St. Francis Villa in Philadelphia is a three-story, 40-unit affordable senior housing community designed by Cecil Baker + Partners for Catholic Health Care Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Completed in June 2016, the project was designed for residents to age in place. It is named after St. Francis Inn Ministries, a nearby Franciscan community of priests who help the area’s poor and homeless.
Each one-bedroom apartment includes a kitchen, living area, bedroom, closet space, and bathroom. A laundry room, trash chute, and community room are available on each floor of the building. Four units are fully accessible, and two are designed for the hearing and vision impaired.
The site, which had previously sat vacant after a fire destroyed an abandoned factory on the property, features a large outdoor space designed by Jack Carman of Design for Generations. The outdoor area includes a paved terrace, a planted garden space with a pathway and benches, and a raised garden bed for residents’ use.
St. Francis Villa is located in the city’s East Kensington neighborhood, an area currently experiencing increased development activity. A need for affordable senior housing had been identified by Kensington community groups before St. Francis Villa was planned.
The new senior housing building will ensure that 40 seniors—many of whom have lived in the community for decades—have an affordable housing option in the neighborhood for years to come.
Project summary
Completion date: June 2016
Owner: Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Catholic Health Care Services
Architect: Cecil Baker + Partners
Interior design: Cecil Baker + Partners
Lighting Design: BEAM Inc.
Landscape Architect: Design for Generations
Engineer: O’Donnell & Naccarato (structural); Holstein White Inc. (mechanical/electrical); Bohler (civil)
Construction: Domus Inc.
Photography: Matt Wargo
Total building area: 38,750 square feet on 33,000-square-foot lot
Total construction cost: $7,985,000
