The City of Philadelphia has an extraordinary collection of rowhouses, from large highly decorative houses, as found in University City, to the small, unornamented worker housing in Frankford. In almost every neighborhood in the City, the rowhouse helps define the streetscape and context for the area. However, as a 19th century building form and housing solution for a more dense urban population than today, the rowhouse is now oftern seen as obsolete and even a reminder of the City's decline since it was a manufacturing leader.
The purpose of the Philadelphia Rowhouse Manual is to educate owners of the rowhouse building type and to offer neighborhood groups and community development corporations a tool to market the viability of the rowhouse. Unlike freestanding houses, the rowhouse, by its very nature, offers unique challenges to owners, yet at the same time provides advantages over other housing types. The Manual provides ways to work with various housing agencies and funding sources to help maintain and rehabilitate rowhouses as a way to strengthen the community.
The Manual also offers property owners specific advice on building maintenance and rehabilitation. It educates owners on how this housing type can be adapted to modern living without compromising its basic form and architecture. By providing examples, the Manual offers ideas on incorporating various elements to make the rowhouse feasible for 21st century living. The integration of modern conveniences, such as multiple bathrooms, decks and parking, barrier-free access, and green building principles are addressed
In the spring of 2007, Schade and Bolender Architects was selected by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission (PCPC) to prepare the Philadelphia Rowhouse Manual: A Guide for Property Owners and Neighborhoods.
