As we noted in our July Giants 300 Report, multifamily construction, especially apartment buildings, has been the “darling” of the real estate industry in the last couple of years—and sustainably designed projects are contributing to that boom, even in places you might not think of finding them.
In Portland, Maine, the Oak Street Lofts have become the first affordable multifamily housing to earn LEED Platinum certification in the Pine Tree State. Designed by CWS Architects, the 37 artist-friendly efficiency apartments are 40% more energy efficient than the typical multifamily building. Wright-Ryan Construction (GC) diverted more than 60% of construction waste from landfill.
Thornton Tomasetti/Fore Solutions, acting as sustainability/LEED for Homes consultant, used energy modeling to analyze window glazing types, solar thermal water heating, and a heat-recovery ventilation system, along with envelope design to improve thermal breaks at the exterior wall.
In Panama City, Fla., Hardin Construction teamed with Chap Ashmore & Associates and architect Martin Riley Associates on the 92-unit Panama Commons, the first family-oriented affordable housing community in the Southeast to earn Platinum in the LEED for Homes program.
This was the twelfth project Hardin Construction has completed for the Paces Foundation. Hardin also constructed Galleria Manor, an 88-unit seniors-housing complex in Smyrna, Ga., and Whitehall Manor, in Cleveland, Ga., for the nonprofit housing development corporation. Both projects earned LEED Gold.
Green multifamily developments are also sprouting up in more traditional locales. In New York, construction is under way at 211 East 13th Street on an eight-story condominium development designed by BKSK Architects. The 110,000-sf, 83-unit tower, designed to LEED Silver standards, features a stormwater filtration system—considered unusual for an urban project—and both a blue roof (to store rainwater) and a green vegetated roof to relieve the overtaxed sewer system. +
Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | Mar 18, 2024
A modular construction solution to the mental healthcare crisis
Maria Ionescu, Senior Medical Planner, Stantec, shares a tested solution for the overburdened emergency department: Modular hub-and-spoke design.
Codes and Standards | Mar 18, 2024
New urban stormwater policies treat rainwater as a resource
U.S. cities are revamping how they handle stormwater to reduce flooding and capture rainfall and recharge aquifers. New policies reflect a change in mindset from treating stormwater as a nuisance to be quickly diverted away to capturing it as a resource.
Plumbing | Mar 18, 2024
EPA to revise criteria for WaterSense faucets and faucet accessories
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to revise its criteria for faucets and faucet accessories to earn the WaterSense label. The specification launched in 2007; since then, most faucets now sold in the U.S. meet or exceed the current WaterSense maximum flow rate of 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm).
MFPRO+ New Projects | Mar 18, 2024
Luxury apartments in New York restore and renovate a century-old residential building
COOKFOX Architects has completed a luxury apartment building at 378 West End Avenue in New York City. The project restored and renovated the original residence built in 1915, while extending a new structure east on West 78th Street.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 18, 2024
YWCA building in Boston’s Back Bay converted into 210 affordable rental apartments
Renovation of YWCA at 140 Clarendon Street will serve 111 previously unhoused families and individuals.
Healthcare Facilities | Mar 17, 2024
5 criteria to optimize medical office design
Healthcare designers need to consider privacy, separate areas for practitioners, natural light, outdoor spaces, and thoughtful selection of materials for medical office buildings.
Construction Costs | Mar 15, 2024
Retail center construction costs for 2024
Data from Gordian shows the most recent costs per square foot for restaurants, social clubs, one-story department stores, retail stores and movie theaters in select cities.
Architects | Mar 15, 2024
4 ways to streamline your architectural practice
Vessel Architecture's Lindsay Straatmann highlights four habits that have helped her discover the key to mastering efficiency as an architect.
Healthcare Facilities | Mar 15, 2024
First comprehensive cancer hospital in Dubai to host specialized multidisciplinary care
Stantec was selected to lead the design team for the Hamdan Bin Rashid Cancer Hospital, Dubai’s first integrated, comprehensive cancer hospital. Named in honor of the late Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the hospital is scheduled to open to patients in 2026.
Codes and Standards | Mar 15, 2024
Technical brief addresses the impact of construction-generated moisture on commercial roofing systems
A new technical brief from SPRI, the trade association representing the manufacturers of single-ply roofing systems and related component materials, addresses construction-generated moisture and its impact on commercial roofing systems.
