The Thin Flats takes the traditional Philadelphia row house and turns up the charm big time with a LEED Platinum certification and a slew of clever design elements. Designed and built in-house by Onion Flats, the nine units complex is the first certified LEED Homes duplex in the nation. The construction hosts state-of-the-art energy and water conservation measures complimented by an intriguing interior design and rooftop garden patios. A vertical façade helps blend the contemporary look seamlessly with its aged neighbors, playfully magnifying the row house aesthetic. With these flats, meaning thin is in.
The development had to pack a pretty big punch to achieve its LEED Platinum rating. The design starts with an efficient shell made from low-impact framing materials and filled with closed-cell expanding foam. The façade is placed over the shell to provide a kind of mini veranda. Natural daylighting is ever present, and an upper skylight provides ambient light which penetrates through the stairwell’s translucent floor to the levels below.
Below the flooring is a hydronic heating system is supplemented with a solar thermal. In fact each unit’s system – from lights to HVAC to entertainment – is centrally controlled. The result is a 50% reduction in energy cost as compared to homes built to the standard code.
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There may be some validity however I’ll take hold opinion till I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we would like extra!
That used to be my neighborhood until I had to move out because of yuppies moving in and paying a fortune for places like the above. The neighborhood wasnt dated unless by dated you mean a lack of wealthy white folks moving and buying houses, driving rents sky high and forcing the working class out. You might call it revitalization I call it gentrification and unaffordable.