The Grupp family is building a home on the 1506-08 E Palmer Street property for their family.  This is an exciting project for the Fishtown area.  Not only is this project continuing the single family occupancy in the vibrant portion of Fishtown, but it is creating a new residence in what has been a vacant lot for the past 80 years!

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Historic maps show that in the late 1800's, the properties at 1506, 1508 and 1510 were last remaining wood structures on this block of E Palmer, where the remaining homes were brick, masonry or stone (well, at least the portions bordering  E Palmer.   It is theorized that at some point in 1935 or 1936, a fire damaged the 1506-08 property, which was then authorized for demolition in September 1936.

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The Architect

It was important to the Grupps to have a home which achieves many seemingly disjoint objectives.  Energy efficiency, reduced carbon footprint, durability, accessibility, economic to operate, low maintenance costs, safety and complimentary to the surrounding homes in both style and physical scale.  To achieve these goals, required finding an architectural firm familiar with the community, current with the latest energy conservation modalities and willing partner with the family on their exacting standards and requirements for accommodating a disabled family member.   We found that in BrightCommon's Jeremy Avellino and his team. 

 

The General Contractor   For information regarding the general contractor, please contact us directly.  

With the excellent work don

e b BrightCommon, we brought on board Juan Levy and his FutureFit Building.  As an organization familiar and qualified in both design and construction, with a passion around passive house construction, building for durability and insisting on the highest standards for comfort and safety for the occupants, Juan was a wonderful compliment to Jeremy.  Together, as two of the thought leaders in the PassiveHaus community, they challenged each other, and our home is the better for their collaboration.

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This new home includes:

• Palmer Street frontage designed to look like the neighboring 1860's row homes.

  • only a 2 story (26') above-grade construction, 12' less than 38' permitted​

  • being built 'by-right' without requiring variances

• construction to the PassiveHaus standard

  • reduced carbon footprint

  • extreme energy conservation and potential for net-zero with the addition of solar panels on the roof

• wheelchair accessiblty

• large garden visible from Memphis Street

• off-street parking without eliminating any current legal spots

  • not adding to the parking requirements for the community

• avoiding increasing density in the neighborhood

  • avoids 5 new single family homes by preventing this 3,400 sq ft property from being subdivided .

• continue the tradition of this block of E Palmer for being a community of single family, owner-occupied, homes.

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We are all very excited at this project, and hope to keep you up-to-date with our progress.  This is a private project, but you can correspond with the project by email at BY CLICKING HERE