Community-focused LEED Platinum office building
Berks County Community Foundation (BCCF) transformed a parking lot on a prominent street corner into a vibrant gathering space with foundation offices, community conference center, and tenant spaces for other non-profits. With the intent of inspiring others to build more sustainably, BCCF challenged the team to set an example of environmental stewardship that is both visually compelling and economically defensible. Significant public participation, including a week-long design charrette, was used to build support for the project and meet the needs of a diverse community. Within the building, visitors delight in seeing green roof terraces, a winding central stair made of wood reclaimed from the Coney Island Pier, and stormwater flowing through a clear pillar on its way to a cistern for re-use.
4,000 sf of dedicated community programming space
Skewed building orientation optimizes passive solar heat gain
Rainwater harvesting of roof drainage and HVAC condensate for toilet flushing
Wood stairs salvaged from Coney Island pier
LEED NC Platinum
Design Award of Honor, PA Council Society of American Registered Architects
– Kevin Murphy, President of BCCF