Laura Blau and Paul Thompson own and manage the building. Laura purchased the property about 27 years ago. When the first-floor lease expired in 2016, they applied their Passive House knowledge and passion to start a major renovation. Besides the general updates and improvements on the upper floors, they wanted to design and build a new Passive House for themselves.

BluPath Design, the architecture firm they founded in 2003, was the project’s architect and Passive House Consultant. The general contractor for most of the project, GreenStepswas Laura and Paul’s construction and sustainable consulting firm, founded in 2008. GreenSteps was shuttered once this project was substantially completed.

Paul and Laura temporarily moved into the third floor in 2020 while Unit A was being completed when the pandemic shut down construction. The upper apartments were rented in the summer of 2020 during the pandemic. Our tenants used the roof deck for open-air meetings and appreciated the ERV’s HEPA-filtered air. In 2021, Laura and Paul moved into Unit A, and BluPath Design moved into Unit F (technically Unit A’s third-bedroom suite).

OWNER PROJECT REQUIREMENTS
1. Renovate and modernize a traditional townhouse form (that we already own).
2. Get rid of natural gas. Make the building all-electric.
3. Maintain the historical character and support a wonderful neighborhood.
4. Renovate existing building stock (preserve the embodied carbon) and meet sustainability goals.
5. Set a precedent for renovating historic rowhomes in our historic City.
6. Engage the municipal approvals process to set a precedent for future projects in Philadelphia.
7. Adhere to building science-based construction.
8. Meet Passive House EnerPhit standards by incorporating PH principles and seeking Certification.
9. Lead by example, set sustainability goals, and enable our tenants to reach higher sustainable lifestyles.
10. Make zero-energy-ready design decisions.
11. Use sustainable, repurposed, local, renewable, and nontoxic materials where feasible.
12. Meet personal financial goals by achieving acceptable pro forma results (higher rents).
13. Live in a Passive House!

MAJOR WORK
Renovate to Passive House EnerPHit Standard
Phase 1
Reconfigure the building, adding and expanding bathrooms and kitchens
Underpin basement, insulated slab, perimeter drain
Install all new Passive House windows and doors and enhanced Passive House envelope
Install new mechanical, electrical, plumbing, ventilation, and fire sprinkler systems
Install stormwater catch systems where possible for gardening
Phase 2
Install a new fire escape
Add exterior insulation stucco finish at the rear
Re-pave the rear side yard with permeable pavers
Phase 3
Add renewable energy (solar panels) at the roof trellis and upper roof

DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR 1722 PINE UNIT A
1. Maximize light and air in the narrow shaded sideyard between multistory neighbors.
2. Use color and mirrors to enhance the illusion of light and space and to add delight and surprise.
3. Use texture and form to increase the sensual experience.
4. Use light, primarily by wall-washing, to create the illusion of larger spaces and to highlight the art collection.
5. Design the space respecting specific artworks and their space needs and meaning.
6. Design for recycling, fresh food cooking, and indoor and outdoor (roof and front) dining.
7. Make places to grow carbon, including Pine Street flowers and native magnolia, roof deck flowers and berries, rooftop kitchen garden, and year-round microgreen production.