520 Lofts Awarded 2019 Grand Project of the Year, Mid-Rise by Multifamily Executive

Philadelphia, PA – October 16, 2019. Bernardon announced today that its mixed-use, multifamily residential community, 520 Lofts, has been awarded the Grand Project of the Year in the Mid-Rise category by Multifamily Executive.

Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, 520 Lofts is steps from Allentown’s museum and arts district. The building was designed to appeal to creative types seeking the downtown lifestyle being cultivated by City Center Investment Corp, the real estate development company helping to revitalize downtown Allentown. With its inclusionary artist studios, engagement with the neighboring first-class restaurants, panoramic views from its amenity deck, and an aesthetic described as “Hemingway meets Warhol”, 520 Lofts maintains a distinctly urban vibe with graceful nods to classic Victorian motifs.

Principal Michael McCloskey, AIA, LEED AP BD+C and Project Architect Kristina Simcic, AIA were present to accept the award at the 2019 MFE Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 3rd.

“There’s a bit of an urban renaissance happening in Allentown right now, and we’ve had the opportunity to create a residential building that not only provides luxury living space, but also fosters seamless interaction with the commercial businesses, retailers, and artists that are arriving in the city,” says Principal Michael McCloskey, “With 520 Lofts we were able to create architecture that truly responds to Allentown’s rich history in a contemporary yet complementary way.”

Bernardon accomplished this mix of aesthetics with design details such as a white brick exterior and double-height lofted units inside a mansard roof with diamond metal shingles. The community includes 11,000 square feet of first-floor office space, three artists’ garages at the street level, and 68 residential units among five stories.

A double-height community lounge is located on the top floor, offering views of the city and the surrounding Lehigh Valley from a rooftop deck. A steel-and-glass pedestrian bridge connects the building to an existing parking garage. Passersby can also view downtown Allentown’s tallest mural through the main stair tower’s seven-story curtain wall, a 19-foot-by-89-foot piece that incorporates a number of nods to Allentown’s history, including the Crocodile Rock Café, a music venue that previously occupied the site.

For more information call (215) 609-4609.