The Colorworks Building

The Colorworks Building brings new life to the site of a former garment dyeing factory to the west of Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood. Set within a low-rise residential neighborhood, the design for this new construction mixed-use apartment building deals with issues of scale, massing, and materiality to integrate with its surroundings. To break down the scale of the building the massing is set back at the top floor and a courtyard was introduced along the main street frontage. Brick was used as a primary cladding material to connect the building back to the adjacent context. A tall brick mass anchors the corner of the building and steps down along the block to meet the neighboring structures. The building contains 64 residential units, two ground floor commercial spaces, and a 21-car parking garage. The storefront windows for the commercial spaces are set back from the brick façade to create covered outdoor spaces for café seating, and spaces for pedestrians and neighbors to slow down and interact with one another. Landscaping around the building was designed by Nic Patrick Landscapes, and creates a layered pedestrian experience that introduces texture and color to the public spaces.