking work and the debt that we all have to unions over the course of these many years."

Source: Penny Balkin Bach, FPAA
Writer: John Steele

University of Pennsylvania's campus stretches across University City. But ever since the redevelopment of Locust Walk five years ago, the walk's endpoint at 40th and Walnut has been the undisputed hub of Quaker campus life. With gathering points like the Bridge movie theater and Marathon Grill, seminal college establishments like Smokey Joes, and massive grocery store the Fresh Grocer, the block has everything a college student could want. But with a new design competition hitting the streets this week, Penn students have the chance to give something back to everybody's favorite block.

In partnership with the University of Pennsylvania, University City District brings four design teams from the Design School and the School of Engineering to square off for the 40th Street Sustainability Smackdown. Each team has been assigned a business and must design a sustainability plan that will add renewable energy, reduce stormwater and air pollution, and work with alternative building materials. These efforts will culminate in an energy audit and creation of a comprehensive proposal for one of the participating buildings. The final review of plans and awards ceremony is set for Nov. 19.

"They are all very different," says UCD Project Manager Carolyn Hewson. "The Fresh Grocer is a larger structure that contains a garage, Marathon is  a restaurant, Metropolitan Bakery is a historic building so they all come with their own challenges."

Efforts to make local buildings more sustainable are part of the design and engineering programs at Penn and part of a concerted effort to continue development at the campus' hub. After partnering with Penn, Hewson sent e-mails to neighborhood businesses and even went door-to-door to create a buzz around the program. But if her instincts are correct, the competition will create a buzz all its own.

"Its a popular thing to do right now to have competitions to get greater interest and energy behind something," says Hewson. "And competitions within the design world yield great results and draw funding behind the winning team."

Source: Carolyn Hewson, UCD
Writer: John Steele
 

Philadelphia's Francisville neighborhood has a history of best-laid-plans gone awry. The neighborhood was originally called Vineyard after William Penn attempted and failed to start a wine vineyard there in 1699. As the settlement was designed to run along the early Indian trail Ridge Road (now Ridge Avenue) its streets run diagonally, creating an odd kink in Philadelphia's street grid. But as local activists prep Francisville for new development, they hope to rebuild its legacy as well as its infrastructure.

Their first order of business is The Vineyards, a 4,380-sq-ft, certified LEED Platinum housing development beginning construction this week. A clever play on that old William Penn story, The Vineyards brings three-family residences in the form of pre-fabricated housing units, each with 500-sq-ft, tenant-accessible green roofs. Officials hope housing will anchor the 20,000-sq-ft Francis Village Marketplace, a mixed-use development project at the center of Francisville's redevelopment plan.

"As a part of the Francisville community plan, the neighborhood set a series of priorities and at the top of that list of priorities was to bring back the Ridge Avenue Corridor," says 16th and Ridge Avenue Property Owners Association President Anthony Miles. "The number two priority was to bring back that corridor back green."

The project broke ground in June but was put on hold when officials learned that a documentary team was interested in producing a feature-length film based on the housing project. The documentary will follow construction officials and development teams as they prepare for the Vineyards, putting a green stamp on the Francisville legacy.

"We are actually shopping it around to PBS, Planet Green, NBC, CBS, and we'll be releasing webisodes of the documentary in January to get people excited," says Miles. "We are excited to show off what we believe is Pennsylvania's greenest and most technologically advanced homes."

Source: Anthony Miles, 16th and Ridge Avenue Property Owners Association
Writer: John Steele

As one of the top urban research facilities in the U.S., the University City Science Center has launched many groundbreaking innovations inside its labs. Its most recent innovation, however, had nothing to do with formulas or equations. The Science Center this week celebrated its Market Street Revitalization Project, which raised over $2 million from the City of Philadelphia's ReStore Corridors Project, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and 11 Market Street tenants from 34th to 41st streets. The revitalization added new trees, sidewalks, benches, bike lanes, lighting and crosswalks to the 7-block corridor.

"We look at ourselves as having a campus here, between 34th and 39th Street,"  says Science Center Senior VP of Real Estate Curtis Hess. "Part of the reason for the project was as a way to tie the whole campus together. As a major stakeholder in this corridor, it just made sense for us to take the lead on the project."

When the project was conceived in January of 2008, University City District approached the Science Center about streetscape improvements at 40th and Market. By the time the project got underway in November 2009, the two projects had been combined to encompass the whole corridor from 34th to 41st, connecting the Science Center complex with neighborhoods to the west. Officials hope the added lighting and footpaths will make the neighborhood safer and will beautify the Science Center campus for future tenants.

"If you look at the fact that we broke ground in November 2009, we had horrible rain in the fall, not one, not two but three blizzards in the winter, then it got to summer and the temperatures rose into the 90s and 100s and stayed up there," says Communications Director Jeanne Mell. "There were a lot of challenges to overcome and now that it is completed, we want to celebrate it and show it off."

Source: Curtis Hess, University City Science Center
Writer: John Steele

Since opening nearly five years ago, the Cira Centre has been lighting up the Schuylkill Expressway with its LED light curtain and shining obelisk design. But remaining a relevant part of Philadelphia's developing skyline is never easy. In fact, the Cira has become so popular in its first half-decade, it is already expanding.

Last week, Brandywine Realty Trust--the development firm that brought the Cira Centre construction to 30th Street Station--announced completion of the building's south garage and a renovation to the 30th Street Station post office. Coming in ahead of schedule and under budget netted BRT $256.5 million in loan financing from CTL Capital, LLC that had been escrowed pending completion. The financing will go towards reducing borrowings and paying operational costs.

"We are extremely pleased to complete the $342 million 30th Street Post Office and Cira South Garage projects on time and under budget and to close this previously announced financing," says BRT President and CEO Gerard Sweeney. "The completion of this project enhances the economic growth of the University City sub-market and restores an important piece of Philadelphia's architectural history."

The project will create a 1,662-car parking structure and 9,788 square feet of retail space. BRT will be seeking LEED silver certification, a mid-level environmental design distinction. The company expects to begin construction in 2011.

Source: Gerard Sweeney, Brandywine Realty Trust
Writer: John Steele

A new proposal from West Philadelphia after-school innovators Hybrid X Engineering Team could lead the public school system in a greener direction, using sustainable rehabilitation including green roofs and solar panels as a hands-on teaching tool, and keeping the next generation of students where they belong.

As part of a submission to GE's annual EcoMagination Challenge, the Hybrid X team has created a comprehensive plan for Green Technology High School, a fully functional high school powered by a series of green energy systems entirely maintained and monitored by students. These systems would provide full access to a science and math curriculum geared toward the green jobs of the future.

"These students know what is going on, they see their friends in the mix, and then they see their own experience, traveling around the country, meeting top scientists," says founder Simon Hauger. "They want more kids to be affected by this.

Founded in 1998, the Hybrid X team has worked on creating hybrid car systems. Their hybrid racecar, built in 2005, won a national competition and went on to gain media attention not only for its hybrid engine but its speed and sleek design. The club has routinely beaten college-level teams in engineering competitions, most recently reaching the semi-final round of the Progressive Automotive X Prize. Green Technology High School will be the team's first foray into green building but according to Hauger, it won't be the last, especially if the team wins. Vote for them here.

"They tell us 'this is what school should be," says Hauger. "All the learning that needs to occur can be based in real stuff instead of just go to class, get lectured for an hour, go to the next class, get lectured for an hour, its just not working. And these kids know better than anyone."

Source: Simon Hauger, Hybrid X Team
Writer: John Steele