SEPTA 40th Street and Cresheim Substations
LOCATION: Philadelphia, PA
OWNER: Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)
START DATE: 02/2023
END DATE: Ongoing
SSA is providing the architectural design of two substations for SEPTA’s electrified transportation. The Cresheim Valley Substation will replace an existing facility located in Northwest Philadelphia. The building will house electrical switchgear equipment and battery storage. The 40th Street Substation will be a new facility located near the existing 40th Street SEPTA Trolley Portal in West Philadelphia. The new facility will include off-street parking, interior DC and AC switchgear equipment, battery storage, and a convenience toilet. The major design challenge for the project is the site constraints of the 40th street Substation property, which is a prominent lot along Woodland Avenue in a residential neighborhood. The property is an irregular, narrow shape with existing structures limiting the available placement of the new substation building. Existing slopes on the property and the along the street impact the placement of driveway access on two sides of the building. The project is required to be reviewed by the Philadelphia Art Commission and engage with registered community organizations such that local concerns may be voiced and addressed by the design. The purpose of the project is to provide additional power to SEPTA’s electrified transportation network. The two new substation buildings will increase the power capacity of the system, thereby supporting the future demands of developing technology. The design of each building focuses on meeting the functional needs of the electrical equipment housed within the structure and blending with adjacent existing architectural context. The Cresheim Valley Substation replaces an existing facility, on a property that is significantly shielded from public view by forest. The 40th Street Substation is adjacent to SEPTA’s 40th Street Trolley Portal and is designed to match the existing architectural brick veneer language as a component of the same transportation system.