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Kiser & McCloskey of Bernardon Haber Holloway Receive Second Place in DVGBC Sustainable Design Competition
Bernardon Haber Holloway Architects is proud to announce that their team, led by Tim Kiser, AIA and Michael McCloskey, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, received Second Prize in the 2012 Delaware Valley Green Building Council (DVGBC) Sustainable Design Competition. Kiser and McCloskey participated in the Emerging Professionals category and received the award at the Best of Greenbuild event held Thursday, May 3, 2012 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
Their submission, “Mantua RE-Wright”, adaptively re-used the existing Mantua Wright Recreation Center in the Mantua section of Philadelphia. The design is intended to “RE-Wright” the community’s understanding of what their neighborhood is and how it can flourish to foster a sustainable way of living. The Mantua RE-Wright complex is situated within a dense urban context, so a vertical addition to the existing building became a way to introduce much needed program space onto a constrained site with a minimal footprint. The striking image of the tower lends a contemporary face to Mantua’s already established identity. Views afforded from the new addition enable residents to perceive their urban environment in a way that reinforces a sense of scale between their block, their neighborhood and their city.
The tower also becomes a highly visible beacon within the community and presents a constant reminder of the communication health, and educational opportunities the center provides. The building itself acts as a tool for learning and presents visitors with sustainable ways of living within a community, which includes taking advantage of existing unused roof space to allow for the production of natural crops amongst the paved city context and providing a building analytics display to help people engage with responsible building and energy use practices.
The Bernardon Haber Holloway Architects competition team is proud of their role in helping to set the tone for neighborhood environmental responsibility within the City of Philadelphia with this re-imagined community center concept.
