Adaptive Reuse of Abandoned Coal Building, Manayunk, Philadelphia

Project Year: 2019

Team Project: Adaptive Design Studio, MS Sustainable Design 

The site is surrounded by residential, commercial and mixed-use buildings and the building is abandoned over last 150 years. In this proposal, structural framework of the building is retained to convert building into co-working and commercial spaces with a farmer’s market and outdoor farm. Systems thinking helps to understand different challenges and opportunities on neighborhood and site level. Passive techniques help to increase human thermal comfort inside building. Site is also prone to flooding and, thus pervious hardscape and native vegetation is used with constructed wetland and retention pond provided understanding site levels.