Friends Center of Philadelphia
;)
The renovation of the Friends Center, a National Historic Landmark in downtown Philadelphia, began as a modest capital improvements project. Now, by embracing the Quaker tenet that peace and justice depend upon restoring the Earth’s ecological integrity, the Center stands as a model of sustainable design after achieving the highest LEED Platinum (NCv2.1) score in Pennsylvania.
7group collaborated with a diverse team of highly committed consultants through early design charrettes and provided the design and final energy models as well as extensive commissioning services. Two goals governed the venture: to prevent further degradation of the watershed by reducing water usage and stormwater runoff, and to become 100% fossil fuel free. For these efforts, the Center has won numerous awards, among them the 2009 GBCA Construction Excellence Award for Best Green Building, 2010 Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia Grand Jury Award and 2007 PA EC and PA DEP Stormwater Best Management Practices Award.
The Friends Center, a three-building complex that includes the historic 1856 Race Street Meetinghouse, a former school, and a 1972 office building, more than surpassed their original sustainability objectives. Direct daylight at nearly every desk, combined with a functional and aesthetically open design reduces air conditioning loads and provides a healthy work environment. Stormwater harvested in cisterns from the Meetinghouse’s roof is reused for toilet flushing reducing water consumption by 57%. Meetinghouse renovations corrected structural deficiencies, removed interior partitions, stabilized the building envelope, reestablished extensive daylighting and incorporated energy efficient lighting. Additions to the office building include a green roof, a 10 kW photovoltaic array provides supplemental electricity and reduces the building’s peak load, and a field of seven geothermal wells ranging from 650 ft to 1,500 ft deep heat and cool the building. These wells are the first of their kind in urban Philadelphia and dramatically reduce the facility’s operating costs and carbon footprint.
A view from the Center’s vegetated roof. Including this roof, 42% of the project site is permeable, greatly reducing the amount of stormwater discharged into the city sewer system.
Every effort was made to retain as much of the historic Meeting House as possible, while restoring and renovating the existing structure to meet the project’s sustainability goals.
Daylighting analysis and energy modeling implemented throughout the redesign of the 1972 office building resulted in extensive daylighting for all of the Center’s offices.
;)
;)
;)
Location
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Project Owner
Friends Center of Philadelphia
Architect
UJMN Architects + Designers
Building Size
93,000 sf
Cost
$15,000,000
Completed
September 2009
LEED® Status
LEED Platinum (NCv2.1)
Certified
;)
