Lombard Homes
Philadelphia, PA 2023
Winner of 2024 Brick Industry Association’s Brick in Architecture Award, Best in Class for Single Family Residential
Client:
AY Industries
Services:
Architecture, Zoning & Entitlements, Permitting, Interior Design and Construction Administration
Scope:
New Construction Two Single Family Homes 9,500 SF
Consultants:
Larsen & Landis (Structural) Bunker Workshop (Interiors) Village Handcrafted (Millwork) Grobman Construction (Builder)
On the site of a former parking lot in Philadelphia, this project introduces two high-end single-family homes into a historic rowhouse neighborhood. The design challenge was to reconcile a generously scaled zoning envelope with the finer grain and cadence of adjacent 19th-century residences.
Rather than mimic, the architecture builds upon the language of its context. A cast stone trim course extends the cornice line across the new façade, while the massing steps up at the corner—a familiar gesture in the neighborhood—establishing the project as both rooted and contemporary.
The architecture distorts familiar rowhouse rhythms into something distinct yet unmistakably of its place.
A punched window pattern evolves across the façade, referencing the proportions of nearby homes while gradually shifting into a more idiosyncratic arrangement. Light, weathered brick and varied masonry detailing help to visually lighten the volume and reduce the perceived scale of the buildings.
Subtle setbacks—at entries, inner courtyards, and along recessed gutters—introduce depth and articulation, echoing the fragmented cadence of the street. These moves ground the project within its historic context while offering a fresh interpretation of urban infill.
