TWO WORLDS COLLIDE

While Philadelphia is primarily a city of walkable, dense urban fabric, it includes its fair share of car-centric commercial developments. These big box buildings, often sited on abandoned industrial lots, bring new retail amenities to historically underserved neighborhoods, but their associated surface parking lots can negatively impact the city’s vibrant street life. The Block bridges the gap between the urban and suburban worlds, supporting pedestrian walkability while taking advantage of existing car-centric development in a novel mixed-use housing typology.


ELEVATED EXPERIENCE

The Block incorporates an unusual approach to circulation, taking cues from Philadelphia’s rowhouse fabric. Minimizing interior corridors, the building relies instead on an elevated, landscaped deck as primary access for upper level walk-up units. Buffering apartment entries from surface parking and retail below, the deck features multiple outdoor amenity zones spilling out from the central lobby and clubroom. Decked seating areas, gravel lounge pits and a turfed dog park showcase views of the city skyline. Corner units are accessed through intimate interior stairs serving smaller groupings of four to six units. Playful angular geometry and colorful walls enliven the building’s common spaces throughout.