Neighborhood Innovation : Development News

For architects like Jibe Design Principal Juliet Whelan, sometimes the most innovative work is better enjoyed as a work of art. So for her most recent design--a completely energy independent house retrofitted into recycled shipping containers--she made artistry the focus, enlisting photographer Stu Goldenberg of Goldenberg Photography and frequent collaborator Naquib Hossain to design a model for a photo retrospective.

After buying a Fishtown lot at an auction, craftsman Martin Lautz enlisted Jibe to design a sustainable, off-the-grid oasis built out of shipping containers. The house, Lautz said, would test the limits of sustainable living in a modern, urban setting. Meanwhile, Goldenberg was looking for his latest muse. When Whelan brought them all together with builders Allison Carafa and Jason Flax, the team created a scaled model called Free Agent House, a test center for sustainable design elements and the subject of a unique photo collection.

"Most un-built architecture projects are only viewed as two-dimensional computer renderings and many iconic completed buildings are only seen by the masses as photos," says Whelan. "I liked the idea of Stu playing with the intersection of a real photo of a real model and a rendered image of an un-built project."

Complete with solar panels, vacuum-insulated wall panels, efficient natural lighting design, passive heating and cooling systems and a solar-thermal water heater, the model creates a complete home without the aid of outside energy producers--a model that may become popular as Pennsylvania rate caps expire at the end of this year. Lautz recently requested a larger home design and Jibe is working to keep the efficiency measures in tact for a larger structure.

"Every project I design belongs on a continuum of my development as an architect," says Whelan. "The Free Agent House fixes some mistakes I've made on other projects, particularly in regards to separating floors vertically for heating efficiency. The innovations in this home will certainly inform my future work."

Source: Juliet Whelan, Jibe Design
Writer: John Steele

When Disney's California Adventure unveiled 'World of Color,' the park's massive water-and-light animation show, officials hoped to create a focal point for nightly visitors to end their evening on a high note. The Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas has a similar show, where synchronized fountains create an aquatic ballet for visitors. But those are tourist destinations, where spectacle and showmanship are included in the experience. How would such a show be greeted in a highly-trafficked urban center like Philadelphia?

The principals at Philadelphia-based WaterMagic LLC hope the city will appreciate a little showmanship as they attempt to bring a similar fountain show to the Schuylkill Banks area by 30th Street Station. The installation, created by 'World of Color' designer Robert Nonemaker, would include a 70-foot water screen displaying digital images and a solar array to power all fountains and lights. WaterMagic has received $3.5 million that it must match with private funding in order to move forward. With support from city officials like Deputy Mayor Rina Cutler and former Governor Ed Rendell, principals John Randolph and Rob Stuart started the push for private financing this week.

"We hope this will extend the hours of useful life along the Schuylkill to include the nighttime hours," says Randolph. "And it will add to the image of the river as a gateway between Center City and West Philadelphia."

After talking to park users and residents, the most common complaint about the area was the noise level of traffic from nearby highway entrances and thoroughfares. WaterMagic hopes its installation will provide a noise barrier and a distraction from automotive noise.

"The water screen acts as a noise blocker and the plumes act as a masking with pleasant noise of falling water, that people find relaxing," Stuart says. "Our sense is that this will be something that will bring people to Philadelphia and keep them here at night to witness this phenomenon."

Source: Rob Stuart, WaterMagic LLC
Writer: John Steele

With the Race Street connector streetscape project already underway, city officials gathered with Mayor Michael Nutter and Delaware River Waterfront Corporation president Tom Corcoran last week to break ground on the Race Street Pier park project. The pier is to act as a pilot project for waterfront greenways that feature heavily in the Master Plan for the Central Delaware.

"With this park, we have created a public space that we hope will leverage private investment along the waterfront," says DRWC VP of Operations Joe Forkin.

The park features a rising, boardwalk-style platform, allowing for views across the river, next to greenspace and tree-lined pathways. Park designers secured mature trees left over from the World Trade Center building project, giving the park an aged look from the start. The pathways and railings are all lit with solar-powered LED lighting to give the pier a modern feel during the day and at night. The project is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2011.

"It's day and night enjoyment," says Forkin. "During the day, you can sunbathe, you can walk, you can complete the circuit from Old City, down the connector to the waterfront. And then at night, we've added a lighting component in a random pattern through the pavers and then the bridge above you, creating a spectacular light show at night to play off the location under the Ben Franklin Bridge."

Source: Joe Forkin, DRWC
Writer: John Steele

As a sustainable homes designer, G8 CEO Dor Berkovitz is no stranger to green living. Open floor plans, prefabricated materials and affordable simplicity have always been a part of the G8 philosophy. This month, G8 takes this commitment one step further with two additions to the company resume.

On October 22, Berkovitz announced the launch of G8 Solar, a service his home buying clients had long been clamoring for. Since then, he launched G8-Solar.com and has gotten a number of requests. The company began its first solar photovoltaic install this week, but making solar affordable for his already-frugal clients (average G8 home costs $300,000) has been a challenge.

"Even with the incentives, you still have to pay $20,000-$30,000  for solar but with PECO raising their rates, people are going to start seeing the value of this in the long run," says Berkovitz. "Today, most people's equity is so limited so we are trying to come up with creative ideas to get more affordable prices for people who want to put solar on the roof."

G8's newest project, located at 2300 Amber Street in Fishtown, is the first home in Philadelphia made entirely of recycled shipping containers. Working with a company from New York that specializes in shipping container homes, G8 is retrofitting shipping containers to act as the frame for this experimental single-family home. The three-level structure will feature a 3kW solar array and water system, a garage and a backyard. It begins construction this month.

"The shipping business is so bad today, you can go on the Turnpike and see shipping containers rusting at the side of the road," says Berkovitz. "We figured we could use them like we would with a wooden frame, it will last for a long time and they are cheap. And we are recycling materials, which is part of our mission."

Source: Dor Berkovitz, G8
Writer: John Steele

While often seen as intractable bureaucracy, zoning matters. And it isn't just city officials who think so. When the issue of creating a more accessible zoning code went to a vote in 2008, it received nearly unanimous support. Since you can't build so much as a doghouse in Philadelphia without examining the zoning code, the Zoning Code Commission created a list of criteria that even the least savvy builder could sift through, holding numerous public meetings and taking suggestions online for how to make things clearer. Now, with the plan entering its final draft stage, the ZCC is making one final call for suggestions, notes and edits before the code goes before the City Council in December.

"We have changed the structure so it is much more apparent what is located where, including maps and charts and graphic illustrations throughout the code," says Zoning Code Commission Executive Director Eva Gladstein. "We have heard from so many citizens. We heard from concerned parents worrying about daycare standards. We have heard from a number of architects who felt that the original design standards were too prescriptive. There are so many examples."

Over the last two years, the Zoning Code Commission has attempted to explain the importance of zoning with ZoningMatters.org, the online home of the new zoning code where citizens have been making suggestions and helping shape the new code. The ZCC will continue to accept suggestions through November 12 with the hopes of having a new code in place before the first of the year.

"Our zoning code last had a comprehensive update in the early 1960's so the world has changed drastically since that time," says Gladstein. "What kind of uses could be next to you or down the street? Where can you put a pizza shop or a theater? Where can offices or manufacturing be located? It affects your front yard, your backyard and where you live and work."

Source: Eva Gladstein, Zoning Code Commission
Writer: John Steele

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighborhood? Please send your development news tips here.

University of Pennsylvania's board of trustees this week gave the go-ahead for Shoemaker Green, the sustainable landscape project unveiled in May that will connect the Palestra and Franklin Field. After being chosen in May as one of more than 150 pilot projects to test a new LEED-based ratings system for landscape design, Shoemaker Green's design plan, created by local architects Andropogon Associates, received a budget of $8 million to complete the park, which officials hope will provide a more pleasing pathway between the Penn campus and the new Penn Park at S. 31st Street.

"The design of Shoemaker Green continues Penn's open space tradition," says Penn's VP of Facilities and Real Estate Services Anne Papageorge. "By linking College Green via Smith Walk to Penn Park, Shoemaker Green incorporates numerous sustainable features, providing a passive recreational landscape surrounded by the iconic historic buildings of the Palestra and Franklin Field."

Shoemaker Green hopes to address serious stormwater runoff issues present on the underutilized former greyfield parcel at 33rd Street. By adding three rain gardens, porous pavers, a cistern for rainwater reuse and tree trenches, architects and Penn officials hope to absorb some of the rainwater known to flood local buildings. The land will also be used to test innovative new storm water management technologies.

The open center of the project is adaptable to a variety of special events, like commencement and the Penn Relays. The lawn can accommodate large groups as well as those looking for a secluded area to hold an outdoor class or have a quiet lunch.

Source: University of Pennsylvania
Writer: John Steele

Anyone who has ever braved the long walk underground from City Hall to the transit lines has entered a concrete expanse known for low lighting and poor signage. So despite early skepticism, when local residents and business owners saw Center City District's plan to redesign Dilworth Plaza--the ledges, pavers and stairwells to the north and west of City Hall--at a community meeting in September, 2009, trepidation turned to excitement. Earlier this month, Rep. Chaka Fattah announced $15 million in federal TIGER grant funding would go towards the ambitious, $50 million project.

"Currently, Dilworth Plaza is a rabbit hole of underground corridors and this project is one that it is sitting on top of the very centerpoint where all transit in the region comes together so we need new entrances, alerting people where to go," says CCD executive director Paul Levy. "At the surface level, it has been a hodgepodge of different elevations, walls that don't allow clear lines of sight so we will be adding a large lawn to the south with generous landscaping around it to create a park environment."

Along with the lawn, glass-enclosed subway entrances and digital signage, the new Dilworth Plaza will feature a large fountain that will double as an ice rink in the winter, a cafe, and seating areas to accommodate concerts and events. With funding in place, construction is set to begin immediately to coincide with a $200 million SEPTA renovation, and will be complete by 2013.

"This will be a park, it will be a great place to gather to appreciate City Hall but also a highly identifiable gateway to the regional transit system," says Levy. "Want to go to a baseball game? Enter here to go to South Philly. Want to go to the universities in West Philadelphia? Enter here. Want to get to the regional rail lines? Enter here. Really highlighting transit."

Source: Paul Levy, Center City District
Writer: John Steele

Since adopting the Civic Vision for the Central Delaware plan in 2008, city planners have considered mixed use development and even new transit options to draw visitors to the Delaware waterfront. But according to a new study released October 25 by Penn Future and the Coalition for Philadelphia's Waterfronts, all they need to do is add green space. If they do, the study claims, the city will see $30-$40 million in annual health care savings, $800 million in aggregate household wealth gains and up to $24 million annually in new tax revenues from increased tourism activities and higher property values. This report will help shape city planning decisions as various city agencies look to complete waterfront plans in the next year.

"We were not playing the role of advocate with this report and, if anything, erred on the side of conservatism so as not to be seen as overstating," says Lee Huang, a report consultant from University City's EConsult. "We see this report as useful as city planners weigh the costs and benefits of building the waterfront greenway. As you can see, there is a long list of beneficiaries to this project."

Health care savings from people using bike lanes and pedestrian trails are significant. But the largest increase would come from what the report calls the "equity of access," whereby properties in waterfront-adjacent neighborhoods would now be within walking distance of parks and waterfront activities, increasing home values. This benefit has been observed in cities like Atlanta, Ga. and helps legitimize projects, like the Race Street Pier greenway, that are already underway.

"The universe of people that are not currently near an outdoor amenity is about 98,000 individuals representing 44,000 households," says Huang. "That is a very important consideration to keep in mind."

Source: Lee Huang, EConsult
Writer: John Steele

When Greensaw Design And Build founder Brendan Jones was building a kitchen backsplash a few months ago, he tried to sell a client on using old wood and tile scraps set into the wall. It sounded a little out there, but with years of professional experience under his belt, Jones was confident he could make it beautiful. The client wasn't so sure. So he did what any craftsman would: he made it anyway in his own kitchen.

This week, Jones and his team unveil 1205 S. 8th Street, a rehabbed South Philly rowhome where the reclaimed materials designers installed innovations either too risky for clients to take a chance on or with materials leftover from a job. Old radiators, freezer doors, and molding can all become something new in what has become the Greensaw show home.

"We had a countertop that we installed for a client and it was all reclaimed wood but for some of the wood, the moisture content was too high and the countertop ended up warping so we had to replace that but that wood became doors for my house," says Jones. "It's an opportunity to reuse material that has already been reused."

Founded in 2006, Greensaw started as a salvage company, installing doors and designing bathrooms using reclaimed tile. After building a complete house from discarded concrete, baseboard wood and sconces restored in his Northern Liberties woodshop, Jones set to work on the design innovations that would become 1205 S. 8th Street. He hopes the home's unveiling on Nov. 4 will show all those skittish clients the power of reclaimed materials.

"The house is for sale but that is really an aside," says Jones. "We are really trying to use it as an example of the slow-build philosophy, which has a lot of legs to it. The idea is to make Philadelphia the center for reclaimed materials because there is just so much here."

Source: Brendan Jones, Greensaw Design And Build
Writer: John Steele

Between the large freighter ships docked all around it and the big box stores and other commercial complexes that dot the corners of Columbus and Washington, Pier 53 is the last place you would expect to find a park. But that is exactly why the Central Delaware Master Plan calls for the creation of greenspace at the long-vacant pier, hoping to bring a park to nearby property owners and spur development on nearby parcels. This week, the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation cut the ribbon on Washington Avenue Green, bringing a little country to this concrete jungle.

"This location was cited for ecological restoration and the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation owned the land already so we could do a project easily here," says DRWC's Master Planning Manager Sarah Thorp. "Whereas the rest of that area, all the way down to WalMart is under private ownership."

The new park features a bike path connected with the new Delaware River Trail, native plantings and woodland areas to prevent stormwater runoff and a public art project designed to mirror historic stream maps. Artist Stacy Levy recreated the stream map using plants, creating the appearance of the Delaware River coming ashore and turning from water to plants, creating a perfect representation for this new park.

"Over time, these areas that have paving and asphalt, nature takes over and weeds grow in between and the concrete starts to deteriorate," says Thorp of the public art project. "So we deliberately drilled holes for the plants to grow through. We really wanted to use all the materials instead of sending them to a landfill so the concrete we cut out became benches and pavers on the site."

Source: Sarah Thorp, DRWC
Writer: John Steele

Being a 'green' web design firm is something Yikes! Inc. owners Mia and Tracy Levesque take very seriously. Founded as a triple bottom line business in 1996, the company has collected a slew of green business awards and certifications. Yikes is a member of the Sustainable Business Network, a Certified B Corporation, owners of a Green America's Business Seal of Approval, and even provide discounts for businesses with similar commitments.

This week, the company takes its environmental mission one step further as construction began on Yikes' new headquarters. Rehabbing a vacant building on the 200 block of Girard Avenue, the Yikes team is creating a LEED Platinum office with attached residential units, hoping to add sustainable real estate to their list of green achievements.

"I have always loved these vacant, run-down, but architecturally beautiful buildings so when I made the decision to buy a building for our business, I come across these buildings and they look terrible but I think they look beautiful," says Tracy. "I decided then that I wanted to do this renovation project even though I know it would be a lot easier to just move in somewhere that was ready to go."

To get to LEED Platinum, there is a lot of planning involved. The HVAC system has to be tested and retested for efficiency, all the materials used have to be reclaimed through Greensaw, and all electricity will be purchased from the Energy Co-Op. But as much as they are doing, Tracy says they wish they could do more.

"Unfortunately solar had to be taken out of the budget but my goal is, within the next few years, to find the money to get solar put back on," says Tracy. "Being able to go beyond our own consumption to create our own electricity would just be the best."

Source: Tracy Levesque, Yikes Inc.
Writer: John Steele

When adults reach a certain age, the world can feel like a pretty uninhabitable place. Long stairwells, narrow doorways and high entryways can all do a number on achy knees and hips. Philadelphia knows this all too well. The stoops and narrow rowhomes dotting Philly's most storied neighborhoods become difficult as home owners age, and a group of designers and activists think it's time for a change.

Examining this issue is the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, a state-funded group working to make Philadelphia safer for seniors. On Friday, PCA's Visitability Committee, in partnership with the Community Design Collaborative and Philadelphia's Office of Housing and Community Development, unveiled the results of "Visitability for Urban Neighborhoods," a design charette searching for a home building model that would benefit older homeowners as they age.

"People think of senior housing as high-rises, subsidized housing," says PCA Director of Housing Susan Klein. But over 80 percent of seniors in Philadelphia own their own homes. What I see is that we keep on building places as if people are going to live 'til 40 in good health and then die."

To correct these design mistakes, the charette called for a new home model that could blend in with the other rowhomes in Philly neighborhoods but would include three visitability tenets: an entrance without a step, wider hallways and doors and a first-floor half bathroom. Subsidized housing already uses these tenets but so far, for-profit builders have been slow to come around. This charette was intended to change their minds.

"While this is very important for seniors, if you are buying a house at 40, it also affects you," says Klein. "You may want Aunt Ann to come to Thanksgiving Dinner or you want to get a stroller through or just that you want to stay in that home forever."

Source: Susan Klein, Philadelphia Corporation for Aging
Writer: John Steele

With 25,000 state-owned bridges, Pennsylvania has the third-largest number of bridges in the nation. Few see as much traffic as Philadelphia's South Street Bridge. The thoroughfare connecting the western section of the Graduate Hospital neighborhood to University City and I-76 sees over 25,000 vehicles per day. So when the bridge was closed for repairs on Dec. 8 2008, the construction had to be completed quickly. Now, less than two years later, the bridge is set to reopen on November 6. 

"This was an aggressive schedule," says Streets Department Civil Engineer David Perri. "But that bridge serves too many folks that need to cross the Schuylkill. The longer it's closed, the more of a negative impact it has on the business interests and on people who need to walk and bicycle to work."

But this Pennsylvania bridge wasn't going to go through a closure without getting a few bells and whistles. The Streets Department added widened sidewalks, dedicated bicycle lanes, a crossing to the Schuylkill River trail, and four pedestrian overlooks at the base of the decorative towers. And the neighborhoods surrounding this arterial passage couldn't be happier. To celebrate the reopening, a formal ribbon cutting will follow the ceremonial first motorist, first pedestrian and even first cyclist to cross the bridge.

To mark the occasion, the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology will offer half-price admission to everyone on both sides of the bride who comes to the museum without a car. Also, various South Street merchants will be throwing block parties to welcome the traffic back to the community.

"If you take this many vehicles out of a neighborhood, it will have an impact on the commercial businesses," says Perri. "This will restore the traffic to the level it was at before the bridge closure."

Source: David Perri, Philadelphia Streets Department
Writer: John Steele

Once a fixture of Philadelphia's transit system, the original streetcar has disappeared from routes once well-tread on 11th and 12th Streets and on Market Street. But while the trolley's lack of maneuverability got it removed from Center City, the Route 15 Trolley, that runs the length of Girard Avenue, has become a fixture of one of the city's most eclectic neighborhood corridors. So when SEPTA announced that it would be closing the Route 15 Trolley because it interfered with PennDOT's renovation of I-95, something had to be done.

This week, SEPTA began construction on a turnaround: a looped section of track at the corner of Frankford and Delaware Avenues. This turnaround would allow continued service on the Route 15 through the two-year PennDOT project. For the time being, SEPTA is running buses until the new track work is complete. The turnaround is scheduled for completion on Feb. 13, 2011. Unfortunately for Fishtown residents, the easternmost section of the route--between Frankford Avenue and Richmond and Westmoreland streets--will remain on bussed routes for the duration of the construction, scheduled to be completed in early 2013.
 
"The Route 15 trolley is a part of the community," says SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch. "There would have to be a much stronger reason to discontinue trolley service than a small construction project."

Many community members have posited that the reason for the turnaround placement was to provide access to the newly-built SugarHouse casino. SEPTA has announced that the trolley will stop at the turnaround to unload passengers. The plan now, Busch says, is to have an additional option for the direction of this historic trolley in the future.

"The loop will be there when we get the full line back," says Busch. "It's good to have the option to add this turnaround to the line if we need it."

Source: Andrew Busch, SEPTA
Writer: John Steele

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