Erdy McHenry Architecture was contracted to design this new office building at the Philadelphia Navy Yard by Liberty Property Trust and Synterra Partners. The building is LEED Gold certified as a result of our continued efforts in creating environmentally responsible buildings. The 4-story building contains 100,000 SF of office space around a central atrium at the core. This building is part of the ongoing effort to revitalize the Navy Yard, bringing new life and excitement to this important landmark in Philadelphia’s history.
Each office space has natural light and panoramic views of the ever changing Navy Yard and Philadelphia skyline. The building was designed to optimize the amount of sunlight entering into each office, thus increasing productivity in the work place. In order to provide an appropriate level of daylighting throughout the building, large expanses of windows were incorporated on each façade. The glazing was carefully selected in order to balance out the daylighting opportunities with the energy efficiency of the envelope design.
The clerestory glazing at the atrium was designed to allow light to penetrate the space, filtering into offices and down to the lobby below. The wall is hidden from the exterior, only revealing itself upon entering the building. The wall is also meant to bring warmth into the space and break up the large vertical atrium.
An angled bay window projects from the Crescent Drive façade on the second and third floors, offering tenants a direct view north to the city skyline. A terrace above on the fourth floor, as well as projecting balconies on the lower floors, afford views of the battleships docked in the river beyond, while recalling the form and industrial nature of naval design.
The undulating bamboo panel wall diffuses the direct sunlight penetrating the clerestory windows, providing a wide array of light intensity throughout the space. The elevator shaft is clad in translucent polycarbonate panels to allow the southern light to permeate the shaft and to allow the motion of the of the elevator to enliven the atrium space.
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