Like many 19th-century industrial facilities, the Ambler Boiler House long ago outlived its initial use. Built in 1897 to generate power for an asbestos plant, the structure was abandoned when the owner folded after the Depression. In the early 2000s, Summit Realty Advisors bought the site, appreciating its proximity to a rail stop—Philadelphia is 40 minutes away by train—as well as good roads and utility services.
The 2008 crash delayed plans, but three years later, construction of an office complex began. Summit used creative financing, including state and county funds, to realize this speculative project in tough economic times.
Asbestos was remediated with the help of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and state grants and loans. The endeavor required 760 man-hours of labor and the removal of 530 cubic yards of contaminated construction debris and waste. All that remained was a brick shell and steel roof trusses.
AMBLER BOILER HOUSE
Ambler, Pa.Building TeamSubmitting firm: Heckendorn Shiles ArchitectsOwner/developer: Summit Realty AdvisorsOwner’s representative: The AT GroupStructural engineer: Elton & ThompsonMEP engineer: PHY EngineersGeneral contractor: DomusGeneral InformationSize: 48,000 sfConstruction cost: $16 million (core and shell)Construction time: 2011 to August 2013Delivery method: Design-bid-build
The former two-story plan entailed excessive floor-to-floor heights for offices, so the Building Team, led by Heckendorn Shiles Architects, inserted structural steel and concrete slabs to create three levels. Entryways and windows, many of which had been walled up, were reopened and infilled with high-efficiency store-front glazing. An iconic 140-foot smokestack was retained, and the original monitor roof profile, now equipped with translucent composite clerestories, enhances daylighting. Loft-style office spaces are characterized by references to the past, including exposed brick and reclaimed wood. However, the infrastructure is thoroughly modern. In particular, a 54-well geothermal system makes the building economical to operate, contributing to a LEED Platinum designation.
Since it opened in August 2012, the development has attracted a mix of tenants, including Summit Realty, Clutch (a mobile app designer), and AEC firm Core States Group. DiD, a boutique healthcare marketing agency, recently completed a two-story fit-out, with an open communicating stair and a “village green” common space. Ambler Boiler House—first an economic engine, then an eyesore—is most emphatically back in business.
Related Stories
| Mar 11, 2011
Community sports center in Nashville features NCAA-grade training facility
A multisport community facility in Nashville featuring a training facility that will meet NCAA Division I standards is being constructed by St. Louis-based Clayco and Chicago-based Pinnacle.
| Mar 11, 2011
Slam dunk for the University of Nebraska’s basketball arena
The University of Nebraska men’s and women’s basketball programs will have a new home beginning in 2013. Designed by the DLR Group, the $344 million West Haymarket Civic Arena in Lincoln, Neb., will have 16,000 seats, suites, club amenities, loge, dedicated locker rooms, training rooms, and support space for game operations.
| Mar 10, 2011
Steel Joists Clean Up a Car Wash’s Carbon Footprint
Open-web bowstring trusses and steel joists give a Utah car wash architectural interest, reduce its construction costs, and help green a building type with a reputation for being wasteful.
| Mar 10, 2011
How AEC Professionals Are Using Social Media
You like LinkedIn. You’re not too sure about blogs. For many AEC professionals, it’s still wait-and-see when it comes to social media.
| Mar 9, 2011
Hoping to win over a community, Facebook scraps its fortress architecture
Facebook is moving from its tony Palo Alto, Calif., locale to blue-collar Belle Haven, and the social network want to woo residents with community-oriented design.
| Mar 9, 2011
Winners of the 2011 eVolo Skyscraper Competition
Winners of the eVolo 2011 Skyscraper Competition include a high-rise recycling center in New Delhi, India, a dome-like horizontal skyscraper in France that harvests solar energy and collects rainwater, and the Hoover Dam reimagined as an inhabitable skyscraper.
| Mar 9, 2011
Igor Krnajski, SVP with Denihan Hospitality Group, on hotel construction and understanding the industry
Igor Krnajski, SVP for Design and Construction with Denihan Hospitality Group, New York, N.Y., on the state of hotel construction, understanding the hotel operators’ mindset, and where the work is.
| Mar 3, 2011
HDR acquires healthcare design-build firm Cooper Medical
HDR, a global architecture, engineering and consulting firm, acquired Cooper Medical, a firm providing integrated design and construction services for healthcare facilities throughout the U.S. The new alliance, HDR Cooper Medical, will provide a full service design and construction delivery model to healthcare clients.
| Mar 2, 2011
Design professionals grow leery of green promises
Legal claims over sustainability promises vs. performance of certified green buildings are beginning to mount—and so are warnings to A/E/P and environmental consulting firms, according to a ZweigWhite report.
| Mar 2, 2011
Cities of the sky
According to The Wall Street Journal, the Silk Road of the future—from Dubai to Chongqing to Honduras—is taking shape in urban developments based on airport hubs. Welcome to the world of the 'aerotropolis.'
