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The Collaborative's 2006 Community Design Award recognizes the collaboration of Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia, Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC, and the Energy Coordinating Agency on a conceptual design for green affordable housing in East Parkside.
Anchored by a string of handsome brick rowhouses, the 4200 block of Stiles Street contains enough vacant land to build ten new homes. Last year, Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia approached the Community Design Collaborative to study alternatives for new housing for Stiles Street. Wallace Roberts and Todd, LLC (WRT), joined by the Energy Coordinating Agency of Philadelphia, volunteered for the project.
Reaching Consensus with the Community
Habitat involved the East Parkside Residents' Association in the development of a conceptual design for the new housing. The community wanted the homes to fit the Victorian-era neighborhood. But nationally, Habitat's most common unit design is the detached two-story home with a sloped roof and wood frame construction — safe and easy for volunteer crews to build. The Collaborative project team developed a rowhouse design with some extras, such as brick facades and front porches, which can still be built primarily by volunteers.
Affordable Green Housing for Habitat
Thanks to the efforts of Energy Coordinating Agency and the Delaware Valley Green Building Council, Stiles Street will be one of a handful of affordable housing developments registered for the LEED for Homes Demonstration Project, a voluntary program to test sustainable design standards for housing drafted by the United States Green Building Council.
Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia hopes the Stiles Street project will lead to more green affordable housing by other Habitat affiliates." As Maarten Pesch, AIA of WRT notes, "Habitat for Humanity is actually one of the largest residential developers in the country... It may have a much farther reach than just for this site." WRT has continued to work with Habitat on the Stiles Street housing.
Raising the Resources to Build
Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia plans to build seven new homes on Stiles Street based on WRT's conceptual design. Jon Musselman, Director of Project Planning for Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia, estimates that Habitat's commitment to green construction and contextual design for Stiles Street has increased the cost of building by 25% per unit but notes that "in keeping with Habitat's core value of being good stewards in the community we feel it is the right thing to do." Habitat expects to break ground on Stiles Street in March 2007.
Project Team
Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC
Maarten Pesch, AIA
Jean-Pierre Brokken
Harsha Desai
Maria Elosua
Erin Monaghan
Energy Coordinating Agency of Philadelphia
Scott Wagner, Energy Analyst
Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia
Jon Musselman, Director of Project Planning
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| 4200 Block of Stiles Street, Philadelphia Pennsylvania | |
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