AMERICAN LOFT , residential tower
Northern Liberties is an upcoming trendy neighborhood in Philadelphia, with small-scale housing, ateliers, and restaurants, and a mix of interesting cultures and people. Our client realized the fact that what we build now is not merely a building, but a creation, a creation that will be one of the most significant investments, for many people, of their lives. This residential tower has a mix of apartment sizes, available for a multitude of people. Its sculptural shape aims to fit in the neighborhood rather than stand out. The sloping parking and the buildings cantilever make it still stand out in a more modest way.
PARKING BECOMES PARK. // The American Loft building is one of a kind; it will feature a `green` sloping parking lot, which will slide under the building to reveal the equally sloping bottom of the building. The parking lot will be covered with ‘grass-crete’ a surface which enables drainage and creates a natural green surface, with trees and a green wall at the end of the parking.
PROGRAM // The building is conceived as something between an Urban Villa and a Tower. It has 40 apartments [including 2 townhouses and 2 Penthouses], a 3000sf Gym, 1300sf of retail and parking for 35 cars under the building. It was crucial for it to be kept to an intimate scale, to match the scale of the neighborhood, as well as to avoid the monotonous repetition usual of bigger buildings. The forty generous lofts have an open lay-out with generous terraces and are finished with modern European appliances and finishes.
PREFAB // the building is a poured-in-place concrete structure which benefits from all the qualities concrete buildings have, a sloping ground floor, large cantilevers at the penthouses and free hanging balconies. Its pre-fabricated insulated aluminum façade elements were installed immediately after the pour was done and it only took 3 weeks to enclose the whole building! Where the sloping part of the building folds up to become façade, the panels are curved to facilitate a smooth transition. The insulated aluminum windows fit seamlessly within the façade patterns, creating a supple rhythm.
INFO
Client: CREI, LLC
Project Type: 11 Story Residential Tower, 40 units with sloping green parking. Includes, 5 types of
apartments including two 2-story townhouses and two large penthouses.
Location: Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Area: 61,000 sf//5,667 m2
Height: 119 ft // 36 m
Design: Archi-Tectonics
Principal in Charge: Winka Dubbeldam
Architect of Record: Zimmers Associates SL
Project Leader: Bittor Sanchez-Monasterio
Archi-Tectonics Team: Patrick Wong, Pilar Echezarreta, Monty Forman, Tina Tung, Brian Holland
Construction Management: Creative Construction Managers CCM, Philadephia
Consultants:
Structural Engineers: WSP Cantor Seinuk Engineers, PC
Mechanical Engineers: BHG Consulting, Inc.
Status: Completed 2008
Photography: Archi-Tectonics
