Project Type: Multi-Family

Paseo Verde
Philadelphia, PA
Architect: Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC

Paseo Verde is a mixed use and mixed-income residential complex located close to the Temple University SEPTA rail station in Philadelphia. There are two condo buildings which include 120 residential units and 30,000 SF of community and retail space. Incorporated into the complex are a health-care facility, a pharmacy, and a social service facility office as well. It was awarded the 2015 Project of the Year by the U.S. Green building Council and has been recognized and studied as a model for similar projects in other urban and suburban locations. In addition to the Project of the Year Award, it has also received a number of other awards, including:

• 2014 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Award for Excellence;
• LEED Platinum certification (the nation’s first for a neighborhood development); Urban Land Institute Award for Excellence
• Mid-Atlantic region’s “Best Projects” in the Engineering News-Record’s (ENR) annual contest.

Due to the site’s proximity to one of the regional rail lines, there was justifiable concern about noise transmission from the exterior to the interior of the building. Metropolitan Acoustics provided consultation to ensure the exterior building envelope met HUD requirements for sound mitigation. We conducted testing on site over a 24 hour period to determine the average and peak sound levels near the rail line, measuring typical environmental site noise and the noise from passing trains. This information was used to guide our design recommendations for upgrading exterior wall, window, and door details to ensure the building met HUD guidelines once construction was complete.

As is often the case, the results speak for themselves with this project. The LEED certification is something that we are very proud of and worked with the design team to achieve. The attention paid to construction methods and materials which would ensure proper mitigation of outside noise results in high-quality construction from the ground up. That was the case with Paseo Verde and is an approach we are able to use on other projects when the design team is willing to invest in the right solutions from the beginning.