BLTa Submits Fishtown Project for Civic Design Review
Leading Architecture Firm Designing Property with 150 Residential Units & 6,500 SQFT. Of Retail
PHILADELPHIA, PA, Mar. 08, 2022 – On Tuesday, March 1, BLT Architects – A Perkins Eastman Studio (BLTa), submitted designs to the Philadelphia City Planning Commission for a project that will be located at 1120 Frankford Avenue in Fishtown. If successfully passed, developers US Construction inc. plans to start construction on the building, to be called The Frankford, within the second quarter of 2022.
“Fishtown is a neighborhood with a working-class legacy that today attracts the vanguard in culinary, art, and music trends,” Michael Prifti, principal of BLTa said. “Our team took steps to ensure that The Frankford will add to the character of the surrounding neighborhood, while presenting modern and attractive housing that complements the chic environment that Fishtown offers.”
The five-story mixed-use property will be comprised of 150 residential units on the top four floors, 15 of which are reserved as on-site affordable housing options. The ground level will feature 6,500 square feet of retail space as well as a fitness center, an indoor amenity space with lounge furniture, coworking spaces, a dog run, and an intimate outdoor garden.
What’s more, The Frankford was designed with a sustainable green roof and amenity deck that will offer tenant views of Center City and the surrounding neighborhood. While creating a welcoming outdoor space for residents, the green roof also promotes stormwater infiltration, evapotranspiration, and a reduction of the heat island effect.
The roof’s features, such as porous pavers, work to utilize on-site infiltration, while treating and regulating runoff from 100% of the site. Vegetated roof areas are employed to infiltrate water runoff and will increase the year-round aesthetics of the building. Additionally, the green roof provides a 25% increase in unit density.
Street trees will be installed along the public rights-of-way on both Frankford Avenue and Dunto Streets, providing summer shade and improved air quality. Landscaped areas along the private outdoor spaces of the site will provide a visual buffer and improve the street level aesthetic as well as help to clean surface runoff that runs to the sewers.
“The Frankford will be one of the newest boutique buildings to come to Fishtown that sits at the epicenter of the hottest neighborhoods in Philadelphia. It will have a hip swanky vibe, with co-working spaces and amenities that will cater to our residents. We selected BLT Architects for this project because of their architectural and design expertise in mixed-use and residential spaces,” John Farina, President & CEO of US Construction said. “The design of the building captures the spirit of the surrounding neighborhood, maintaining its historically industrial presence while also introducing elements of the neighborhood’s new cutting edge.”
The brick façade and loft style windows along Frankford Avenue and Dunton Streets will reflect the industrial past of this site, while the internal facades of the building introduce a modern aesthetic utilizing metal paneling to vary the design and appearance while reducing the overall massing of the building. These areas of metal panel complement the brick exterior, maintaining the rhythm and proportions established on the main façades.
About BLT Architects
BLT Architects – A Perkins Eastman Studio is an integrated architectural and interior design firm. Since its founding in 1961, BLTa has developed into a diverse and respected design firm headquartered in Philadelphia. The firm is honored and proud to have produced a diverse portfolio of hospitality, education, multi-family residential, and mixed-use projects. Please visit us at www.blta.com. Perkins Eastman is a global design firm founded on the belief that design can have a direct and positive impact on people’s lives.