THE
COMMON
PRACTICE
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Rooted in the dense, historic fabric of Philadelphia, The Common Practice moves beyond the traditional divide between expressive architectural spectacle and generic, budget-driven construction. We demonstrate that intellectual rigor and spatial discipline are not at odds with a project’s financial realities. Instead, we provide a highly considered architecture that satisfies both civic scrutiny and our clients' developmental goals.
Rather than viewing regulatory burden as an obstacle, we leverage urban constraints as generative design tools. Navigating a project through municipal frameworks demands a disciplined partner who proactively mitigates risk and unlocks hidden value within a site - a process that often determines a project’s viability. From complex zoning variances to historic adaptive reuse, we guide each project through an exhaustive analysis of massing, solar orientation, and regulatory structure, maximizing usable space while prioritizing natural light and functional efficiency.
Central to our design ethos is the pursuit of a timeless aesthetic - architecture designed to age gracefully through understated refinement and restraint. While our work does not replicate past forms, our sense of proportion and spatial rhythm is deeply informed by architectural history. Rather than relying on applied decoration or fleeting trends, we favor an elegant material economy. By carefully modulating depth, the play of natural shadow, and the tactile qualities of essential materials, we cultivate an architecture of quiet sophistication. This disciplined focus on the essentials yields a gracefully commanding presence, elevating the project through careful measure rather than unnecessary expenditure.
Ultimately, we bridge the critical distance between a project's financial feasibility and uncompromising architectural craft. We hold our work to exacting standards in technical documentation, code analysis, and interdisciplinary coordination to seamlessly translate strong concepts into built reality. By eliminating extraneous noise and anticipating the pragmatic reality of construction, The Common Practice achieves an architecture of quiet permanence - where spatial dignity and precise execution converge to enrich the civic experience of the city.
Comprising two paired structures on a compact urban footprint, the Waverly Paired Houses introduce a quiet dialogue with the streetscape through a restrained architectural expression. By carefully organizing the floor plates, the project balances density with abundant daylight and fluid internal circulation.
Situated on a narrow 15-foot street frontage, the Catharine Street Rowhouse reinterprets the traditional urban typology. Precisely scaled fenestration draws light deep into the floor plates, while light gray brick masonry and stacked soldier courses establish a composed, rhythmic presence.
Translating mid-block infill into a composition of clean volumes and balanced proportions, the Corinthian Street Residences engage their context through a calm architectural presence. The design unlocks vertical depth by integrating a lower level into the site’s topography, capturing daylight through below-grade courtyards and expansive glazing.
Occupying a consolidated mid-block site in historic Francisville, the Wylie Street Residences balance density with spatial generosity. A refined brick facade and carefully proportioned openings establish a calibrated rhythm, yielding an understated architectural language that elevates the evolving streetscape.
Transforming a historic two-story rowhouse, Bainbridge House inserts a modern third-story addition and pilot house while respecting the neighborhood's scale. Precise metal trims and corrugated cladding create a quiet textural dialogue with the restored brick below, preserving the street's historic character.
The Wildey Street Rowhomes negotiate their corner lot with a composed architectural presence, tailoring each of the five single-family structures to the irregularly-triangular site. The design prioritizes spatial clarity and functional restraint, offering domestic environments of calm, enduring quality.
This interior renovation reorganizes the primary level by gathering all functional and service elements into a singular, central wood-clad volume. This strategy liberates the floor plate, establishing a fluid sequence of living spaces defined by spatial continuity, natural light, and quiet restraint.
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A study in tectonic clarity, this custom stair assembly relies on precise joinery and material economy. The transition between levels is articulated with severe restraint, prioritizing spatial rhythm and the gentle modulation of light.
Executed with enduring craft, this interior space favors an elegant material economy and clean geometric lines. The restrained palette relies on the tactile qualities of essential materials to cultivate an environment of quiet sophistication.
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Paul J. Lorenz is the founder and principal of The Common Practice. His approach to architecture is grounded in a deep theoretical foundation and a commitment to civic responsibility, cultivated during his time at the Yale School of Architecture. Graduating with the AIA Henry Adams Certificate and the James Gamble Rogers Fellowship for exceptional design, Lorenz actively engaged in the school’s academic discourse, serving as a teaching assistant for courses in computation and visualization, and as co-editor of Perspecta, The Yale Architectural Journal. His formative studies at Yale, including advanced urbanism work with Keller Easterling, established the intellectual framework for his current practice: the belief that spatial discipline, historical consciousness, and severe urban constraints are the essential catalysts for enduring design.
This theoretical rigor is matched by an uncompromising command of project execution and construction strategy. Prior to founding The Common Practice, Lorenz served as a project architect at CANNOdesign, where he guided significant urban interventions through Philadelphia's complex municipal and zoning frameworks. Managing a robust portfolio of multi-family projects for developers such as Eclipse Development and Parkway Corporation, including the tower at 40 S. 2nd Street and multiple infill developments along the Frankford Avenue corridor, Lorenz mastered the pragmatic realities of construction. By proactively mitigating risk and optimizing spatial yield, he developed TCP’s core competency: unlocking the latent value of a site to ensure both economic viability and architectural dignity.
The timeless aesthetic and material economy that define The Common Practice are deeply rooted in Lorenz’s early career and his foundational training in the fine arts. Holding a Master of Fine Arts with a focus on digital fabrication, he possesses a rigorous, hands-on understanding of material assemblies and tectonic craft. This eye for proportion and restraint was further honed on highly crafted, historically sensitive projects. As a project architect at Voith & Mactavish Architects, he helped to lead the modernization of Brown Hall at the Princeton Theological Seminary, balancing historical continuity with contemporary intervention. Earlier, his work with La Dallman Architects on the award-winning Levy House and Milwaukee Hillel House instilled a profound appreciation for landscape integration, natural shadow, and the tactile qualities of essential materials. Today, this synthesis of historical literacy, material restraint, and technical precision drives the elegantly commanded presence of The Common Practice.