Project Description
8th and Berks Development Strategy
Community Design Collaborative
As part of AIA Philadelphia’s Design on the Delaware Conference, the Community Design Collaborative (CDC) hosted a full-day design charrette that enabled designers, community leaders, public agencies, and private developers to explore redevelopment strategies for a 1.8 acre vacant parcel at 8th and Berks Streets in Eastern North Philadelphia.
As a firm volunteer with the CDC, BWA led charrette teams in the examination of development scenarios that combined multigenerational housing, retail, open space, transportation, sustainability, and “third place” amenities to anchor the community east of Temple Station and help reduce the existing disparity in market value. Following the charrette, BWA and the CDC design team synthesized one overall concept which incorporates the most successful elements from all charrette plans into a proposed phased development strategy. Phase 1 includes 70 senior rental apartments, on-site support services, and ground level retail. Phase 2 adds an urban park and 33 semi-detached affordable and market rate home ownership units.
Design Team Members (BWA staff in italics): Jessica Brams-Miller, Zachary Cebenka, Tavis Dockwiller, Suzanna Fabry, Thomas Kirchner, Kathy Lent, Snezana Litvinovic, Dan Meier, Ian Smith, Brad Springer, Lamar Wilson, Richard Winston, Morris Zimmerman
Project Type: Planning
Size: 1.8 acres
Features:
- Mixed-use
- Affordable and market-rate housing
- Senior housing
- Urban park
- Green roofs
