Owner: DePaul Properties Inc. | Location: Rochester, NY | Completion Date: 2014
Programs Achieved: NYSERDA MPP
The Challenge
DePaul, Southern Tier Environments for Living, and SWBR Architects faced an extremely complex renovation at the Carriage Factory Apartments. The 5-story, 73,000 s/f Cunningham Carriage Factory was one of the oldest manufacturing plants in Rochester, New York’s Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood. The building had sat vacant for a long-time and was on the verge of collapse. The improvements needed to balance the historical importance of the building and the significance it has for the community with the strict funding requirements of New York State Housing and Community Renewal. Included in these requirements are stringent energy performance standards which impact nearly every facet of the building, including participation in NYSERDA’s Multifamily Performance Program (MPP).
The Solution
The Sustainable Comfort Team:
Identified the best energy efficient strategies for design and construction to provide a successful renovation.
Kept the project moving forward despite challenging review and approval timelines from the various oversight agencies, which often did not mesh with the developer’s own project deadlines.
Provided technical support to the architect and builder during design and construction to meet NYSERDA Multifamily Performance Program New Construction requirements.
Project Description
The Sustainable Comfort team started working with DePaul in November 2011, prior to submittal for project funding from the department of Housing and Community Renewal (HCR). The team provided energy efficiency consulting throughout the project phases and secured funding from state and federal sources.The scope of work included design assistance, site inspections by our expert energy engineers, and final reporting to funding agencies.
Sustainable Comfort was able to adjust to unique site constraints and historical preservation requirements during construction to ensure the building will meet the NYSERDA MPP program requirements. The project is estimated to reduce energy use by 41% compared to the baseline building code performance.
“We would not be able to do this project without Sustainable Comfort because the needs of the building are so complex. Turning this building into a residential project wouldn’t be possible without them helping us navigate this process.”
Learn more about the Carriage Factory Apartments.