The Mysterious Porsche Kitchen Contest of 2019

For two years I worked at Poggenpohl here in the US as a kitchen designer, from 2018 until the end of 2019. I liked the product but did not stay long for various reasons. When an international kitchen design contest was announced for all employees and partners I jumped at the chance. I’ve finished top 3 in these types of contests before (Blanco – 3rd and 2nd), with an additional honorable mention (Electrolux). A free trip to Milan was the grand prize. That caught my attention; I was in.

First, a little background on the project.

The idea was to create a fresh concept for the company’s old Porsche Design kitchen. For years ignored for being hugely expensive, there were also details with the furniture that made it hard to integrate with appliances, especially here in the States. The kitchen footprint required was quite small – 3800 x 3500mm – reason as the winner would have their concept installed at Milano in April 2020. Ah yes, that free trip to Milano was beginning to sound like a proverbial victory lap.

On to my concept – A Porsche Kitchen for Marko.

Introducing Marko, my fictional client.

I created a fictional client who lives in Zurich, who enjoys expensive global brands and leads a wonderful urbane lifestyle. Marko is building a new house in the mountains above the Zurichsee. I’ve developed lifestyle concepts and mood boards before, notably at Kohler and Amerock while leading my design departments. I may have overshot this part of the contest (there were many more pages) but frankly, Marko’s lifestyle and goals were completely integral into my design intent and I thought it was necessary to illustrate everything in my thinking.

My idea was to create an open room and have the kitchen furniture fill the 3.8 x 3.5m footprint; I figured this would disqualify me but since they did not say where walls should be, if any, I wanted to make the kitchen fit into a large and exciting living space.

I put quite a bit of time into my Sketchup model, reverse engineering the Porsche cabinet products as close as I could. I only modeled the living room of the house but included the important outside views into the imagery as needed.

The main rendering, with an actual Swiss forest Photoshopped outside the windows.

The presentation was rendered “manually” by using Styles in SU and then exporting into Photoshop and embellishing. I’ve warmed up to rendering software a little bit over the past few years but I still enjoy making my own look.

The kitchen envelope.

The kitchen itself fits within the required space while open on 3 sides. I have the oven and refrigerators accessible laterally along the walls – assuming a structural element is in the middle to fill the interstitial space – as I didn’t want to disrupt the free-flowing design. I spent weeks considering other ideas but ultimately went with my heart on this layout, then designing the whole house around it.

The Porsche system uses “blades” between cabinets as per the designer’s discretion. I employed a few of these as vertical accents but did not overdo it. Notice the shelf connects to the blades on the main elevation – and the left upper cabinet leaves a gap. This was one of my first ideas to try as the shelf is lighted glass within a frame and would add a nice feature to allow some eye movement around the design.

The island concept.

The island mirrors the offset feature of the upper cabinets and brings the whole design together. Due to the cabinet system’s reliance on stainless finished sides and lack of proper side panels, one cannot easily do a double-deep kitchen island. To get around that I interlocked shelves and different depth base cabinets to key it all together as a block.

So how did I do?

The contest closed in July of 2019. After several months of hearing nothing about this contest I assumed I didn’t place. The company itself was in disarray and communication in general was fairly limited. But, surprisingly one day in late October I rolled up to my house and saw this box on my doorstep.

Zubehoer means “parts” in German. I had no idea what this was until I opened it.

At first I thought, how could a client’s parts be misdirected to my personal residence? It wasn’t until I opened the letter did I realize it was from the contest.

My prize: a wonderful Porsche Design writing instrument.

This lovely Porsche writing pen was accompanied by a letter from the director informing me I had won the Best Overall Concept. Wow – months of silence and then a box on my doorstep telling me I won? I wish I had at least an email in advance; this box could have easily been stolen off my doorstep and I would have never known! It turns out the First Prize was the concept to be installed in Milano, not Best Overall Concept. I ended up seeing a very small brochure a friend found when visiting the factory, which showed the 1-3 placing concepts. No mention of Marko in that little gatefold. But again, the contest had left my mind and I was lucky an insider happened upon the leaflet. I liked the first prize concept a lot and it fit into a predetermined-looking space which makes me think that European designer had a little more information than I did.

So, no trip to Milano but I got a nice pen. Oh and lest we forget – Milano 2020 was cancelled due to the global coronavirus pandemic. So, in the end, this fantastic little pen!

Truth is I was in the process of extricating myself from Poggenpohl when I got this box and I quickly forgot the whole thing. In the meanwhile I reconnected with my first “love” in SieMatic and since then the Poggenpohl company completely imploded, going bankrupt and is now apparently in the process of closing most of their stores in the US.

Maybe I’ll finally take the Porsche out of the case and work on some SieMatic concepts with my new clients this week. I’ve got a great story to tell if they ask me about the pen!

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Recent Kitchen Projects

Since January of 2018 I’ve been working with Poggenpohl, Germany’s oldest kitchen brand, since 1892.  I’ve done a variety of projects in the ensuing months, presented in both hand drawings and NPR/Sketchup renderings.  Here are some samples:

This first project is a lovely stone house c1913 on a quiet lane in the leafy northwest section of Philadelphia.  Always difficult fitting a modern kitchen into a small cottage with low ceilings and without ability to move any walls or alter much of anything architecturally.

This next project is a beach condominium renovation, a complete gut/reconstruct which is centered around the kitchen and living ensemble.  Although the project has evolved considerably this original concept gives and idea of the space:

This project is another beach residence, this time a new construction open plan retreat with sweeping views of the back bay.  The original, very quick concept sketch:

And after many changes, the final rendering.  The finishes are Sand Grey including a matching matte glass 11′ countertop, light and dark ash and the short-lived Silestone Silver Lake quartz for the mono-block island.  Short lived?  Silestone discontinued this finish almost as soon as they introduced it.  We loved the finish and searched hard to find the slabs as it was too heartbreaking to look for something else to reach the same effect.

This next project is a sprawling 1980’s modern house in a pastoral Pennsylvania valley town.  1980’s houses are fascinating, with red oak floors throughout and original kitchens that still look good but have hopelessly outdated appliances and semi-concealed (and non-functioning) old Sub Zero refrigerators.  In this case, the original owners put in an Almillmo kitchen, and the new buyers wanted to keep in the spirit of the home.

We tied into the original Jenn Air downdraft location since a vent hood was not possible with the epic 20′ skylight down the middle of the room.  Looking out onto a koi pond, the space has a wonderful and well-lit feel.  We could not adjust the windows due to the stone exterior construction.

The best part of this project is how the owners came to acquire the property.  Jane, our client, grew up in the neighborhood.  She babysat in this house and loved the family who lived here.  After getting remarried in the mid 2000s, she was taking her new husband on a nostalgic trip down the old street when she noticed a for-sale sign on this stone-clad gem.  Seeking a new family home, Jane promptly made a winning offer and moved in with her new husband.

All the ensuing renovations and yard plantings have been sympathetic to her memories of the property.  She showed me a Polaroid of her babysitting in the house c1988 – and it still looks the same!  It was an honor to be part of such a passionate project.

Many more projects to share in future updates.

Autumn 2017; Recent Kitchen Projects

News from some recent projects; digital renderings in the non-photo realistic style – NPR – our latest visualization obsession.  First up – a display kitchen for a proposed showroom project:

Working with lighting in Sketchup is tricky; most people export their model to a rendering package and work on materials and shadows.  We’ve been playing with staying in Sketchup, using Styles and doing this quickly and more loose.  As frequent readers know, I like our renderings to show some “hand” and be more conceptual.

Next is a kitchen project for an exciting modern lake-front house:

This design was originally shown with a darker accent color but the client wanted to see it in all white as well.  We left the white glass backsplash for now but perhaps this could use a textured gloss tile instead for a little more pop.  The cubes are white oak boxes which will be back lighted with small LED strips.

Finally, here is another studio project, this one for SieMatic, using one of their signature styling photos (London’s “Gherkin” building):

We were tempted to show the exterior street scene through the large glass windows but again, time can get out of hand when working on digital renderings.  Also, no need to be distracting here; the client knows what is outside of their windows.  This view shows an important table area that design staff uses with visiting clients – through the windows passerby can see some creative work in action, creating some buzz.  Whenever possible we try and make the entire space a working design as opposed to a static showplace devoid of life.  This is the third renovation for this particular client and we are always happy to work with our old friends in the business.

Future projects include some new lighting collections about to hit market, and also more kitchen projects – always kitchens!

An Historic View of The A. and P. Roberts Pencoyd Iron Works

This is my unedited version of the story I wrote for Hidden City Philadelphia, which was published on January 11, 2017.  The Pencoyd Iron Works was located on a strip of land adjoining the Schuylkill River across from the Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia, and closed at the end of 1943.

Panoramic View of the Pencoyd Iron Works c1900 | Credit: LMHS

Manayunk’s iconic concrete rail bridge enjoyed its first full season as a pedestrian crossing in 2016, as the Cynwyd Heritage Trail proves to be a popular cycling and strolling destination.  Equally exciting, last year brought another, less known Schuylkill rail bridge back into use; visitors to Manayunk’s Main Street may have noticed the one lane newly-painted light green bridge crossing the river near the junction of Ridge Avenue.  Encased in weeds and left forgotten for years, this 117 year old double-span Parker truss bridge was built by the namesake Pencoyd Iron works to connect their factory directly with customers across the river.  The span is now granted public access as part of the new Pencoyd Trail.

The Pencoyd Bridge in 2017 | Credit: Mick Ricereto

The Pencoyd Bridge was restored by today’s owners of the riverfront in Lower Merion, Penn Real Estate, as part of the new Pencoyd Trail which traverses their property.  This curious piece of land wedged between I-76 and the railroad right-of-way, a mostly-forgotten industrial remediation site, is presently under development for an apartment community.  The history of this land – an ancient summer fishing ground for the Lenni Lenape – was once known as the village of Pencoyd (pronounced like “Pencode”), site of an rope ferry crossing and the world renowned Pencoyd Iron Works.  Considering the present development, there is still time to see some history on the site including a 130+ year old surviving brick structure which the owners claim could be a Furness design.  Let’s travel up river and back in time to the year of Penn’s original land grant and subsequent division of this history-rich area.

The Welsh Tract

In November of 1683 the Quaker John Roberts sailed the Morning Star from England to Philadelphia to claim his acreage derived from the famed Welsh Tract, a subdivision sold to a pair of Welsh Quakers directly from William Penn earlier of that year.  The Tract – originally thought by the assembled investors to be a contiguous piece of land – was spread about hills west of the Schuylkill from today’s Merion and all about Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties.

Skull & Heap Map of 1753 showing Lower Merion Township; Roberts Estate at Middle Right | Credit: Free Library of Phila.

 

John Roberts’ section adjoined that of a fellow ocean traveler, a Miss Gaynor Roberts (no relation; Roberts being a very common name in Wales).  Miss Roberts’ father had signed an agreement for land but passed away before disembarking the old country to receive his purchase. Gaynor was destined to be John’s future wife.  Was the romance kindled on the Morning Star herself?  Coincidence or not, this precipitous coupling netted the future family a total of 180 acres, spreading from today’s City Line Avenue through to Conshohocken State Road along the river.  The next spring the Roberts were the first to be married in the new Merion Meeting (the oldest Quaker meeting house in the United States and still extant a few miles up on Montgomery Road), and quickly went about creating a farm, starting a family and building their home.  The estate was named Pencoid, meaning “head of the woods” in their native language.  The family home was demolished in 1964, making way for today’s Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, Presidential Blvd. and the sprawl of City Line Avenue.

1851 Levering Map Showing Pencoyd and 6th Generation Algernon Robert’s Separate Parcel Just Prior to Establishment of Iron Works | Credit: Free Library of Phila

In summers, the Lenape fished for shad along the Schuylkill shores between the falls near today’s namesake Falls Bridge and up to Flat Rock, a natural crossing near the top of Manayunk.  At some point River Road was built along the shore, as the new settlers established shad fisheries in this area throughout the 18th century.  At the northern edge of the estate a gentleman by the name of Peter Righter established a rope ferry crossing in 1741; this road and landing was located exactly where the Pencoyd bridge crosses to Manayunk today.  For the remainder of the 18th century all would be genteel and quiet in Lower Merion.

Jumping ahead 80 years of bucolic colonial life, fifth generation Isaac Warner Roberts continued farming the land into the early 19th century, supplying dairy and beef to America’s premier metropolis downriver.  However industrial and social progress was fast approaching the secluded farmland.  The first industrial intrusion was the 1820’s towpath for the Schuylkill Navigation Company.

Anthracite: Pennsylvania’s Gold

In 1808 an East Falls industrialist named Josiah White discovered how to burn anthracite coal, a mineral which lay rich in the upper Schuylkill mountains past Reading.  This breakthrough sparked immediate efforts to extract and transport this potentially inexpensive domestic and industrial fuel downriver from Pottsville to Philadelphia and her ports. The Schuylkill Navigation Company, builder of canals for shipping as well as railroads, quickly went about securing property and water rights alongside both shores of the river the 90 miles needed to reach tidewater in the city.  Although the Manayunk section of the canal (called a “reach”) extends exactly opposite this site, the navigation also included 46 miles of slack water areas known as “levels”.  The Roberts’ side was a level likely used to return boats back upriver when empty and easier to maneuver on natural waters; the label of Tow Path can be seen on the site’s Hexamer survey of 1883 (see below).

1907 View of Philadelphia’s Manayunk Neighborhood with the Pencoyd Iron Works and Laurel Hill West in the Foreground | Credit: LOC

 

The Navigation thrived for many decades but the railroad proved to be the more efficient method for coal and freight and indeed, the economic engine which fueled 19th century industrial growth.  The Philadelphia & Reading Railroad acquired rights all the way up the river and finished the final section of it’s anthracite coal line in 1839.  Although not much is known of the nature of the transaction, this right-of-way cut the Roberts’ property from the waterfront as the viaduct ran alongside the Schuylkill on it’s way to the black gold in Pottsville.  A double arch provided access from the upper property to the shoreline of the Schuylkill, the road still known today as Righters Ferry Road.

Reading Railroad’s Twin Arch over Righter’s Ferry Road – Original Stonework Dating to the 1830’s.  I-76 Visible Immediately Behind | Credit: Mick Ricereto

 

Cousins in Iron

Isaac Warner Roberts’ 9th son Algernon, not wishing to take over the farm, went to Rensselaer to learn the iron business with the intention of using some of his father’s property for a foundry.  Investing $5000 of family money ($144,000 in 2015), he partnered with cousin Percival Roberts on building an iron works on their ancestral river tract.  On June 21, 1852 the men hired 4 carpenters, a boy and a few laborers and began construction on their first building.  The first hammer forge equipment was purchased from a James Rowland & Co.  Their maiden order was placed by the A. Whitney & Sons on October 8 of the same year, for “10 or 20 axles”.

1877 Hexamer Survey of Pencoyd Iron Works; Note the Sylvan Surroundings and Relatively Sparse Building Layout | Credit: Free Library Phila

Entries in the business log describe receiving coal by team (a carriage pulled by horses) and unloading sand from canal boats from the river below.  The railroad siding should have provided ideal delivery of raw materials and transportation of finished goods, but curiously the P&R RR would not immediately build the entrepreneurs a railroad siding.  As a bicycle ride today would confirm, Righter’s Ferry Road is very steep and back in the days of horse teams, this could not be a preferred entry or exit to the foundry.  Luckily the natural endowment of river access would keep business going until the proper rail spur was installed.

Surviving Trio of Worker Houses in Pencoyd Village; Property Attributed to a “Mrs. Sutton” on Author’s 1907 Map

As with many factories, a small community began to grow along the site, naturally called Pencoyd Village.  Reports of a rowdy tavern at the north end of the site made for lively news in it’s day.  Records for the Continental Hotel describe a large structure near the ferry landing.  Small houses for workers were built on Righter’s Ferry Road, with a small row surviving today opposite the lower cemetery gates.

The hills above Pencoyd had been estates owned by several families.  In 1869 the property of Anthony Anderson, George Ott and others was purchased to establish West Mount Laurel Cemetery.  A Sunday afternoon escape to a sylvan country cemetery was very much a Victorian-era pastime, and with the city’s old Mt. Laurel reaching its capacity, developing a cemetery on the somewhat remote natural and dramatic hilltop siting of West Laurel would have been a solid business venture.

Early maps and the Hexamer Survey point to an original train station (pre-cemetery) on the south side of Righter’s Ferry Road – the same as Mrs. Sutton’s Trio.  At some point the train station was rebuilt on the north side of Righter’s Ferry Road, ostensibly to better serve the cemetery visitors.  The locations for both stations are covered by the I-76 expressway, with no visible remains to ponder.

Late 19th Century View of Pencoyd Station; Stop Here for Eternal Peace Above, Industrial Chatter Below | Credit: Free Library Phila

The Pencoyd foundry started out with smaller-scale soft wrought iron parts like railroad axles and bridge parts.  The firm tentatively moved into structural members, engineering and design, by 1859 the foundry adding “Bridge Company” to it’s name.  The firm’s big break came from none other than the giant Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876.  A very short timeline was given for the design, construction and erection of the buildings; prefabricated iron and glass designs being the natural solution for structures such as Machinery Hall and the Main Building at 21.5 acres floor space, what would then be the largest building in the world.  To the surprise of many larger competitors, A & P Roberts Pencoyd Iron Works was awarded this massive contract, even though the mills could not at that time make parts long enough to satisfy the designs.  The Hexamer survey shows the diminutive plant around the time of the Exhibition commision, although it should be noted some fabrication work was done off site in Edge Moor.

Expansions and Mergers

1907 Estate Map of Lower Merion Township | Author’s Personal Collection

Throughout the late 19th century Pencoyd would grow exponentially, covering the entire river site with buildings and the addition of rail tracks along the river.  The railroad connected a short line across the property to Venice Island with an elegant curving single-track bridge which remains in use today.  Around 1900 today’s Pencoyd Bridge was installed to connect with lower Manayunk for additional rail access and as noted by the cemetery’s contemporary marketing, walking traffic from the city to West Mount Laurel.  The Hexamer Surveys of 1887 and 1891 show a much more modern factory site.

Hexamer Survey of 1891 – Showing the North Side of Pencoyd Iron Works | Credit: Free Library Phila

Around 1900 the firm merged with the venerable American Bridge Company.  Providing truss bridges all around the continent, Pencoyd continued to expand at a prodigious rate.  A special highlight for the firm would be the Upper Steel Arch Bridge over Niagara Falls, completed in 1898, at that time the longest steel arch span in the world.  Percival Roberts Jr. was chairman during this golden age, his co-founder father vacating this position upon dying early of exhaustion.  Mr. Roberts retired on May 24, 1901 after 25 years of service which began shortly after the Centennial.  The man was celebrated with a gala on January 18, 1902 at the company’s clubhouse located across the river at Manayunk Ave. and Osborn Street, with all employees in attendance.  This property was later donated to the city for the construction of a library, given by the company’s new chairman Andrew Carnegie, who absorbed Pencoyd/American Bridge into his giant United States Steel Co.

Pencoyd c1900 | Credit: LMHS

Consolidation, competition and technological advancements arrived with the new century.  Pencoyd was a busy factory through WWI but then began to decline, with the powerhouse steel centers of Pittsburgh and the Rust Belt able to expand their capacities way beyond the little Pencoyd river tract’s 19th century siting could manage.  A new rail connection was made at the north side of the site (the existing viaduct showing the date 1917), possibly a connection to the Cynwyd line.  Landlocked, the factory steadily declined, finally shutting down the furnaces on December 31, 1943.  The I-76 expressway cuts across the top of the property, just above the rail corridor, further isolating this forgotten land.  For years the site remained vacant or disused, with recent owner Connelly Containers maintaining some metal industrial buildings and a very busy health club doing business on the southern end of the tract.

The “Furness Building” and Pencoyd Landing

Today, development of the Pencoyd site is well underway.  The previously-mentioned apartment complex was quickly erected in the past 12 months, not yet appearing on a Google satellite view.  Another set of developers have now begun improving the core area surrounding Righter’s Ferry Road, it’s future apartments, retail and hotel complex to be called Pencoyd Landing.  In anticipation of the development the Penn Real Estate Co. renovated a modest brick structure for their offices, the only original A. & P. Roberts structure to survive.  This restored building is handsome and the new owners believe the structure could have been designed by Philadelphia’s great architect Frank Furness.  The building is described as an office and drawing room with pumping equipment in the 1883 Hexamer survey.  Appearing to be integrated in design with the attached machine shop, this would have been a nice commission for Furness.  Could it be?

Closeup View of Office and Pump House Building

The new owners have correctly identified Furness-like brick features such as the lovely corbel cornice.  Adding curiosity to the case, in 1889 Furness & Evans Inc. designed a house for family member George B. Roberts in Bala Cynwyd (since demolished).  Alas, no record exists for this factory and office/pump house building in Furness’ papers.  Photographs of the 1889 Roberts house reveal it being very much business partner Evans’ work, more of a standard country home.  Evans was likely contracted for the home commission by virtue of relation to the Roberts family through marriage, choosing to run the project through the firm as opposed to solo.  Sadly, this otherwise handsome building is likely not a Furness.

Pencoyd Iron Works Office in 2017 | Credit: Mick Ricereto

Visiting Pencoyd Today

Along with this commercial development comes the aforementioned expansion of the Pencoyd Trail, slated to link with the Cynwyd Heritage Trail by way of the hidden 1917 viaduct past the Venice Island bridge at the northern extreme of the property.  As seen today, this thickly overgrown strip contains only a few vestiges of the site’s history, including an abandoned rail car and weed-encased tracks deep into the trees.  Like your author’s bicycle wanderings, visitors today can catch a glimpse of the abandoned wildness before it disappears completely.

View to Iron Works Site from Atop the Reading RR Viaduct | Credit: Mick Ricereto

The existing metal buildings are not original to the Pencoyd complex and in any rate will be taken down soon.  However the steel gantry structure along the water looks to be a relic from the iron works and will be retained in the new design.  The original retaining wall under the rail viaduct runs the entire length of the site and is a constant reminder of this place’s rich history.  This wall actually formed the interior wall for some factory buildings and cut-off iron bits still protrude from the wall.  Paddlers on the Schuylkill can inspect the bridges, ancient granite quay and the crumbling valley stream culverts from the waterline.  Although noise from I-76 is very intrusive, biking up to the top of West Mount Laurel gives a lovely view of the entire tract from above.

Rendering of Pencoyd Landing; This Structure Would Replace the Building Above | Credit: JDavis Architects

Before the Pencoyd Bridge reopened, the only vehicular way to the site was by plunging down from City Line between the cemetery roads on Righter’s Ferry.  This remains the author’s favorite approach.  Catch a glimpse of the secret site of Pencoyd Iron Works before the mystery is gone, and listen close to the old retaining wall for the ghostly sounds of clanging iron and the distant whistle of steam.

Author’s Note: The Hexamer surveys are available to browse on the Free Library’s website, and one can zoom in for some incredibly-detailed high resolution viewing.

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Gallery of the Author’s Pencoyd Iron Works Site Photos in Early 2017:

Reading Viaduct Retaining Wall and Former Factory Walls at Pencoyd Iron Works

Remains on Righter’s Ferry Road

Industrial Remains at Pencoyd Iron Works

Pencoyd Trail Improvements on North Side by Venice Island RR Spur Bridge

Secret 1917 Connection to Cynwyd Trail at North Side of Pencoyd Iron Works

Remains of RR Gantry and Old Structures at Pencoyd Iron Works Site, with Restored Pencoyd Bridge Behind

Ancient Culvert at the end of Righter’s Ferry Road

Abandoned Railcar at North End of Pencoyd Trail

Spur Bridge from Pencoyd Site to Venice Island, Manayunk

NPR: Non-Photo Realistic Rendering

Happy 2017 design readers.

Over the break I’ve made a concerted effort to work on some new digital rendering techniques.  As anybody who has followed this blog or knows my work may attest, I personally avoid doing photo realistic renderings.  I came up in this business during the analog/manual era … actually on the cusp of computer models and visualization.  I was modeling/rendering on AutoCAD 3D 15+ years ago … you remember the UCS don’t you?  The “Ultra Confusion System”?  I got some nice renderings but ultimately decided it wasn’t for me.  Individual, hand drawing techniques are just more interesting (and faster) than perfect photo-like creations.  So, have a look at two NPR rendering examples, both of which were developed in Sketchup.

The first is a series of conference table variations I worked on late in 2016.  I had three basic ideas and I wanted to show them together, with my favorite in the foreground.

Once you have your design, setting up views like this takes seconds.  And if I want some alternate views, turn the mouse a bit and go.  Once you build up a library of materials again click click and it all moves very fast.

Next is a kitchen that goes back a couple of years to 2015 (wow – 2015 is now two years ago!).  As with the conference tables above, the secret sauce is getting the line work to replicate my hardline pencil base drawings, but in this case I also had the floor and an exterior to simulate as well.

Again, if I want another view, I just go for it and do my 3 second re-render right in Sketchup.  There is no outboard rendering program to bother with, just some post work in P-Shop (just like their would be with hand drawing).

With hand presentation it’s either very quick sketchy styles or taking a huge amount of time for more detailed materials and multiple views.  And then you still need to scan them in and touch up as well.  I will still sketch live in front of clients and colleagues the same way, but when presenting more defined designs (like above), back in the studio, I’m very excited to be exploring NPR Sketchup models.  This is like a huge breath of fresh air for me as I can work very quickly and still get individually-styled presentations that I’m happy with.  Also, if it needs to be more realistic, off to a rendering farm it can go (just like rapid prototyping – no need to do it in-house anymore).

I’m looking forward to 2017, getting better and faster.  I hope you’re also off to a cracking start and best wishes in all your endeavors.

M

 

Fever, Manayunk – 1821

While enjoying some research about the Schuylkill Navigation in Philadelphia – better known as the Manayunk Canal – I came across this wonderful map at the Library of Congress.  Manayunk is a wonderful 18-19th century mill town on the Schuylkill river.  To further illustrate this magical place, I give you a wonderful excerpt on the Millworker’s fever of 1821 in Manayunk, taken from a book titled Early History of the Falls of Schuylkill, Manayunk, Schuylkill and Lehigh Navigation Companies, Fairmount Waterworks, etc. by Charles Valerius Hagner, an early industrialist of the area, published in 1869(!)

1907 View of Philadelphia’s Manayunk Neighborhood; Credit LOC

“… He retreated, with his family, to Germantown, and I fled to the Leverington Hotel on the Ridge Road; not, however until the disease had taken fast hold of me; and I served a regular apprenticeship to it, off and on, for some three or four years.  At that time there was a race of men in existence, employed in the woollen manufactories, who have since become entirely extinct.  They came from England.  Their business was to shear cloth with an immense pair of shears from three to five feet long.  They were shortly after superseded by the invention of the cloth-shearing machines now in use.  They were biped animals certainly, but stupidly ignorant.  They had been accustomed from youth up to handle these cloth shears, which they did well; beyond that they did not appear to have a single idea, except drinking porter, which they did by wholesale.

Those kind of workmen were very much wanted at that time and hard to be got.  Captain Towers and the Prestons obtained five or six of them from Yorkshire, England.  They arrived here in the extreme warm weather, clothed in the thickest kind of woollen garments, woollen stockings, &c.  They were all remarkably large stout men of fine healthy color and appearance, but one month’s residence at Manayunk was quite sufficient to “use them up;” any person who had seen them at the beginning of the month and again at the end of it, would be almost ready to swear they were not the same party.  All their fine rosy color had vanished, and they became miserable, cadaverous, melancholy looking objects.

From sheer ignorance and stupidity two of them lost their lives.  One, when in the hot stage of the disease, to cool himself went into a damp cellar, stripped himself, and lay on his back on the damp ground.  There happened to be a jug of buttermilk within his reach, he drank it and was a corpse in a very short time.  Another got an idea that it required something powerfully strong to kill the disease; he procured a pint of horseradish and cider which he swallowed at one gulp.  It threw him into convulsions and he died.

With a few such exceptions as these the disease was rarely fatal; on the contrary, often the subject of mirth.  It was quite a common affair to see half a dozen at a time around Silas Levering’s stove in the bar-room of his hotel, all shaking at the same time, others looking on quizzing and laughing at them; and more than once have I seen the tables turned, and the merry ones obliged to take their turn at the stove and be laughed at.”

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A note about the wonderful hand-painted map (see link HERE); the view is taken from southeast, the hilltop in Lower Merion (height exaggerated), part of the original Welsh Tract sold by William Penn to Quaker settlers in 1683.  Look here again for a future story on a particularly interesting site in Lower Merion called the Pencoyd Iron Works, the smokestacks seen along the river in the foreground of the painting.

The Delair Bridge

This is the story of the Delair railroad bridge across the Delaware river, for which an edited version appeared this week in Hidden City Philadelphia.  You can see the Hidden City article here.  I have been intrigued with this bridge for years, as it is not well seen from anywhere along the normal river viewpoints in the city.  After doing some research and photographing along the shoreline, I found the story of South Jersey’s railways and the quest for faster Atlantic City travel to be fascinating.  Enjoy a trip across the big steel trusses and through the NJ Pinelands with me.

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The Delair Railroad Bridge – A Hidden Bridge on the Delaware River

The Delair Bridge c1900; Credit: Philly History

On June 28 Mayor Kenney signed the city legislation needed to purchase the abandoned railroad swing bridge that crosses the Schuylkill just south of Grays Ferry Avenue.  Work will soon commence on raising the historic Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore RR Bridge No. 1 for it’s conversion to our new SRT bicycle and pedestrian crossing to Bartram’s Mile.  Abandoned since 1976, the bridge is rusting quietly in the open position waiting for a new lease on life.

PW&B’s Bridge No. 1 as seen today from the Grays Ferry bridge; Credit: Mick Ricereto 2016

Philadelphia – a former industrial powerhouse and erstwhile “workshop of the world” – is covered with train tracks both active and abandoned, with bridges crossing every small and large piece of water in the region.  Rail travel was an important technology in the 19th century, allowing factories and communities all across the continent to be efficiently linked, growing our Victorian society exponentially in a matter of decades.

Down at the Schuylkill Crescent, the PW&B’s 1902 swingspan replaced the first permanent crossing, an 1838 multi-modal bridge called the Newkirk Viaduct.  When the city of Philadelphia built the adjacent Grays Ferry road bridge in 1901, the railroad was free to remove the obsolete wooden bridge and build a modern steel span.

The Schuylkill was all that stood between Philadelphia and the early railroads linking points south – a mere 800 foot river crossing but a challenge nonetheless.  For trains going north of Philadelphia, the southernmost crossing was at Trenton, where tidewater abruptly stops to meet the 8 foot Falls of the Delaware.  The first rail bridge across the Delaware river was here in 1802.  Interestingly this bridge evolved over the years to become today’s Trenton Makes steel truss which was completed in 1928.  

Bridge builders eyeing points south of Trenton were presented a far-mightier challenge due to the river’s extreme width, tidal action and soft river bottom.  It would be another 94 years before the first Philadelphia crossing was completed – Pennsylvania Railroad’s massive 4-span Petit truss Pennsylvania & New Jersey Railroad Bridge, known colloquially as the Delair Bridge.

The Delair Bridge from PA Side c1990; Credit: LOC.gov

Located just south of the Frankford creek in the Bridesburg section of Philadelphia and spanning to the Pennsauken, NJ area known as Delair, this massive structure was needed as much for freight and rail commerce as it was for holiday-making down the shore.  To know the history of the Delair Bridge we must also examine Philly’s summertime quest with reaching the NJ coast and Atlantic City in particular.

Philadelphia’s Summer Getaway

America’s first premier holiday destination was Cape May, NJ.  Long before rail travel, vacationers could sail down the Delaware on special excursion vessels and disembark on the bay side of the peninsula, often taking extended stays away from the frenzy of 18th century city life.  Catering to the more well heeled looking for nature, fishing and fresh air, Cape May was also known to entertain many of our Presidents for a summertime stay at the beach.

A voyager could also travel to NJ by Ferry directly from Philadelphia due east to Camden, and make the trip by carriage.  A phalanx of ferry companies had traversed the waters between Philadelphia and Camden dating all the way back to 1688.  The ferries welcomed passenger traffic as well as a huge trade in produce and livestock transport needed to feed America’s biggest city.  In the 18th and early 19th century, a coach ride from Camden to the shore would be a dusty, bumpy affair and could take as many as 4 hours.

Market Street Ferry Terminal c.1896; Credit: Phila. Free Library)

In the early 1800s southern NJ was still completely wild, with the beach areas being a proverbial barren desert.  After a visit to the almost-vacant Absecon Island an enterprising medical doctor by the name of Jonathan Pitney envisioned opportunity in getting Philadelphians out to the shore in by creating a new resort town expressly for taking in the healthy sea air.  Pitney realized only a railroad could get people across the pine desert of southern NJ in a quick and efficient manner.  Pitney partnered with entrepreneur Samuel Richards to build a new railroad from the Camden waterfront directly to the shore, convincing factory owners along the route that rail travel would help their businesses grow.  Most of the investors thought the idea to build a health resort at the ocean end of the line was pure folly, but invested only for the important rail connection to the city and their core markets.  Pitney and Richards raised enough capital to buy property all the way through from Camden to the coast and also purchase the entire island from early settlers.  The partners began their plans for the new resort; Atlantic City was incorporated on May 1, 1854 with the first cross-state trip of the Camden & Atlantic City Railroad on July 1 of that year.  The first train was a rustic open car rattletrap, but the adventure still attracted 600 hand-picked passengers for the maiden voyage.

Growth of the new town was swift; Pitney and Richards were smart to subsequently build an enormous hotel on the beach, quickly realizing that working-class folk would benefit the most by taking short stays or even day trips from the city.  By 1874 500,000 Philadelphians made it to the shore during the summer season, prompting a second railroad to be added in 1877.  The Philadelphia-Atlantic City Railway Co. undercut the Camden & AC substantially, with a one-way “excursion” ticket for $1.  Inexpensive hotels and boarding housed popped up all along the newly-laid Atlantic City street grid.  A working-class man could now afford a week at the shore with his family; the Jersey Shore was born.

The competing West Jersey Railroad completed their line to Cape May in 1863 but by then it was clear; Atlantic City had become America’s playground.  The permanent boardwalk was added in 1896.  The year-round population of Atlantic City was only 2000 in 1875; by 1900 it had swelled to 30,000.  The more distant Cape May would be frozen as a charming but sleepy Victorian outpost.

A Quicker Way to the Shore

The mighty Pennsylvania Railroad wanted a piece of the Atlantic City action.  The largest railroad in the world – in fact the largest corporation in the world at the end of the 19th century – went on a buying spree.  Pitney and Richard’s original railroad and many smaller railroads throughout western NJ were purchased and absorbed into the PRR subsidiary West Jersey & Seashore RR (WJ&S) in 1896.  Competition was very strong with 4 railroad companies crisscrossing the Delaware, ferry boats heaving the shallow tidewater into Camden’s piers many times daily.  The Penn wanted desperately to create an advantage and decided to build a bridge across the Delaware.  The tracks would need to skirt around the city’s Northeast industrial web but a direct route from center city’s Broad Street Terminal (the world’s largest train station) and across the river would still be more convenient than making the ferry trip to Camden.

Inside truss detail looking west towards the Richmond Electric Station, c1990; Credit: LOC.gov

Crossing the Delaware required a movable span to allow for marine traffic, as building a bridge high enough for ocean-going vessels would be too costly.  PRR head engineer William H. Brown called for a 323’ swingspan at the shipping channel, connected with 3 sections of massive 533’ Petit truss spans – 1 on the NJ side and two on the Pennsylvania.  The Delair trusses would be very large and heavy, but still fall short of the longest truss spans by a mere 9 feet.  The swing span was operated by steam and held the record for the longest center bearing pivot bridge in the world.  Including the trestle approaches on both sides, total length of the structure is 4396 feet.  Compare this with the later Ben Franklin bridge at 9573’, much longer due to the gradual climb needed to make 135’ shipping clearance.

The Delair Bridge today from Pennsauken, NJ with Richmond Electric Station and a distant center city in view; Credit: Mick Ricereto 2016

Work began with pier excavation on January 15, 1895.  The steel work was started on November 1 of that year, and was finished in only 4 months.  The massive trusses were fabricated with manganese steel milled by the Pencoyd Iron Works, the first large bridge to use the new high-tensile material.  Pencoyd was located in Lower Merion Township directly across the Schuylkill from Manayunk.  Interestingly, the hidden Pencoyd site is currently being redeveloped and the small rail bridge connecting to the site to the city – known as the Pencoyd Bridge – was recently restored as a car and pedestrian crossing.

The original builder’s plaque located on pier 6; Credit: LOC.gov

Throughout the first 30 years of use the Delair was busy with passenger traffic as Atlantic City entered it’s busy “Boardwalk Empire” period, with more and more weary city dwellers making the <90 minute trip from Broad Street for a week’s or even an afternoon’s promise of surf, sun and sin.  Even after prohibition in 1920 – or perhaps even more so – Atlantic City was a place of escape due to it’s relaxed rules on booze and other illicit activities.  As Nelson Johnson writes in his book Boardwalk Empire; The Birth, High Times and Corruption of Atlantic City “… it was a place where visitors came knowing the rules at home didn’t apply.  The city flourished because it gave its guests what they wanted – a naughty good time at an affordable price”.  The railroads too were booming, right up until the day the new Delaware Bridge (today named Ben Franklin) opened on July 1, 1926.  With Philadelphia’s blue collar workers now wealthy enough to own personal cars and the advantage of cheap bus fares via the bridge, the railroads began to immediately suffer.  By 1928, the WJ&S was down $2 million in revenue compared to just two years prior.

Mid Century Modification

In the 1950’s post-war boom years, America had an immense appetite for steel as buildings and projects such as the Interstate Highway System created a huge demand for materials.  Responding to eastern demand, United States Steel started construction on the Fairless Hills steel plant on the upper tidal Delaware in the late 1940s.  To serve this upcoming business, the Army Corps of Engineers decided to upgrade the river’s shipping capacity by straightening and dredging a deeper channel, while also requiring 500’ wide bridge clearance for more modern ships.  Suddenly the Delair’s old pivot bridge was obsolete, with clearance not even half the new requirement.

The railroad’s engineers responded by permanently closing the old swing span and converting one of the original Petit trusses to a 542’ riveted Warren truss vertical lift span which would raise up for boat traffic to a height of 135’, equal to the Ben Franklin bridge.  This engineering feat would require removing the original truss, building new piers and lift towers and installing the new pre-fabricated moving section quickly so as not to upset rail traffic for an unreasonable period.

The new vertical lift span is floated into place in 1960; Credit: Creative Commons (photographer unknown)

Work began on March 1, 1960.  The engineering concern Hardesty & Hanover, known for their work with railroad lift spans, was hired to complete the job.  While sections of the bridge were being dismantled, the new span and towers were being constructed upriver and brought to the site on barges.  The old span was removed by floating a barge underneath at low tide and lifting it away 6 hours later, while the new span was put in place similarly by lowering it at high tide and letting the barge float away as the river level went down.

The new lift towers needed huge piers to hold both the weight of trains, the bridge span itself and it’s equal weight in cable-actuated counterweights.  The westernmost span needed to be shortened by 100’ to make room for the towers.  The result is the unique, asymmetrical look of 4 different trusses.

The Delair Bridge during construction of the piers in 1960.  The lift towers not yet built, note the shortened original western span; Credit: Creative Commons (photographer unknown)

When completed, the upgraded structure captured the record for longest double track vertical lift span in the US, falling short of the longest single track lift by only two feet (the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge, built in 1933).

The Delair Bridge Today

The Delair remains a busy rail bridge today; Credit: Mick Ricereto 2016

Today the bridge is used for CSX and Norfolk Southern rail transportation as well as NJ Transit’s Atlantic City line.  The bridge was modernized heavily in 2012 with an $18.5 million TIGER grant, bringing the structure safely into the 21st century.

Curiously the Delair is mostly hidden from our daily lives.  Seen briefly from I-95 – near appropriately, the Bridge Street exit – the lift span towers look dark and menacing in the shadows of the Betsy Ross.  From the south the Richmond Electric Station and Tioga Marine Terminal blocks the shoreline for miles.  The best viewing is from the Jersey side as the bridge is located at the end of the road with a small parking lot for a boat launch ramp and tiny fishing pier.

Detail view of the Delair swing span; Credit – Mick Ricereto 2016

Taking NJT’s Atlantic City line out of 30th Street Station is a fabulous way to experience the bridge.  The right-of-way takes an alternate route through the industrial northeast of the city, into Frankford Junction and over the Delaware.  For a transit-filled afternoon, take the NJT from 30th Street, stop and view the bridge from water’s edge at Pennsauken station and then walk back up the hill for the River Line back to Camden.  From here walk over the Ben Franklin or take PATCO back over and connect to anywhere in the city.

Knocked Off Again

Knockoff.  Webster’s definition reads as “a cheap of inferior copy of something”.  A bit similar to “knock down” and “knockout” but to be sure I refer to plagiarized, and again by a big box store with the victim being an Amerock hardware design.

Rolling into the Box one evening looking for blue painter’s tape and some CFLs, I passed this forlorn little vanity ensemble:

The unit’s cup pull is as close to my Amerock Manor pull as one can get, only not as wide.

Here is Amerock’s official view of the Manor pull – model number BP26130 – for some reason shown from the bottom:

I designed this piece of hardware way back in 2003-2004, while living in Washington DC.  I used to wander the majestic avenues looking for architectural inspiration.  In this case, I was thinking of some details I liked in Daniel Burnham’s Union Station.  I’ve blogged about Union Station before I think … ah yes, here is a picture of the entrance vestibule:

When I started with Amerock in late 2003, they were thick in the transition from a domestic manufacturing company to a run-of-the-mill importing brand.  Needing new designs to be made in China and appeal to the mass market, I whipped up some collections that would have timeless appeal and work with a myriad of cabinet and interior styles.  Manor was actually the first design I did for them.  In fact, the Manor knob was my very first design, penned in late 2003:

As I have stated before, I don’t mind so much to be knocked off as I can just design another knob or handle very quickly.  In this case I’m actually a bit proud to think a 13 year design still holds up enough to be copied so blatantly.  My goal of “timeless appeal” seems to have been met.

While I will continue using the world’s architectural monuments for inspiration – as any good artist should – some will simply copy other’s designs.  I don’t suppose there are great old buildings and fascinating streets to wander out in the Big Box corporate park, but that should not be an excuse for failing to come up with an original design.

Pirch Soho NY

On Saturday, May 21 Pirch Soho opened at the corner of Lafayette and Broome in New York City.  On Thursday, I attended the VIP opening party with the rest of the SieMatic and Fitch design teams.  As long-time readers know, I have been designing the kitchen areas for the Pirch stores, and Soho is unquestionably our best.  Here are some impressions of the finished store and the grand opening party.

The buzz starts on your subway ride to Spring Street.  Pirch has advertisements throughout the subway using celebrities in the decorating and gourmet arenas.

The building itself is a fine old stone/brick manufacturing/office building, lovingly restored.  The store itself covers 32000 square feet and actually comprises space from at least two buildings, as the grade change and brick arches inside reveal.  The exterior brickwork and paint is exceptional.

Approaching the store after 6pm, guests experienced a velvet rope line up the block and tuxedo-clad “security”.  Yes, quite the buzz.

Above is the view upon entry; SieMatic is the very first thing you see, even before the standard Pirch complimentary cafe.  SieMatic was very fortunate to get involved with the store layout early in the design process.  We were able to implement SieMatic’s vision of Timeless Elegance and Journey of Discovery by ensuring lots of space around each kitchen environment and letting the architecture inspire our layouts and material choices.

This first display features Gaggenau appliances, with a freezer and refrigerator clad with Black Oak veneer and the balance of the cabinets in Agate Grey matte lacquer.  The open layout and floating shelves are minimal and contribute to the spacious feel.

As one walks throughout the space new display environments reveal themselves around wall blocks and glass screen walls.  As they were setting up for the party, some of the larger areas were dominated by catering and DJ equipment so this shows only a portion of what is on offer.

Appliances on display include Sub Zero, Wolf, Viking, Miele, Gaggenau, Monogram … essentially the best available in the market today.

SieMatic’s new 3003 door features a very thin 6.5mm edge detail in matte Nutmeg lacquer.  We mixed a very subtle aged bronze accent color into this display, as seen on the handles.  Up front we show another 3003 in Graphite lacquer, this one featuring Miele appliances and stainless steel accents.

Realistic seating areas are included where we could fit them, as this completes the domestic feel but also these areas are where the Pirch and SieMatic customer consultations start as guests receive exceptional and personalized service when shopping at Pirch.

The Miele display is tucked into the window on the Broome side of the store, shown behind the stair area below.  This little display may not be much in size but when customers explore each area of the store little surprises like this small kitchen area come to life.

Pirch offers kitchens, bathrooms and outdoor living furniture and fixtures.  A view to a bath environment on the second floor shows how the store designers (Fitch of Columbus OH) aimed to show complete environments in the design.  Note – all faucets and bath fillers and shower heads are fully functional for a very realistic experience.

The spaces on the second floor are more intimate due to a lower ceiling and window height.  We responded to this feature by making the kitchen areas smaller and more realistic by building them in with walls and the ceilings properly.  This “Innovation Loft” kitchen takes up the corner of the second floor and is part of an apartment suite.  There are many home-organization and entertainment media screens embedded into the design like in the table and on top of the counter top.

The loft is fairly small so a good view of this area was a bit hard to capture properly.  I didn’t venture upstairs during the party to see how this area was received but I’ll pop-up to NY occasionally to see how the store is doing “in action” and report back.

We used as many new SieMatic features as we could, including these open shelves from the “URBAN” collection of furniture, quite appropriate to New York’s apartment-dwelling clientele.

Marcia Speer of SieMatic poses with me for our obligatory party shot.  Marcia and I work very close on these stores, selecting materials and shaping the overall product offering and interfacing with the Pirch team to get the mix of cabinets, counter tops and appliances just right.  In addition we have a team of bright designers, managers and installation experts at SieMatic who help put the whole thing together – too many to note here but they know who they are and if reading this, please recognize that I cannot take any credit for this work without your invaluable help!

Next up for Pirch and SieMatic is the exciting addition of Austin TX.  We have almost completed this design and it should be open by early 2017.

I know this latest store is the best for SieMatic and Pirch and I’m sure it will be a smashing success.  When you are in NY please stop by and see the store and let us know how we are doing.

Knock Offs

I was recently walking a “big box store” – nameless for now – and noticed some private label cabinet hardware that carried an uncanny similarity to a design I did for Amerock a few years ago.  This doesn’t bother me as this sort of thing happens all time.  You know what they say about imitation and flattery.

Here are the designs at the ‘Box:

Here are my designs for Amerock, designed around 2007:

My designs have a subtle curve the ‘Box models lack, but looking at the knob in particular I think we can say my designs have undoubtedly provided the inspiration for these retail pieces.

Discussing plagiarism in design is a important topic and a little too deep for me to tackle today.  In this case Amerock is not sold in this particular store; the product manager probably wanted to have something similar to my design, but could not find it in their manufacturer’s catalog.  In today’s product development environment, it’s simply a matter of sending a drawing (or “inspirational sample”) to your Far East factory and ordering the minimum quantity to have something very close in your store.

Another situation I have been meaning to post about is what happens to a design when it gets passed over for launch, but then mysteriously shows up in somebody else’s product lineup.  This happened with a mid-century-inspired bow handle I did back in the mid 2000’s.  Here is my design:

You are looking at a die cast and chrome plated “actual handle”, and two development prototypes.  At some point I changed the design from the awful 3-banded idea to this simple and frankly, “familiar” bow handle design that would have been a typical design in the 1930-50’s.  Our product team rejected the design in the end however, and we went ahead with some other products.  The die cast mold went on a shelf in China.

Then, a matter of a few months later I saw my design in the display of a competing hardware company, here in the US.  The factory had simply flipped it over to somebody else!  I studied it very closely but I was convinced it was mine and not some crazy coincidence.  Here is Haefele’s handle:

It may not be the actual mold, but the engineers could have changed it a touch and then passed the product over to this other buyer.  I just can’t see how my design would otherwise be so similar.  I have nothing against Hafele here at all – it’s been years since I have done this design and I just find it amusing.  I wonder how many of my other “rejected” designs may be out there under another company?

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In other news, I have designed the kitchen area for another store for Pirch, the exciting appliance and fixture retailer – a great location in downtown New York.  The opening is later this month; look for a feature on the store in a few weeks time.