co-housing development for center city, philadelphia
studio 6-3, spring 2012
The Business Development Center for the Performing Arts (BDCPA) at Thirteenth and Spruce Streets in Philadelphia is a community for individuals and small families who are operating small business ventures and looking for residence in Center City. The site is just a block removed from the Avenue of the Arts and provides resources of the business and arts districts. Further, the site is surrounded by other residences and small businesses to foster the incubated ventures. The BDCPA will welcome collaboration and community based living and working.
The building sits on a corner site and traditionally would share a party wall with the existing residential and restaurant next door. In this development of the site, the building takes advantage of the flexible setback code to pull away from this party wall. The separation serves several purposes. The first is to preserve an existing mural, "Taste of Summer" on the adjacent party wall. It also allows for an additional alley condition. This condition is developed as a greenspace that will engage residents and neighbors. Note that the residents live and work within the building so it is the responsibility of the site to provide opportunities for cross pollination with the neighborhood. This greenspace is intended to support runoff control from existing and new construction.
The first floor of the building is dedicated to business development with open office space and meeting rooms. It also features a glass box theater for internal and external use, informally referred to as the Back Yard. This performance space is countered with an exterior, intimate amphitheater on the second floor Front Yard. This space is more private to the residents and has visual connections to second floor office space and the residential corridors of the tower above. The eight story tower features two to four units on each floor, serviced by a single loaded, north facing corridor. The units are meant to serve individuals, couples and small families. There are three unit types with one and two bedrooms. All of the units' kitchens look out into the corridor space and have home office spaces to support the continuous business activities of the residents.
The residents are urged to embrace the communal arrangements and most specifically celebrate time with neighbors on the eighth floor. There residents have access to shared kitchens, dining, and indoor and outdoor living areas. Further, residents can spend time together on the rooftop gardens.
The BDCPA succeeds in its moves to differentiate between living and work environments, creating resources for the performing arts community, and improving the urban hardscape.
The Business Development Center for the Performing Arts (BDCPA) at Thirteenth and Spruce Streets in Philadelphia is a community for individuals and small families who are operating small business ventures and looking for residence in Center City. The site is just a block removed from the Avenue of the Arts and provides resources of the business and arts districts. Further, the site is surrounded by other residences and small businesses to foster the incubated ventures. The BDCPA will welcome collaboration and community based living and working.
The building sits on a corner site and traditionally would share a party wall with the existing residential and restaurant next door. In this development of the site, the building takes advantage of the flexible setback code to pull away from this party wall. The separation serves several purposes. The first is to preserve an existing mural, "Taste of Summer" on the adjacent party wall. It also allows for an additional alley condition. This condition is developed as a greenspace that will engage residents and neighbors. Note that the residents live and work within the building so it is the responsibility of the site to provide opportunities for cross pollination with the neighborhood. This greenspace is intended to support runoff control from existing and new construction.
The first floor of the building is dedicated to business development with open office space and meeting rooms. It also features a glass box theater for internal and external use, informally referred to as the Back Yard. This performance space is countered with an exterior, intimate amphitheater on the second floor Front Yard. This space is more private to the residents and has visual connections to second floor office space and the residential corridors of the tower above. The eight story tower features two to four units on each floor, serviced by a single loaded, north facing corridor. The units are meant to serve individuals, couples and small families. There are three unit types with one and two bedrooms. All of the units' kitchens look out into the corridor space and have home office spaces to support the continuous business activities of the residents.
The residents are urged to embrace the communal arrangements and most specifically celebrate time with neighbors on the eighth floor. There residents have access to shared kitchens, dining, and indoor and outdoor living areas. Further, residents can spend time together on the rooftop gardens.
The BDCPA succeeds in its moves to differentiate between living and work environments, creating resources for the performing arts community, and improving the urban hardscape.