Against the Elements
A high-rise braces itself against Mother Nature.
When Philadelphia-area developer O’Neill Properties broke ground on The Corinthian, a luxury condo building in the exclusive suburb of Bala Cynwyd, the goal was to create the highest quality residential high-rise building in the area, and that goal included the building’s frame and cladding.
To provide what project manager Len Poncia calls “a five-star hotel experience,” the developer decided to enclose those finishes in the most solid structural system possible. The most significant decision? To reject the conventional steel and plank construction normally used for an apartment building in favor of a pre-cast concrete system that included concrete walls and 8-inch-thick floor slabs. (The slab is a “filigree” system, which consists of a layer of steel-reinforced pre-cast concrete with a field-poured slab on top of it.)
Instead of a metal stud and brick veneer skin, the building is clad with solid architectural pre-cast panels with brick inlays. The panels are hung from the concrete superstructure. And because all brick will soak up moisture, O’Neill upgraded from 3/4-inch brick veneer to a full 2-inch brick. This greatly reduced the chance of water getting behind the brick, where it could freeze.
“Essentially, we changed it from a system that allows water infiltration to a system that sheds water,” says Will Schwartz, co-owner of Philadelphia-based INTECH, the contractor and construction manager for the project. “We’re building several buildings in the area, and this stands out as having the best structural and skin system.”
But there was one potential problem: The high-end residential doors and windows the owners had chosen for the job aren’t normally used in pre-cast concrete buildings. Because of this, neither the developer nor the builder could predict for sure how those windows and doors would perform. In order to make sure they were watertight, the builder decided to do its own wind-blown rain test on a sampling of them.
The test, performed this fall, included an exterior water curtain and interior vacuum. Testers built a pipe frame outfitted with high-pressure water jets, and placed the frame on the outside of the door or window to be tested. They sealed the interior with plastic and used a vacuum hose to create a suction. If the installation had any weak spots, the vacuum would draw some of the sprayed water through to the inside. The builder won’t say whether the initial tests found any leaks, but it claims that the end result is tight enough to stand up to the fiercest wind-blown rains.
–Charles Wardell
Executive Feedback
What features are you offering in your community centers?
A: “Picerne recently designed gourmet service kitchens for our new clubhouses. With entertainment as a top priority [at luxury properties], we are providing the facilities to promote multiple affairs like private chef cooking classes and hosting resident or private functions.” –Rondetta Troutman, senior vice president, Picerne Real Estate Group
A: “With military housing, there are unique community center requirements. When these men and women are home from a deployment, they need resort-style amenities to relax and recharge, university-quality facilities for education, and the indoor/outdoor fitness facilities you’d find at an upscale gym.” –Scott Orrantia, managing director, Clark Realty Capital
A: “Our community centers serve the needs of low- and middle-income families and, being in California, immigrant families. So we provide classroom space for English lessons, after-school tutoring and computer training, as well as the social services and childcare they need. In addition, a comfortable lounge/social area with a kitchenette is important because it helps the neighbors interact at social gatherings and get to know each other better.” –Percival Vaz, president and CEO, AMCAL Multi-Housing
Project of the Month
Brewerytown Square
Philadelphia Brewerytown was a thriving, beer-brewing area in Philly back in the mid-1800s. But after Prohibition, the once-bustling neighborhood started slipping. But today Brewerytown is buzzing with activity once again.
Westrum Development Co. has opened the first phase of its project dubbed Brewerytown Square, a 144-unit townhome community at 31st Street and Girard Avenue. The units feature spacious floor plans ranging from 1,462 square feet to about 1,621 square feet. Amenities include 9-foot ceilings, a private laundry room, walk-in closets, and ceramic-tiled bathroom floors.
In keeping with the city’s urban atmosphere, Brewerytown Square features brick exteriors and stacked townhomes fronting the sidewalk. One-car attached garages are rear-loaded to maintain a walkable-community feel. Prices range from $279,000 to $299,000 in this neighborhood, designed by Martin & Associates.
Brewerytown Square is situated on a 16-acre property that formerly housed abandoned breweries and warehouses. The project’s first phase sits on about 3.8 acres. Density is at 38 units to the acre. John Westrum, the developer’s CEO, plans to erect 600 to 800 units on the site in the future. The project will be the center of a larger Brewerytown community, which will include hundreds of residences, including lofts in renovated factory buildings. Other developers will participate in the revitalization of the historic city.
–Abby Garcia Telleria