High-End Apartments
Philadelphia, PA
Matthew Hoffman
Structural Option
Building Statistics
General Building Data:
Building Name:
Location and Site:
Building Occupant Name:
Size (Total SF):
Floors Above Grade:
Construction Duration:
Cost:
Delivery Method:
High End Apartments
Philadelphia, PA
For confidential reasons, the occupant name will not be disclosed
313,000 SF
6 total floors above grade; Height = 56 ft.
September 2016 – March 2018
$60,000,000 (estimated)
design/bid/build; however, the General Contractor was involved during design, Subcontractors are working under the bid/build project delivery
Primary Project Team
Owner: Being withheld for confidential reasons
Architect: Bernardon (consultant to Owner) www.bernardon.com
Structural Engineer: Baker, Ingram and Associates (Consultant to Architect) www.bakeringram.com
MEP Engineer: Advanced Engineering Inc. (consultant to Architect) www.adveng.com
Civil Engineer: Linn Architects (consultant to Owner) www.linnarchitects.com
Architecture:
Design and Functional Components:
The design and function of this building will serve as an apartment complex; housing 169 apartments. There will be a parking garage included within the building which is located on the first two levels. The apartment complex is located on sloping terrain, allowing four to six stories to be seen depending on which façade is being looked at. A pool and a courtyard is included in the design for residents to enjoy during the warm parts of the year.
Codes:
ANSI A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities
ICC/IBC 2009 International Building Code
NFPA 70 –National Electrical Code.
NFPA 80 – Fire Doors and Windows.
NFPA 101 – Life Safety Code.
NFPA 105 – Installation of Smoke Door Assemblies.
State Building Codes, Local Amendments.
Zoning:
The required building use is multifamily with 25 ft. minimum setback on the front and back. The building coverage can not exceed 75% and the maximum height is 65 ft. Zoning data is provided by the civil engineer as follows:
Building Enclosure:
Starting at the base of the building, the parking levels are wrapped in manufactured stone veneer. Above the parking levels, the residential façade is broken up with red/orange and charcoal grey Field brick. Horizontal ribbed metal siding also helps to break up the brick façade and add contrast and make the building appear to have a very modern feel. The façade features can be viewed in the figure below.
At storefront and lounge locations within the building, a curtain wall is utilized with tempered double pane glass. Residential units utilize Anderson 100 series windows incorporating a single hung window with double pane glass. A sample of the curtain wall façade and residential windows utilized can be found in the figures below. The Roofing consists of 5/8” structural sheathing, 4” rigid insulation, and a fully adhered thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) single-ply membrane. In the courtyard, where dropped steel beams are utilized, a composite concrete deck is utilized to support courtyard soil and pavers being utilized.
Sustainability Features:
This building does not directly take any advantage of sustainability features. However, the building is mostly built out of wood, which is a renewable resource. There are overhangs that occur throughout the building that could help reduce heating and cooling loads. Further calculations and in-depth investigation would need to be done to determine if these overhangs contribute to blocking sunlight in the summer from entering the below windows and allowing the maximum sunlight during the winter. In the courtyard, where dropped steel beams are utilized, a composite concrete deck is utilized to support courtyard soil and pavers being utilized.
Engineering Design Solutions:
Structural:
The building was designed by implementing multiple structures within the building. The framing systems utilized within the building includes wood framing construction, composite steel framing, and reinforced concrete (masonry) walls. The parking levels are constructed using 1’-0” concrete walls with composite steel with a 6.5” composite concrete deck. The first residential level, which also supports the courtyards, and outdoor pool, utilize a composite steel framing system as well. The top 3 residential levels are constructed out of typical residential wood framing consisting of wood stud walls and wood floor/roof trusses. A majority of the wood stud walls are designed as bearing walls that are laterally connected to the elevator shaft and stairwell walls.
Construction:
The building’s project delivery method is design-bid-build. However, the general contractor was involved during design, and subcontractors are bid-build. Construction started in early September 2016, with an expected substantial completion date of March 2018. The total project cost is about $60 million.
Mechanical:
The building is conditioned using dedicated outdoor air system with 100% outside air rooftop units. A total of 6 rooftop units, with 8 split systems units supply the different apartment types as well as multiple amenity spaces. Specific air filtration systems to the parking garage are utilized for the for these levels.
Electrical:
A transformer providing 1700 KVA at the street level to a main 6000 A main switchboard located on the parking ground level. The system used throughout the building is a 277/180V system, where each floor has service panels that serve the demands of the respective floor.
Lighting:
The luminaires used within the building are 180V. Fluorescents are typical throughout the building with T-5 and T-8 rapid-start lamps used most frequently. HID pulse-start and ceramic lamps are used mainly on the exterior façade of the building for exterior lighting.
Fire Protection:
Because the building is a mixed-use, different codes and fire ratings are needed and used throughout the building. The IBC 2009 and local fire code was used to determine the fire ratings for each building occupancy. For the parking garage levels, a minimum of 4 hr fire rating is required. Public amenity spaces and residential areas require a minimum of 2 hr. rating. However, in the public amenity spaces, 4 hr. fire rating was chosen for the design.