Philadelphia is looking to build a local community mentor center in South Philadelphia at 916 Tasker Street, that supports the local
needs of the community. An historic warehouse facility has been picked for the location. Philadelphia is
partnering with a non-profit community-based organization, Senior/Child Mentors, which serves both senior
citizens (65+ yrs.) and school age pre-teens (5-12 yrs)
The building is comprised of a two-story industrial infill warehouse in the middle of the city block with a small row house structure on the west side of the warehouse. The building is in a residential neighborhood and is surrounded by row houses. The front north facing facade is on Tasker St. and the rear south facing façade
with adjacent outdoor space is on Fernon St.
In the design of the mentor center, the grid layout of the city of Philadelphia was used to inform pathways and circulation/adjacencies of the different functions. The book on the right provided information on how city plans are laid out and the different functions that create a cohesive and well-run city
Five aspects of the “image of the city” were used in the space and activity planning of the mentor center. These being: Paths, Edges, Districts, Nodes and Landmarks. The space is divided into multiple sections with each representing a different “Square” from Philadelphia
