A 24-story, 300,000-sf building that is being dubbed the largest residential Passive House project in North America will rise on the former site of a public school in the Mott Haven section of The Bronx, New York.
The mixed-use, mixed-income development calls for 241 housing units for low- and moderate-income families. The first three floors of the building will include a 44,480-sf charter school, a medical facility, cultural and community space that includes a 1,350-sf social service facility, and an 11,000-sf supermarket.
The project will also rehab and reopen the nearby Garrison Playground.
The development team that the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development has selected for this project is a joint venture comprised of the real estate developer Trinity Financial, the Bronx-based nonprofit development agency MBD Community Housing Corporation, and Dattner Architects, a New York-based architectural firm that has designed more than 3,500 units for the city over the past five years.
The project is programmed to achieve Passive House certification, and is expected to use 70% less energy than a conventional housing project, and surpass Enterprise Green Communities guidelines. This will be achieved through high-efficiency building systems with an airtight envelope, energy recovery ventilation, and other features that reduce heat loss. Solar shading and water saving features, individual energy controls and energy efficient appliances will also help reduce this building’s energy consumption.
“Passive House is about energy consumption, and is the next bar we should all be targeting,” says John Woelfling, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, a Principal with Dattner Architects, which has a long history with sustainably designed projects.
Tenants will have access to a 23rd-floor landscaped roof terrace and green roof. Woelfling adds that the development team is also considering “resilient power” solutions such as solar arrays or cogeneration. (He notes, too, that Dattner has been designing into its buildings daylighting in stairwells so, in the event of a power outage, residents using the stairs still have some visibility.)
The building, which is scheduled for completion by 2020, would require a zoning change, which would then activate a new Mandatory Inclusionary Housing law that makes 25% of the building’s units permanently affordable, according to Curbed NYC.
[Editor's note: John Woelfling's comments were added to this article after its initial posting.]
The building, located in the Mott Haven section of The Bronx, N.Y., is designed to be 70% more energy efficient that other housing projects in the city. Image: Dattner Architects
Related Stories
| Mar 29, 2012
Construction completed on Las Vegas’ newest performing arts center
The Smith Center will be the first major multi-purpose performance center in the U.S. to earn Silver LEED certification.
| Mar 28, 2012
Milestone reached for LEED-certified buildings?
Total number of major global green buildings now stands at 12,000.
| Mar 28, 2012
Holden Cancer Center opens at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
The new cancer clinic provides a significant increase in patient space from the prior facility, which was located in an adjacent building.
| Mar 27, 2012
Groundbreaking held for Valencia College West Campus Building 10 in Orlando
Project led by design-build team of SchenkelShultz Architecture and McCree General Contractors, both of Orlando.
| Mar 26, 2012
Jones Lang LaSalle completes construction of $536M Parkview Regional Medical Center
Hospital ushers in new era of local access to advanced medical treatments in Northeast Indiana.
| Mar 26, 2012
Los Angeles County to host free green building training
Opportunity for residential and commercial building professionals to gain insight on state and county green building standards and regulations.
| Mar 20, 2012
Stanford’s Knight Management Center Awarded LEED Platinum
The 360,000-sf facility underscores what is taught in many of the school’s electives such as Environmental Entrepreneurship and Environmental Science for Managers and Policy Makers, as well as in core classes covering sustainability across the functions of business.
| Mar 20, 2012
New office designs at San Diego’s Sunroad Corporate Center
Traditional office space being transformed into a modern work environment, complete with private offices, high-tech conference rooms, a break room, and an art gallery, as well as standard facilities and amenities.
| Mar 19, 2012
HKS Selected for Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie
Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachiewill incorporate advanced technology including telemedicine, digital imaging, remote patient monitoring, electronic medical records and computer patient records.
| Mar 16, 2012
Work on Oxnard, Calif. shopping center resumes after a three-year hiatus
Stalled since 2009, developers of the Collection at RiverPark decided to restart construction on the outdoor mall.