By Christina B. Farnsworth. Blight takes flight in this apartment renovation, which includes the construction of new townhomes. New Pennley Place replaces an ugly 1960s apartment monolith.
First step was revamping the site plan from a superblock out of scale with residential living into a plan that matched the original city grid pattern. The renovated mix of old and new feels warmly residential. Some of the buildings step back, providing street variety that prevents the housing from being visually labeled low income.
The architects drew inspiration for the new townhomes from existing homes in surrounding neighborhoods. The mid-rise building is brick while the townhomes feature lap siding. The variety of materials adds variation to the site and maintains a pleasant mixed-residential scale.
| Photo: J.W. Photography |
The 102 units have a flat fixed rent of $570 a month plus utilities. Rents are mitigated with income assistance to accommodate a broad mix of incomes. Category: Community With Mixed-Housing Types; Entrant/Architect: Perkins Eastman Architects, Pittsburgh; Builder: Turner Construction, Pittsburgh; Developer: Negley Corner Limited Partnership, C/O The Community Builders, Pittsburgh; Landscape Architect: Pashek Associates, Pittsburgh