Off-Campus Housing at Temple University

As Temple University transitions from a commuter campus to an urban university, the need for quality, amenity-rich student housing continues to rise. Private developer The Goldenberg Group identified an opportunity to provide the necessary housing, while acting on their goal to positively transform the region through community-focused development. In addition to offering 984 student beds and 22,000 SF of ground-floor retail space, Vantage provides dedicated, community-driven nonprofit space.

The design team tackled elevation changes, complex stormwater management, and an accelerated timeline to ultimately bring The Goldenberg Group’s award-winning vision to life.

Creating Retail Space

With a significant elevation change across the site, maximizing retail space was challenging. Bohler’s innovative design provided tiered plaza areas between the buildings, creating enough space to maintain ground-floor retail and lobby area throughout the site. This solution provided the opportunity for a portion of the ground-floor space to be dedicated to a local nonprofit organization.

Finding Stormwater Solutions

The building’s unique U-shaped design left limited available space for stormwater management systems. Unable to locate basins beneath the building footprint, Bohler creatively designed three large underground basins under the parking and plaza areas. The team also identified an opportunity to add sustainable elements to the design, incorporating a rain garden in the parking area, and a green roof to manage rainwater runoff.

Accelerating the Timeline

Adhering to Temple University’s class schedule, the project team faced an accelerated timeline. The building needed to be open by August for student move-in, or the project would be delayed for an entire semester. Working closely with fellow team members, Bohler utilized existing relationships with city agencies to move the project quickly through approvals.

Building Better Communities

Bohler’s efforts to maximize ground floor retail, find creative stormwater management solutions, and keep the project moving forward on a tight schedule helped The Goldenberg Group bring the award-winning project to life. Receiving a Philadelphia Business Journal “Best Real Estate Deals” award in 2017, Vantage delivers secure, high-quality housing for Temple University students. More importantly, Bohler created an opportunity for the developer to continue their efforts to build better communities.