Project Overview
Crown 95 Logistics Center in Philadelphia is an extension of an old, dilapidated warehouse that was brought back to life with precast concrete on an accelerated timeline. Crown 95 is strategically positioned to service local, regional, and national manufacturing, warehouse, and distribution users. The building is a new last-mile manufacturing, warehouse, and distribution facility offering up to 376,950 square feet of modern industrial space and 3-1/2 acres of secured parking for cars, vans, and off-street trailers. It boasts heavy utilities, power, and prominent signage opportunities along highly trafficked Erie Avenue.
The site was formerly the home of Progress Lighting and Crown Cork and Seal, two powerhouse manufacturing firms. Coca Cola, General Electric, and Cardone are all close by. There is a population of more than 2.3 million within 30 minutes of the project, and an estimated labor force for logistics of just over 1 million. Therefore, the area continues to be a growing hotspot for distribution and fulfillment in the heart of Philadelphia.
“This is a huge site that occupies multiple acres in a historic district,” says architect Mayva Donnon, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, of KSS Architects, Philadelphia. “It was oriented along railroad lines that Amtrak once used.” The new facility was built on top of the existing multi-story warehouse, “sort of treating the old building like a plinth while building a more modern distribution center that has the column spacing and clear heights to make it marketable,” Donnon says. The structural frame of the new facility is steel with an open-web structure for the roof.
Precast Insulated Wall Panels Ideal Solution
"The use of insulated precast panels for the Crown 95 facility enabled quicker occupancy, reduced costs, enhanced market responsiveness, and improved flexibility. Precast also minimized disruption and expedited the return on investment," says Jaimin Patel, Jersey Precast. The panels are up to 55 feet long and 13 feet wide, and they are 10 inches thick, with 3 inches on the front, 4 inches on the back, and 3 inches of insulation in the middle.
“We originally designed the panels to be thicker, but the owner had a strict interior square-footage requirement,” says Patel. “If we made the panels too thick there would have been less interior space.”
The building offers clear ceiling heights of up to 36 feet. Column spacing is up to 54 by 56 feet with 60-foot speed bays. Operable windows bring daylight into the facility. There is also 4,800 square feet of office space.
"The trickiest part was figuring out the logistics of getting the panels to the site and installing them without [the benefit of] street closures,” says Patel. Strategic logistics were required to maneuver the large precast panels on Philadelphia streets. Jersey Precast closely coordinated with the Philadelphia Police Department and the Philadelphia Streets Department to manage continuous delivery to the site. A geographical survey and a survey of the shipping route were carried out.
Every wall panel had one full-time private escort and one part-time police escort. Because the panels were oversized, Jersey Precast required a New Jersey state permit, a PennDOT permit, and a City of Philadelphia permit. During a small window for deliveries — between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. — the precaster shipped 15 to 20 panels per day.
The panels at the entrance to the facility have a liner finish. All the other panels have reveals on the even elevations, irrespective of panel height. “We picked up on some of the historic themes in the use of color, but also looked at the proportion and location of window openings and using texture reveals within the panel in order to create a nice scale and rhythm to the facade,” says Donnon. |