JKR Partners Goes Green
with 777 South Broad
Philadelphia’s
First LEED Certified
Multifamily Mixed-use
Building
BIA member architecture firm JKR
Partners is pleased to announce that
777 South Broad Street is under construction, and set to become the city’s
first LEED certified multifamily mixeduse building. The five-story project,
developed by Dranoff Properties, also a
BIA member, includes 18,835 square
feet of ground level shops and restaurants; a 157-car secure, gated parking
lot; and 146 one- and two- bedroom
luxury loft apartments.
777 South Broad Street is unique
among mixed use developments for
its emphasis on sustainability. JKR
Partners and the entire 777 team have
incorporated “green” elements wherever possible, understanding that a
sustainable development is a healthy
development for the users and the
environment.
The project is on track to apply for
certification under the U.S. Green
Building Council’s LEED (Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design)
Rating System. LEED is the preeminent standard of measurement in the
green building industry, and 777
South Broad will be Philadelphia’s
first LEED Certified mixed use development of its kind.
777 represents the best in urban living in Philadelphia’s hottest new
neighborhood – the Avenue of the
Arts. The project’s location, at the northeast corner of Broad and
Catharine Streets, makes it inherently sustainable. Not only does the
project reinforce the benefits of urban living—including ready access to
goods, services, and public transit—but it also occupies a previously
developed site. This avoids harmful environmental impact common to
building new on previously undeveloped land.
In an effort to encourage eco-friendly transportation, the project
includes preferred parking for alternative fuel vehicles, car-share spaces
on site, and a large bicycle storage area for residents.
The more tangible elements to green buildings are the materials selection
and waste management. Many of the building materials at 777—including
superstructure and finishes—have high recycled content or are harvested
from rapidly renewable resources, such as bamboo. The roof is highly reflective to reduce microclimate temperatures during hot summer months. And
to date, approximately 97 percent of construction waste from the jobsite
has been diverted to recycling facilities, rather than landfills.
The design team worked to maximize energy and water efficiencies in
the building systems. The owner has agreed to obtain a portion of the
building power from a renewable energy source, such as wind-gene Ʌѕ