PRHSCHOOLYARD
NOWHERE TO GROW? LOOK DOWN by LISA PICOZZI photos by TIM SCHADE
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owhomes, so beloved for their inimitable charm, character and uniqueness, are notorious for being tight on floor space. But options for expanding are severely limited, causing frustrated homeowners to find themselves
running – quite literally – into brick walls. “Rowhouses are, by nature, a compact way of living,” explains Rachel Schade, AIA, a partner at Schade and Bolender Architects, LLP, in Center City Philadelphia. Schade explains that one solution to the space crunch is constructing a back-end addition, but many homeowners are hesitant to trade precious yard space for living space.
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Sometimes the only viable option for increased rowhome living space is found in the basement. And since it is inherently impossible to add to the sides of a rowhome, there are only two remaining choices: building up or down – the latter being the more attractive choice because, as Schade explains, there
gohomephilly.com
12/7/09 1:26:41 AM