J Creekside at Exton
Finalist: Best Low-Rise Apartment Community
Nominated by: CBG Building Company
Location: Exton, Penn.
Developer: Jefferson Apartment Group
Architect: Heffner Architects
General Contractor: CBG Building Company
Interior Designer: Faulkner Design Group
Photographer: Ray Cavicchio Photography
Project Website: J Creekside at Exton
Project Statement
J Creekside at Exton is a 291-unit, four-building apartment community in Exton, Penn., within the Oaklands Corporate Center. The project is set on a previously unbalanced 13-acre site, and encompassed a wide scope of work, including above-grade parking, resort-style pool, 18 lofted dens, and an option of two different finishes on one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Rich with amenities and natural green spaces, the planning objective was to create a spacious luxury community in the Philadelphia suburbs to which future residents would love to escape. The design team worked to incorporate the community into the naturally scenic environment that surrounds it. Dormers, verandas and cupolas stitch together the four buildings, synthesizing the community with the individual while immersed in the wood property alongside a creek. Nature filters indoors through the porches and balconies attached to each unit, allowing residents to enjoy the community’s beautiful views from the comfort of their homes. Property amenities include a large club room with a hanging gas fireplace, fitness and yoga rooms, conference room, kids’ playroom, and a large courtyard with a resort-style pool, gas grills and firepits. Neighborhood attractions, such as the Valley Creek nature trail, the Whitford Train Station and Main Street at Exton, are only a quick walk, shuttle or car ride away. Despite certain challenges — including extensive sinkhole repairs on the previously undeveloped site, site leveling, and foundational reinforcement — the project team had turned over three of the four buildings months earlier than anticipated, giving the owner the opportunity to start leasing operations ahead of several competing new projects in the area.
