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Hanson

Fine Building & Preservation

86 West Johnson Street
Philadelphia PA 19144
215-483-8338
info@hansonfinebuilding.com

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Awbury Arboretum Lightning House Update: Things a Awbury Arboretum Lightning House Update: Things are coming to a wrap on the three year S(tree)twork project at Awbury Arboretum, which we joined this spring and summer to assist with the construction of the Lightning House. This project is fundamentally about the importance of trees, particularly urban trees. But it’s also about music, and about history, and about the future, and how a resilient structure nestled in a resilient setting has gathered energy and metamorphed, and in the process created a meaningful new place for its community to gather. All wood was locally sourced, much from right inside the arboretum, and it was designed and constructed with no regard to strict geometry. Come bang rhythmically on it with a stick, and help to celebrate its new start next Friday 9/22/23. Link in Bio
It is always a treat to visit a completed project It is always a treat to visit a completed project a few weeks after our clients move in to see the spaces filled with furniture, artwork, and their personal touches. With all the plantings completed on the roof deck, it looks quite inviting! @wyantarch
Custom @timlewisstudio pre fabricated stair instal Custom @timlewisstudio pre fabricated stair installation at our Fairmount renovation project. These stairs are finished in Belgian white oak on both sides which will make for a very interesting MC Escher-esque element to the completed project. The installation was a well orchestrated effort, and the beautiful oak stairs were quickly protected with a specialty floor protection membrane and 1/2" thick plywood. Architect: @brentabuck
Another fine entryway addition to the Rittenhouse Another fine entryway addition to the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood! We matched the existing entryway doors to Historical Commission specs right down to the minute details. Stained engineered Sapele construction with Water Street Brass unlacquered hardware.
We have been helping out on a very cool project at We have been helping out on a very cool project at the Awbury Arboretum Farm, together with friends @streetworkprojectphilly (follow link to streetworkproject.net) and @ozcollab. The remnant of a modest 18th Century rubble stone structure is getting re-imagined to become a semi-outdoor gathering place for the community to enjoy and generate conversation about the vital role of trees in urban communities. One of the central features of the project is the use of fallen trees, both for the structure itself, and for some of the programming. S(tree)twork was created in alignment with the City of Philadelphia’s ten year strategic plan “to set forth new ways of working with residents to mitigate climate change and to ensure that the most vulnerable communities benefit from a healthy tree canopy.” More to follow on this project.
We are thrilled to report that our Gladwyne Passiv We are thrilled to report that our Gladwyne Passive House project has just passed the final test on our road to PHIUS certification. Last week, we ran the remaining blower door test and we met the threshold (on our first attempt!) for airtightness. The blower door test involves both pressurizing and depressurizing the house to measure how leaky it is, and PHIUS sets those parameters. A PHIUS certified home has a high-performance and airtight envelope, continuous insulation, triple-glazed windows and doors for superior energy savings. PHIUS homes utilize ventilation systems that supply fresh, filtered air while exhausting stale air - resulting in excellent indoor air quality. Lastly, passive homes are quiet, durable, and built to last and they are the best path to net-zero/net-positive operating costs. These homes perform up to 85% better than conventional buildings. Stay tuned for more photos after the landscaping has been completed. @macht.architecture @holzraum_system @revisionarch @enersign_us @newenergyworks @passivehouseinstituteus @475.supply
Skylights and ceiling heights! With all of the win Skylights and ceiling heights! With all of the windows, skylights, lift doors, and slide doors installed, natural light is flooding into our Fairmount renovation project. Architect: @brentabuck @quakerwindows @lepage_millwork @northamericanwindow
Putting together the finishing touches on the fini Putting together the finishing touches on the finish carpentry, painting, and wallpaper at our Locust St. renovation project. We can't wait to see it fully finished! Architect: @wyantarch
Congratulations to our very own Victor Brubaker fo Congratulations to our very own Victor Brubaker for completing the PHIUS Certified Builder exam last month. Chris Hanson also renewed his certification. Homes that are built to the PHIUS standard are: healthy with superb indoor air quality; comfortable, quiet, and airtight with high-performance insulation, windows, doors, and mechanical systems; durable with an attention to detail that ensures they are here for the long haul; and resilient in extreme temperature swings. The operating costs for these homes are a fraction of conventionally built homes. Please contact us for more information. #PHIUS #passivehouse #sustainablehomes #sustainableliving #sustainabledesign #greenbuilding
This week we join our friends at the West Philadel This week we join our friends at the West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance in celebrating the 125th birthday of Paul Robeson, an accomplished athlete, activist, scholar and singer, whose house at 4951 Walnut St. we helped restore in 2013. This weekend kicks off an 8 day celebration of his 125th birthday with events both here and in the Princeton neighborhood where he was raised. @robesonhousephl Links in bio with details about the celebrations. #westphiladelphiaculturalalliance #paulrobeson #celebration #walnutstreet #robesonhouseprinceton
We’ve just received these beautiful photos of ou We’ve just received these beautiful photos of our Rittenhouse Square condo renovation. The project entailed a complete renovation including all mechanical systems, restoration of all the original windows, new bathrooms and a beautiful kitchen. This was our first collaboration with our sister Ellen, an award winning interior designer based in Sarasota Florida. Looking forward to many more projects with our sister! Architect: @rasmussen_su_architects Designer: @ellenhansondesigns Photography: @ryangammaphoto #rittenhousesquare #renovation #windows #steeldoors #finebuilding
It was great to see everyone last week at @greenbu It was great to see everyone last week at @greenbuildingunited's Mix and Mingle Passive House 101. Neil Goldman, one of our project managers, presented on the basics of air sealing, how to accomplish an air tight home, and what a blower door test looks like. His small scale demonstration of an air leakage test was a lot of fun to see! Thanks goes to fellow presenters @revisionarch @bba_engineers @energy_transfer_solutions
We are in the homestretch at our Locust Street pro We are in the homestretch at our Locust Street project! This extensive renovation included replacing all of the existing windows, constructing a beautiful new roof deck with amazing views of our Philly skyline and replacing all mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. We also removed and reinstalled the original 1870s stair parts: newel post, handrail and spindles - after reframing the floor system on all three levels. The kitchen install is underway and bathroom renovations are nearing completion. Stay tuned, more to follow!
#tbt New fourth floor Penthouse addition and exte #tbt New fourth floor Penthouse addition and extension of original stair to create access to a rooftop terrace and kitchen. Natural stone pavers, custom fabricated cypress millwork and planters, Viking outdoor kitchen, outdoor fireplace.​​​​​​​​​#outdoorkitchen #rooftop #stonepavers #cypress #millwork #fireplace Architect: @Johnmilnerarchitects Photographer: @tomcrane111
#tbt A new highly energy efficient house built on #tbt A new highly energy efficient house built on a wooded 1.5 acre lot in Wallingford PA. Geothermal well system for heating, cooling, and domestic water; on-site storm water retention system with rain chain water collectors; Passive House Standard triple pane windows and insulation;. Exposed steel frame and Douglas fir scissor trusses and locally sourced Pennsylvania Bluestone interior and exterior wall cladding,​​​​​​​​​#geothermal #passivehouse #windows #insulation #trusses #bluestone #solar Architect: Wyant Architecture @wyantarch Photographer: @JefferyTotaro
We recently hosted a group of architecture student We recently hosted a group of architecture students from UPenn’s Weitzman School of Design @weitzman_school at our Brewerytown project. Architects Brent Buck @brentabuck and Philip Ryan @studiomodh, who were once studio mates, led the tour. Phil’s class was there to learn about the structural considerations that arise when doing retrofit design. It was a great time to visit as we had just completed the framing. They discussed logistics, hidden conditions, the insertion of structural steel in existing structures, and out of plumb and square conditions that challenge builders on projects like this one. We’re looking forward to breaking ground this spring with Phil and his team on a high-performance new home in New Hope.
#tbt New addition in a large urban garden to repla #tbt New addition in a large urban garden to replace an existing smaller pool house structure. Existing interior spaces were reconfigured to create an adjacent family room and powder room. Green roof and vegetation wall; Endless Pool system​​​​​​​​​ Architect: @rasmussen_su_architects Photographer: Halkin-Mason Photography #renovation #addition #urbangarden #poolhouse #powderroom #greenroof #vegetationwall
#tbt Renovation of the first floor of a Delancey #tbt Renovation of the first floor of a Delancey Place townhouse featuring the integration of an interior courtyard into the floor plan with new enlarged openings and custom fabricated metal windows. Original plaster crown moldings were matched where necessary, and new custom locally fabricated millwork was installed for the kitchen and living room; the courtyard received a new waterproofing membrane with hydronic heat for snow melt and new flame dressed bluestone pavers.​​​​​​​​​#renovation #interiorcourtyard #windows #crownmoldings #millwork #hydronicheat Architect: @rasmussen_su_architects Photographer: @jeffreytotaro
#tbt Extensive renovation to a 20th century Dutch #tbt Extensive renovation to a 20th century Dutch colonial twin. Construction of a 2-story dormer addition captures passive solar heating, with shading in summer months; installation of advanced triple-glazed windows, a highly-efficient energy recovery ventilation system, and a super-insulated and air-tight envelope. This deep energy retrofit meets the Passive House standard. For more information please visit: www.phius.org.​​​​​​​​ #passivehouse #renovation #construction #kitchen #addition #dormer #retrofit​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​ Architect: @cuetokearneydesign​​​​​​​​ Photographer: @andyshelterphotography
Rounding out our introductions for 2022 is Victor! Rounding out our introductions for 2022 is Victor! Victor joined the Hanson team in 2022 to provide on-site construction management. Formerly the owner-operator of a residential construction firm, Victor understands how to effectively lead building projects, from managing subcontractors to ensuring every detail is executed to precision. Experience over his 20-year construction career includes both historic renovations and sustainable projects, making him a natural fit to oversee similar Hanson scopes. Victor began his career in architecture school, then detoured to a lengthy tenure in the restaurant industry before shifting to construction. Creative pursuits, such as printmaking and metal sculpture, have marked his free time, along with traveling and eating around the world and technical mountain climbing. Victor’s hobbies have taken him to summits in Peru, Bolivia, and the Ladakh region of northwest India. We are very excited to have Victor as a part of our team!
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