Blog
Philadelphians Look Forward to a Green & Bike-friendly Future
I’ve died and gone to biker heaven!
From parking meters to bike racks, Philadelphia is taking another green step forward. Bike commuting is on the rise in many cities across the country, including Philadelphia. However, finding a place to store your bike for the day can be a daunting task. As part of a competition for the Delaware Valley Green Building Council, Annie Scheel addressed this burden directly with her BIKE center for Philadelphia design.
Replacing an existing parking lot with a 100-car capacity, the bike storage facility will be able to hold up to 690 bikes on four levels. Scheel’s design features a central courtyard and green space with the purpose of easing urban heat island effect as well as providing natural daylight and ventilation. The L-shaped facility also includes a bike shop, restaurant, courtyard, showers, meeting rooms, bike sharing, and bike rentals for tourists. BIKE will take up half of the parking lot, with the other half devoted to commercial development. The proposed location for BIKE is at 13th & Market. Though there are no plans for this hypothetical design to be built, BIKE is a compelling sign for a more environmentally friendly future in Philadelphia.
I hope this isn’t wishful thinking. Fingers crossed!
For more info and pictures visit Delaware Valley Green Building Council.
(via inhabitat)
Written by events on 06/11/2010 in Architecture | Blog | Editorial | News | Philadelphia
|
Share this post: |
|
