Last week, we told you about a three-home project on the 400 block of Fairmount Avenue from Callahan Ward. Today, we bring another project from this developer to your attention, this time on the 900 block of Orianna Street, where two shells currently stand.

Current view

The developers hope to demolish the existing structures, and replace them with a duplex building with parking in the rear, using access through a front garage. As was the case with the previous project, Fishtank PHL did the design work.

Project rendering

This is a unique project, because it sits on extremely deep lots. To resolve the ever-present parking dilemma, the project has a single garage door at the front of the property that services both units, which leads to a shared driveway and parking in the rear yard. The first floors of the homes are narrow to allow for the driveway to fulfill its use, and then the upper floors are quite wide and spacious. The homes will both have 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, two-car parking, roof decks, and private rear yard patios.

Site plan shows the parking and the patios

As was the case with the previous project from Callahan Ward , the design went through some tweaking before getting approval from NLNA. Some windows were moved, and the fourth-floor balconies were set back from the street so that the parapet walls reach the same height as adjoining properties.

We’re kind of bummed to see the structures that are currently standing come down, but there’s nothing that anyone can do to prevent these non-historic buildings from being demolished. If we put aside the disappointment at the loss of the existing buildings, we can give NLNA credit for pushing to improve the way that the new building interacts with the other properties on the street. Let’s hear it for neighborhood input helping to improve new construction, huh?