The Opportunity

PS&S had the opportunity to provide the architectural and building engineering design and construction management for a wheelchair accessible, barrier-free affordable housing development located 30 minutes outside of Philadelphia. The client’s goal was to create an attractive community that paid respect and deference to the context of the surrounding neighborhood. In keeping with the Not-For-Profit’s mandate, the buildings and community center must all be wheelchair accessible and 100-percent barrier-free as well as energy and cost efficient for the ongoing maintenance and operations of the building and its future residents.

The Challenge

The site was challenging to work with due to its size, location, wetlands conditions, and site grading. The steep topography required that the buildings be designed to fit on a compact and efficient footprint that met local standards and accessibility requirements for future residents. . The desires of the client and the funding sources include that the buildings must be designed to LEED Silver and Energy Star criteria. The site has direct access from a County Highway and backs up to existing single-family homes. Important to this project was to provide architecturally relevant and compatible aesthetics and finishes to meet local approvals and compliance requirements for the town, County and State funders and stakeholders.

The PS&S Solution

The PS&S Design Team worked with the non-profit housing developer/owner to design to their needs while maintaining costs and not compromising on appearance and finishes. The project was value engineered to include a slightly smaller community center and building modifications that saved money but did not detract from the aesthetics or social composition of the site. As a non-profit organization and owner/operator, ongoing maintenance costs are an essential component of the project. High-quality material is used for energy savings for the buildings and to ensure ongoing lower operating costs and ease of maintenance for the property and its residents.