Resilient Corners
Workforce Sustainable Housing Syracuse, NY
Resilient Corners
An Urban Design Project on the corner of Ontario and Otisco Streets in the Near West Side neighborhood of Syracuse, NY. April 27, 2018
Project Scope:
The project included 8 single family homes and a community center designed to minimize fossil fuel use through green and sustainable measures. Funding was mainly through a competitive grant won in 2016 from from the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA)
Technology Used:
Main premise was the first ever Closed Loop Distributed Geothermal system for 6 homes and a community Center located in New York State. Other technology used included Radiant Floor Heating, Inulated Concrete form Blocks (ICF) Shallow Frost Protection, Minimal Plan Footprint for efficient urban land use, Long Span Trusses to save costs in wood framing, Spray Foam Insulation, Geothermal Heat Pump cooling and Rain Gardens for water retention.
A Collaborative project
Project Leader: Anthony M. Catsimatides, AIA, Open Atelier Architects Project Developer: Home Headquarters, Kerry Quaglia Project Team: Syracuse University Center of Excellence TAITEM Engineering, MEP/Structural Engineering Sustainable Comforts, LEED
Resilient Corners
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project was a collaborative effort between Open Atelier Architects, The Syracuse University Center of Excellence, CoE, and Home Headquarters, our client, Taitem Engineering, our MEP and structural engineers, Frontier Energy, formerly known as CDH our energy consultant and Sustainable Comforts, who took the lead on LEED and kept us on track to meet LEED for Homes Gold V4.0. First and foremost I would like to thank Ed Bogucz, Executive Director for the CoE who was the catalyst who brought us together and shepherded us through the initial proposal process. Tammy Rosanio from the CoE gracious as always in coordinating and organizing our small team with presentations and a place to meet during the crucial design phase of the project. Special thanks to our energy consultant Hugh Henderson, President of Frontier Energy with energy specific insight to meet NYSERDA’s strict requirements. Chris Straile from Sustainable Comforts spearheaded our LEED accreditation process. Dominick DeLucia was exceptionally helpful navigating the various pieces of mechanical systems. And our civil engineering friends at Dunn and Sgromo, particularly Ric Mar and Greg Sgromo who always do fantastic work in promoting sustainable landscape ideas, of which the rain gardens and other civil features can be directly attributed to Greg Sgromo’s belief in doing the right thing for our environment. Most of the images, drawings and photographs are copyright Open Atelier Architects unless noted throughout.
openatelier architects
Resilient Corners
openatelier architects
PROLOGUE There are many reasons why a city can go through boom and bust cycles. There are many players that affect the shape a city might take, and no one, be it developer, city council, urban planner or ruling authority, can predict or direct the outcome. What can be done is to promote a certain type of ambiance and decorum by subscribing to a few rules of civic responsibility in order to hopefully affect a positive outcome in some way or another. As ever changing as cities are, their rise and fall will forever be linked with socio-political and economic forces often times even outside its own control. Like many cities and towns along the northeastern stretch of what was once a major commerce route to the west, the Erie Canal system, later known as the New York State Barge system, Syracuse had gone through a period of economic depression as a result of shifting world politics, and new and expanding transnational market strategies. The stretch of land running from Albany to Buffalo along the Mohawk River has for the past few decades been referred to as the Rust Belt region, a nod towards the vacant and rusting industrial buildings left in the wake of twentieth century upstate New York economic change and the diminutive role of the Erie Canal since 1925 when the canal closed to commerce. As commerce declined, manufacturing too moved out of New York, to adjacent states or overseas. Many of the established manufacturing plants closed leaving cities like Syracuse with dire economic challenges.
Transit Waterway
The Erie Canal and the importance it played in establishing upstate New York as a critical route for manufacturing across the country, and around the world, cannot be under estimated. First established as part of the New York upstate canal building boom that carried all commerce and trade in 1825 to the west, the Erie Canal provided a strong relationship with growth along its banks where it is estimated that 80% of all Central New York population now lives within 25 miles of its right of way. This is a testament to the importance that the canal played in establishing cities such as Syracuse as a commerce hub. 2
City Form
Syracuse grew around the Erie Canal, Erie Boulevard runs atop of what once was in fact the Erie Canal. The only remnants of this vestige are the few stone assemblages strewn along its path and a monument attesting to its locale. In addition, the Canal Museum today takes the place of one of the busiest port stops during the canal’s busiest times. When the Erie Canal was decommissioned, the city population slowly migrated slightly south. Neighborhoods such as the Near West Side, a vast area of traditional workforce housing, felt the impacts of a degraded economy and the problems caused as economic forces left a wake of impoverished unemployed workforce in a classic struggle of changing lifestyles.
Stages of Urban Decay
In the ensuing years since the demise of the Erie Canal, relatively little had been done to address an economic undercutting of the dilapidated condition which cities like Syracuse were left in. As a result, many cities and towns along its path were faced with decades long decline in economy and population. Even before this period, signs had pointed towards an uncertain future. The first battering occurred around the first quarter of the twentieth century when roads, rail and the Saint Lawrence Seaway opened to trade. By 1925 the Erie Canal closed to commerce as these more popular and less expensive forms of transportation became more popular. This era of changing economies may not have caused any immediate havoc, but the signs of a changing world market were soon evident. The second battering occurred just after the 1977 oil embargo. Every year since the late 70’s the economy and population of Syracuse had been dwindling steadily. In many respects, people felt that Syracuse proper had lost a lot of its potential or appeal. Buildings were being vacated by the droves for one reason or another, and as anyone who has found themselves in a dark alley in a middle of a city knows, without people around, your gut reaction is a feeling of being less safe.
Over time, people moved to the outlying areas of the city or out of the region completely. This included the “brain drain” effect, the fleeing of population of youthful and creative people, the critical demographics that make up the future potential of the city. These are typically the people that eventually transform the city through new and exciting businesses and continued family support system that invariably carry on to future generations. Although sufficient enough, people that did stay or found themselves moving to the fringes of the city often minimized their expectations of what Syracuse had to or could offer. Population finally dwindled to a less than ideal density by the late 1990’s.
Declining Land Values
The phenomenon of an economically depressed area leads to a plethora of problems. One of the greatest problems Syracuse faced was not just the deflating population, but as attrition picked up momentum, the city felt the financial pinch from a reduced income tax base as a result of a large inventory of vacated properties. In the ensuing time, buildings were torn down and replaced by surface parking lots as property owners or city officials tour down dilapidated buildings for safety or financial reasons, as though people had truly lost sight of what it means to have a vibrant downtown. These surface parking lots were haphazardly springing up in an unplanned fashion and with so many vacant lots property values quickly declines or at least failed to keep pace with the rest of the country. With land values so low, and parking being a sure bet that brought in sufficient income, and few prospects for business or commerce growth, new building was perceived as ludicrous and impractical and made no financial or practical sense. This mentality destroyed any potential for urban progress and growth. Though downtown building owners made the best of this bad situation, they invariably made matters worse by allowing their vacant buildings to remain derelict, and worsen over time.
New Beginnings
For developers to consider investing in redevelopment, the answer to one question is enough to make a decision; how much money does it take to renovate a building, and how much money can be made from the renovation. If the cost of buying and remodeling is higher than the potential for making enough money to cover the costs in rental or sales for a reasonable profit in a reasonable period of time, no one is really going to touch it. This was pretty much one of downtown Syracuse’s biggest problems when it came to putting a plan in place to renovate the many vacant buildings. There are many reasons that factored into why it was so difficult to establish a revitalization movement in the downtown area. One reason is the high cost of construction which often tends to be the same as in higher rent areas throughout New York, except of course New York City which invariably has it’s own unique set of economic dynamics not readily comparable with smaller towns such as Syracuse. Incrementally the now lowered land base values compounded the problem. Combined, the math for high construction costs, low property values and low rents or sales potential created a gap too big to attract investors. The challenge is not only economic, but social, how to overcome the lack of density and critical mass in population to entice development and growth. In other words, although property values were cheap downtown, and as is often the case, would be developers salivate when they first see the low prices of property, the rate of return on residential or commercial spaces was so low that construction costs outstripped investment values, making a project’s financial worth almost impossible. The answer to this dilemma was to be found in a private-public relationship. Without the support of city, state or federal funding or tax relief dollars, cities like Syracuse have very little chance of boosting growth.
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URBAN PLANNING 1950’S STYLE
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Syracuse in Transition
As difficult as it is to believe today, in the mid 1950’s Syracuse displaced several thousand people in a grand gesture to modernize downtown. It was common practice in city planning projects to segregate the various functions of society and spread those functions over a wide breadth of land. This meant that on the zoning books, where once there was a mix of homes, stores, industry, schools, entertainment venues and the like, lines of demarcation would be drawn and new allocations would be divided up among the functions. Homes might be moved across one side of town, while grocery stores and shops would be apportioned to the opposite end of town, and entertainment would be cast to yet another sector. One should be cognizant of the ideas being discussed in high level planning and zoning boards at the time. This was at a time in American planning history that a break with traditional value systems was all the rage. Being inventive and experimental was normal and the modern movement had a full hand in exploding the status quo into a hand full of ideas that we are today left with today to deal with as best we can. An anecdote of this thinking was the major interstate highway system intervention of I-81 that bisected the city, causing further problems by dividing the population creating one more blow to the already disenfranchised population.
as we have seen was relegated to parking lots; lots and lots of parking lots. The Near West Side, the neighborhood where our project is located, was spared the demise of urban renewal , but still suffered a considerable loss as victim by association. Being located directly adjacent to downtown meant being directly affected by changes that downtown Syracuse went through.
Urban Renaissance
Fast forward to the second decade of 2000’s. Today, according to the Syracuse Downtown Committee, a downtown agency which is part of the CenterState CEO, that acts as a support group for business and entrepreneur investors in the core of Syracuse’s downtown area, over $200 million dollars of construction has been invested in downtown over the past 10 years for new residential, commercial and hotel development. Considering the size of Syracuse population, and little progress in the downtown region over the past 50 years, this is an astounding and remarkable achievement.
After all the homes were swept away in downtown to make way for a new and shining metropolis, few realizations actually took hold. One might surmise that the disadvantaged credit given to the city’s demise can be squarely placed on the shoulders of those whose thinking limited their ability to foresee the trends of today’s urban class structure. In place of those homes now stand a few tower apartments, a civic corridor, a convention center, and a hand full of commercial buildings. Thirty years after the fact, government buildings in the modern sense, a modern museum by I.M. Pei, perhaps one of the few true modern gems in all of Syracuse or even Central New York, are all that remained in downtown. The in-between of the buildings 5
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY & CITY PARTNERSHIP One of the most noticeable and largest entities to invest in the city in recent years is Syracuse University. As the largest employee in Syracuse, Syracuse University made a commitment to invest in downtown, renovated one of the vacated warehouses for use by its architecture department, then the performing arts department. Associated with this new urban reinvestment was the creative and forward thinking idea of establishing the “Upstate Connective Corridor”, a concept of eventful nodes that connected Syracuse University proper to the Warehouse which sat right on the boarder of the Near West Side. This single gesture was really the beginning of the urban change and a changing mentality. With the renovations of the Warehouse on the corner of W. Fayette and West Street and investment support for other earlier sustainable Near West Side housing projects, including the development of Upstate Connective Corridor, new interest and vitality began being injected into several downtown areas. Projects of note included a new home for the Centro bus station
Near Westside
Armory Square
Connective Corridor Civic Strip
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located just east of the Near West Side, Washington Station which serves as the new headquarters for O’Brian & Gear, The Dey Brothers apartment and mixed use development, hundreds of new student housing units, and other residential apartments carved out of the many existing vacant buildings throughout downtown, not to mention the opening of the Marriott Hotel Syracuse in 2016, a grand old dame hotel that sat vacant to many years. All told, together these projects constitute the first wave of new downtown investments that are attracting even more investors to the area.
Connective Corridor
Probably the most visible, if not most challenging, project that changed the face of the urban fabric has been the efforts of Syracuse University to establish a connection from the university campus down to The Warehouse on W. Fayette Street.
Downtown
Near Eastside
University Hill
In 2004, Syracuse University brought on a new chancellor, Nancy Cantor, and a new dean of the school of Architecture, Mark Robbins. Together, they proposed a forward looking urban program as a means to something unique and sustainable, a realization that downtown Syracuse could serve as laboratory for urban revitalization and exploration and bolster the position of the university by attracting students to a school that is also part of a vibrant and happening city. The Near West Side neighborhood also benefited through this effort. The New West Side was re branded as the “SALT” district by a not-forprofit organization operated out of the Office of Community Engagement and Economic Development at Syracuse University known formally as The Near West Side Initiative.
Catalysts for Urban Regrowth
Along with the SU vision are the many believers of the Syracuse’s downtown core redevelopment initiatives who have been making great investments over the years, such as those made in Armory Square and Franklin Square to name but two of the largest. Many project developers have been stakeholders and at the forefront of revitalizing downtown for almost thirty years. We should recognize their efforts and salute their vision and dedication as well. Armory Square, Clinton Square, Hanover Square and Franklin Square are but four neighborhoods that were transformed before the new wave of SU investments began, to much great success. These developers took great chances, probably made marginal profits, but believed in the power of transformation during a time when almost no one else would think of investing in cities like Syracuse. Add to these, smaller districts, Fireman’s Park, Columbus Circle, Near West Side, Cathedral Square; these are just a few of the neighborhood names that mean something to locals
and those familiar with downtown. They are the established neighborhood identities that are the backbone and foundation in the effort in revitalization. As strange as it may seem, while the city was going through the urban downturn, it was also going through mini urban renewal projects that served to strengthen the identity of each distinct neighborhood in a first wave of urban renewal projects. Today the second wave of renewal of unprecedented growth includes hospitals, educational and residential project that strengthen each neighborhood as new buildings rise and older buildings become revived to further strengthen neighborhood boundaries. When Syracuse University had taken interest in the city and used parts of the city as an experimental playground by partnering with nonprofit home developers and such organizations as the Syracuse Center of Excellence, it led to vast areas of residential neighborhoods bordering downtown see revitalization in new construction, renovations and general renewed interest. By sharing in the goal of a revitalized solution for not just for the benefit of downtown, but the entire city, a wave of enthusiasm peaking interests of homeowners, small businesses and interested parties curious about the urban experience. If the idea of building housing downtown was initially received with skepticism, that soon changed. But once the first wave of housing was completed such as at Armory Square and Franklin Square, the foundations for urban rebirth were laid. The apartment units filled up quickly. Today, the CenterState CEO has statistics that show that vacancy rate for residential units in downtown Syracuse is hovering around 3%; that’s astounding. There is a demand for urban living and the success of these projects has opened doors for more creativity and opportunity in downtown living, working and entertainment.
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PUBLIC PRIVATE RELATIONSHIPS One of the most sought after programs for cities with historic stock sitting vacant has been State and Federal Historic Tax Credit programs. A complex set of rules which allow for certain projects to benefit by claiming historic status, thereby obtaining tax dollar reinvestments for redevelopment. New York State Main Street grants are another source of funding, which when available are limited to specific locations in the downtown region that show impoverished economic numbers. Without these tax breaks and funding incentives, and in our case a large grant from NYSERDA, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, it is thought there is little hope for revival in a city like Syracuse. Until recently, much of the state funding potential has been filtered to the lower portion of the state, near New York City and areas with more money and power. Upstate and Central New York seemed to have been marginalized. The more funds that are made available for developing in distraught districts along with historic tax credit dollars in support of new projects proved to be the factor that provided a changing economic foundation that has now led to a host of new projects spawning unprecedented growth in the city. For those who complain over tax dollars going to developers, the hard truth is that without these incentives, the cost of construction would not produce enough financial return on projects, and no one in their right mind would touch those dozens upon dozens of empty buildings sitting in central downtown Syracuse, thereby effectively leaving downtown a desolate shambles for a long time to come. The tipping point comes when an urban core reaches critical mass, sufficient local community population to sustain new commerce and sufficient tax dollars for reinvestments into infrastructure and urban revitalization initiatives.
Live, Work, Play & Critical Mass
Given an area, if enough people live and work in a small enough
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circumference, this creates sufficient density which becomes the basis for a self-sustaining urban community. Downtown Syracuse is slowly building up to this critical mass. It becomes the chicken and the egg game; which comes first, the critical mass or the development? Housing, housing, housing‌ this is the call not just from city hall but from those who chose to live downtown. Developers are listening and able to react with proven returns on their investments and a vibrancy not seen in downtown for fifty years. Almost all housing units that have been built over the last ten years have been rented or sold almost as immediately as they’ve been built. There are more housing projects on the boards and a few almost finished that have in some cases already sold or leased out as quickly as they’be been remodeled. As this pace keeps up, downtown Syracuse is evidently well on its way to creating the kind of density that is required for commerce to take hold and vibrancy to once again return to the city center. Today as the tides have turned for the city, like other cities around the country, Syracuse is going through a transformative period that touches just about every other sector in the region. This is an account of the past few years working with city officials, developers, neighbors and neighborhood associations to learn what the meaning of a revitalization means to them and how a city that had a rich and vibrant past that lost their edge is now on the verge of regaining it back. What has been learned in the process is that it is all about the will of the people. When government, non profits and neighborhood advocacy groups band together and are willing to take a chance and explore new ideas and opportunities, along with those willing to invest both time and money, then, and only then, can the status quo be changed to allow for growth where stagnation had replaced community and commerce.
Images courtesy of Syracuse University Center of Excellence
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The NEAR WEST SIDE The importance of the downtown revitalization district to the success of this project can not be overstated. The partnerships that had been formed from the Connective Corridor and Near West Side Initiative led directly to the potential opportunity within the community. As important as the sustainable features and technological and strategic sustainable advancements incorporated into the project are the economic considerations for jobs and prosperity to support home ownership and a thriving community. The Near West Side is known for it’s workforce housing demographics and in many respects its resiliency to overcome hardship in times of change has been proven time and time again. Today the neighborhood is seeing a resurgence of new developments and revitalization of older dilapidated homes thanks to the efforts of such strongest supporters as Home Headquarters. The programs they have put in place to assist
those who would otherwise have no alternative to financial support has provided the foundation for regrowth and rejuvenation. The neighborhood has a varied and remarkable history of resiliency. A small feeder canal that once served the Erie Canal used to run through this neighborhood and was eventually masked over when the Erie Canal was abandoned to commerce. As a result, many of the industrial complexes that dotted this neighborhood and provided sustainable job support to the community closed, thereby leaving a wake of isolation.
Image courtesy of Home Headquarters
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Knowing that the neighborhood has gone through much transition over the years, it was apparent that resiliency is something the residents know and why we selected the name “Resilient Corners� for the project. When complete, we believe that this complex of fee simple affordable workforce housing will rejuvenate the neighborhood and serve as a model of what can be accomplished when private and public funding come together to advance technology and bolster a community. The project is as much about technology as it is about the neighborhood.
Our greatest debt of course is to NYSERDA without whose funding this project would never have happened. And thus the opportunity to design a closed loop distributed geothermal system, solar panels, energy efficient building materials would not have been possible. Thus once again the partnership between a not for profit organization, Home Headquarters, and a government agency, NYSERDA, proved to be of substantial importance to the success of not only demonstrating cutting edge technology, but providing sustenance and a better quality of life to those who might otherwise have not other option.
Image credit www.saltdistrict.com
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WORKFORCE HOUSING This neighborhood at one time was a thriving industrial center whose businesses equaled America’s prestigious talent in innovation and industrial progress. Franklin Automobile, Carrier Corporation, Lipe Machine Shop and Syracuse Chilled Plow Company once called The Near West Side home. The hundreds upon hundreds of residents who worked at these facilities also called this neighborhood home. Today remnants of the great industrial era remain strewn around in what were once underutilized properties have been or will be converted to live or work units. Many of these large concrete or brick buildings have large windows and very tall ceilings making them great for urban loft type apartments. Though Resilient Corners is strictly single family homes, it is directly because of the investors who over the past ten or fifteen years who have risked in the first wave of development that our project made sense, and only because the sustainable grant was sufficient in size to include the required energy
efficient technology, primarily the geothermal system, that this project had a chance of being real. Two factors contributing to the success of this project as a result of the proposal are worth noting. One, geothermal systems are extremely expensive and the initial cost of designing and installing them often out way the benefits. Two, property values are so low in the neighborhood that without outside source funding, construction costs are exactly double of what a brand new single family home can be sold for. Therefore combining the large grant from NYSERDA with the development dollars provides two wins. Demonstration that geothermal energy technology along with other sustainable features can be viable if costs are in balance, and workforce residents can live in a well designed sustainable home typically reserved for higher end district neighborhood.
PROJECT AREA
Image credit www.geararium.org
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PROPOSAL PROCESS In 2014 our office received a call from Home Headquarters’ president, Kerry Quaglia, who was at that very moment in the offices of Ed Bogucz at the recently completed Syracuse Center of Excellence debating whether or not to take on a proposal by NYSERDA to incorporate geothermal technology into an affordable housing proposal. They wanted to know if we would be interested in designing a multiple housing project and a community center along with some very elaborate energy efficient technology for submittal for an open round of funding through a NYSERDA grant. NYSERDA, New York State Energy Research & Development Authority, provides assistance and technical expertise in support of increasing energy efficiency in New York State. Our first attempt was not successful. We did not win the grant. However, one year later, in early 2015, we were once again approached by Home Headquarters to tweak our proposal, we made some slight adjustments to the project and resubmitted. This time we were successful. Our team consisted of TAITEM Engineering out of Ithaca for Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Structural services. CDH Energy Corp. lead by Hugh Henderson for energy analysis and monitoring, Sustainable Comforts for LEED documentation, and Dunn and Sgromo for civil engineering and landscaping which included rain garden designs and of course us, Open Atelier Architects, as lead designers. We won $1.55 million dollars from NYSERDA to develop 8 residential single family houses, a laundromat community center and the renovation of an existing building for mixed use residential and commercial use. Our part consisted only of the new structures, the renovation to the existing building was to be taken on by another team at a later date. We chose to design the units out of structural insulated panels, our engineers selected high efficiency heat pumps for heating and cooling all augmented with the closed loop distributed geothermal system and solar evacuated tubes on the roof of the laundromat to supplement the hot water used for the clothes washers.
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The basis of the project is to showcase sustainability in affordable workforce housing and accelerate revitalization of a distressed Upstate urban neighborhood via focused investments to transform multiple underutilized and vacant properties at an intersection of the Near West Side into a showcase of innovations in energy efficiency and best practices in smart growth design. The Near West Side neighborhood was one of the first neighborhoods in the country to be awarded LEED-ND by the USGBC in 2006. Thus the proposal stated that “as envisioned in the Gold-rated Stage one LEED-ND plan, this project implements changes in land use that will convert an underutilized parking lot, a vacant building, and multiple vacant parcels on three corners of an intersection into a mixed-use development that includes eight residential units, a neighborhood police station, a co-op Laundromat, and a community bicycle repair shop”. The funding that NYSERDA provided supported the design of sustainable high-performance residential construction, district energy systems that use ground-source thermal exchange, and a host of other green technologies throughout the complex. The project contributes to multiple goals of the Central New York regional sustainability plan, including reducing per capita energy consumption, increasing the number of Energy Star residential buildings, reducing per capita greenhouse gas emissions and managing rain and waste water runoff better. Our attempt at reducing per capita land use was thwarted by the arcane zoning laws that the Syracuse zoning and legal departments refused to address. Nevertheless, the main premise of the project was to demonstrate long lasting reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through development of underutilized and vacant properties of three corners in the SALT District at the intersection of Otisco and Ontario Streets. This project adds yet another layer of sustainability work complementing and further enhancing previous efforts.
The northeast corner of the site is the subject of the geothermal system to support six new single family homes and a co-op laundromat & community center which also has solar evacuated tube panels to supplement hot water for the washing machines. The southwest corner is the site of two new
custom homes. The southeast corner is to be renovated by the developer under separate team. The entire project though meets LEED for Homes Gold V.4.0.
LEGEND GRASS DRIVEWAYS PERMEABLE PAVERS NOTE: ALL SIDEWALK AND CURB WORK TO CONFORM TO CITY OF SYRACUSE STANDARDS
LAUNDROMAT LOT 1C FILED MAP NO. 11295 TAX PARCEL - 100 - 12 - 26.3 4,785 SF
UNIT F
GEOTHERMAL WELLS, WELL HEADS BELOW GRADE
UNIT B
UNIT A
LOT 8 TAX PARCEL - 100 - 12 - 25 4,907 SF
UNIT E S 18d 48' 40" E 148.72'
UNIT C
UNIT F COVER 810 SF
ELEVATIONS
S 18d 48' 40" E 42.29
GEOTHERMAL WELLS (BELOW GROUND)
OTISCO STR.
N 71d 07' 30" W 33.0'
S 18d 48' 40" E 148.72'
LOT 7A FILED MAP NO. 10320 UNIT D TAX PARCEL - 100 - 12 - 26.1 7,821 SF
DRIVE
UNIT E
ONTARIO STR. UNIT A COVER 810 SF
COMMUNITY LAUNDROMAT
N 71d 08' 30" E 66.0'
N 71d 08' 30" E 66.0'
COVER 810 SF
UNIT B
UNIT C
COVER 810 SF
COVER 810 SF
DRIV
COVER 640 SF UNIT D COVER 810 SF
ELEVATIONS 72.50'
N 18d 48' 40" W 191.0'
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118.50'
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Part of the NYSERDA proposal was a series of community presentations in order to engage the local residents and business owners in the process. We held three meetings in all, each focused on a specific aspect of the project. The first one was held on June 27, 2016 where we presented the first of the concept of the overall project scope and ideas for the technology. The second presentation took place on September 14, 2016 where our presentation was focused on the Co-op Laundromat facility and it’s benefit to the community, and our third and final presentation was presented on October 27, 2016 where we showed the remainder of the house designs and how all the sustainable features were tied together to form a coherent project that would support needed workforce housing in the neighborhood with the advantageous benefit of being a highly energy efficient project.
701 Otisco St. under construction. The visible SIPS panels are indicative of the simple forms used not just for a clean look but for cost consciousness.
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Throughout each presentation we were met with overwhelming support and approvals. Neighbors and community leaders came out to see what the premise of the project was really going to be, and once they saw what we had to offer, they were all in favor and support. The homes’ modern features, their scale, their economic design and the color range that we selected were all meant to blend into the existing neighborhood of older turn of the century housing stock while at the same time bringing a fresh and new look to the community.
Neighborhood Presentation held on June 27, 2016 with Anthony Catsimatides, presenting
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ZONING The northeast corner of this project was a parking lot left after the wake of previous 19th century homes were demolished. The parking lot spanned three separate city lots, all owned by Home Headquarters, that comprised our proposal to NYSERDA. We initially asked the zoning department to consider B a re-subdivision of these three lots, each have a different ERIE zoning designation, one RB, one BA and the third RAA. The zoning department’s response was that they could not allow subdivision between two different lot designations due to a plethora of legal ramifications. We also learned that zoning in this neighborhood does not allow residential units to be built on a lot less than 4,000 square feet on any of these designations, unless the undersized lot,$ already existing.
would not persuade the city to either rezone or in some way combine the lots into one large single lot to allow for the multiple single family homes and laundromat without being hampered by lot line restrictions.
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Combining the three different lot designations and subdividing the property as originally proposed would not be allowed under ,$ regulations. present zoning Though multifamily homes are =RQLQJ 'HVLJQDWLRQV allowed, such as the townhouses that we originally proposed, the size of any one lot would not5HVLGHQWLDO 'LVWULFWV provide the minimum lot size requirement to fulfill the NYSERDA proposal’s criteria.
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The last part of this project required us to provide a mechanical room to service the geothermal system. Therefore we would have had to put a 300 square foot ancillary building on one of the lots with an easement for service to do this. The Community Laundry facility would therefore have needed to be housed inside the first floor of a two story unit at the 625 Otisco Street lot. And since this was going to be renovated and leased out for mixed use commercial space, the use would have lended itself well for this option. For augmented energy savings, solar evacuated tubes for the laundry facility would be placed on the 625 Otisco Street building roof. In the end, as hard as we tried, the city of Syracuse could not find a way to reconcile the zoning which left us fewer options. Thus in stepped the lawyers who through negotiations and common law wit found a way to create a single Homeowners Association that spanned all three lots and therefore allowed
Home Headquarters to manage the geothermal system and sell each home under a fee simple program, which the local real estate agent was keen on. Once this problem was solved we were on our way. Ground was broken in the fall of 2017 for the first house and the project is presently well under way to completion by 2018. The image below shows how the initial neighborhood was established in the early 1800’s with smaller 2000 square foot lots and how we had originally proposed to disperse the houses in an effort to reclaim the urban density that this neighborhood should have been allowed to re establish. The lower image shows the end result, a less rhythmic pattern but none the less workable and a compromise that at least creates new workforce housing in a manner similar to the original intent.
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NEIGHBOORHOOD FABRIC The housing stock throughout the neighborhood is primarily a low density single family layout pre suburban sprawl. The neighborhood grid was originally laid out in the early 1800’s and primarily provided shelter and a decent place to live for the workforce housing community. Row houses of two story single family dwellings also created a tight knit community with low volume of traffic, front and back yards for each house and a driveway. Many houses still retain a front porch and steps which provide for a sense of scale. Resilient Corners used these characteristics in designing the houses but with a more modern look. By eliminating attic space and basements, we minimized the initial construction costs of
20
the units while at the same time provided for a vehicle by which energy consumption would be allocated only to the areas most critical for living. Being conscientious of the costs and yet sensitive to the character of the neighborhood we provided the traditional indented front door with covered overhang to symbolize the importance of the front porch. Though we did away with the stoop, we felt that the cost of building front porches would have increased the construction costs beyond the reasonably ability for the families who these houses were intended to serve, mostly lower income status. Therefore being sensitive to cost as well as energy efficiency we were addressing a multitude of issues.
SALT DISTRICT’S HOUSING TYPES Image courtesy of Home Headquarters
21
ARCHITECTURE
22
23
During the 1950’s, housing in impoverished neighborhoods throughout the United States took the form of institutional mega blocks equipped from the start with raw vestiges of what it means to be living in an era of progress and integrity. Architecture must address the common thread of habitation for civility and comfort. Homes not only provide warmth and shelter but also proceed us as the mark of who we are and at what level of decency and integrity we strive to leave a legacy. In a hundred years from now, will there be an ebb or flow of civility studying what we’ve left behind. For what they see then we will certainly live with now.
The elimination of basements and attics provided yet another level of savings. Instead the buildings sit squarely ‘on the ground’ and not ‘in the ground’ by use of a shallow frost protected slab on grade. Two inch thick high density foam board below the slab and adjacent to the foundation perimeter secured a thermal envelope from extreme ground temperatures. Instead of the attic space, each home was outfitted with a small ‘come over’ that serves as storage for the house. Long span trusses meant that instead of several dozen short span roof and floor joists requiring many connectors and labor, fewer members were required saving material and labor and costs.
Resilient Corners is a modern vernacular architecture that addresses all the human needs for living and elevates the conversation of living well and within practical means. If we could not design these homes to be within a reasonable cost basis, those for whom these units would be designed for could not afford them. Therefore it was imperative that we find well built and well designed techniques that can produce homes of equal stature equated to higher end homes.
With geothermal systems, heat pumps make the greatest contribution to efficient energy usage providing not only hydronic to air heating but cooling comes along as a free install as part of the heat pumps inherent design. Therefore our initial idea of running radiant floor heating really didn’t make sense. Nevertheless the houses will be so energy efficient with the heat pumps that we anticipate the best possible scenario for managing heating and cooling all year.
By combining a multitude of techniques the home prices were kept to a bare bones minimum allowing a few extra embellishments in finishes. First and foremost as was mentioned earlier the geothermal system could not have been completed without the support of government funding, so it is important to realize that this feature though not cost savings in and of itself does provide cost benefits in life cycle energy management for the home owners, and for this it is a demonstration of potential of this type of technology. To the point then, the largest feature for cost savings turned out to be the SIPS panels, structural insulated panels. The General Contractor was a strong advocate of this system and not afraid to use it, thus his knowledge of the product and his working attitude with it increased savings in time and cost.
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View looking south on Ontario Street
View looking southwest on Otisco Street
25
26
27
L
6" LED SURFACE MOUNT DISK LIGHT FIXTURE, MOUNT TO TYP JUNCTION BOX
FE
FIRE EXTINGUISHER
SM
SMOKE DETECTOR
11
PLAN: TYP LUMBER CORNER SCALE: 1 1/2" = 1'-0"
CO LAUNDROMAT FINAL DESIGN CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR EXTERIOR WALL SCONCE
Geothermal Equipment
Rooftop Solar Tubes
WSHR
WSHR
WSHR
Laundromat
28
DRYR
DRYR
DRYR
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PITCHED ROOF HOUSE FINAL DESIGN
30
31
701 OTISCO FINAL DESIGN
REF.
RA
TV
OPEN TO BELOW
LINE OF MONITOR ABOVE
ATTIC PLAN
3
335 GSF
SCALE: 1/4" = 1'-0"
6 1/2"
TYP WDW UNIT PER CN 8.A
7" GYP BD FINISH W/ TEARAWAY BEAD, TYP AT MATERIAL TRANSITION
CORNER BDS, SEE ELEVS
TYP EXT JAMB, EXTEND TO LINE OF STOOL BELOW
3/8" PLYWD SHEATHING JAMB FLASHING, TAPE OVER FLANGE SEAL AND BACKER
CORNER BDS, SEE ELEVS
6
PLAN: TYP CORNER WINDOW SCALE: 1 1/2" = 1'-0"
6 1/2" 2X RIP TO 6 1/2"
TYP WB, WRAP OVER JAMB FLASHING
CORNER BDS, SEE ELEVS
TYP WDW UNIT
5
BD NAILS TYP EXT JAMB 6 1/2"
CORNER BDS, SEE ELEVS
NOTE:FASTENING AND SEALING OF SIPS PANELS PER MANUFACTURER EWA-1 OR 2 ( SEE SPECIFICATIONS, CN 3. ELEVS) TYP RSIDING BEYOND SEALANT
1X1 PENCIL ROD 2X RIP TO 3 1/8" EA SIDE
TYP SIDNG BEYOND
SEALANT EWA-1 OR 2 (SEE ELEVS)
RIGID INSUL INFILL
PLAN: TYP LUMBER CORNER SCALE: 1 1/2" = 1'-0"
GENERAL PLAN NOTES:
SEALANT TECH SCREW
4
PLAN: SIPS WALL CONNECTION SCALE: 1 1/2" = 1'-0"
1 - ALL EXTERIOR DIMENSIONS TO FACE OF SHEATHING OR T ROUGH OPENINGS 2 - ALL INTERIOR DIMENSIONS TO FACE OF STUD OR TO FINIS OPENINGS 3 - PORCH POST DIMENSIONS TO FACE OF FRAMING OR CENTERLINE OF POST 4 - WNDOWS EACH SIDE OF CORNER WILL REQUIRE A LUMB CORNER, SEE DETAIL 5 THIS PAGE 5 - EXTERIOR WALLS ARE COMPRISED OF 6 1/2" THICK SIPS PANELS. HEADERS OVER EXTERIOR WALL OPENINGS TO BE ENGINEERED BY SIPS MANUFACTURER 6 - KITCHEN DIMENSIONS ARE TO EDGE OF COUNTER, ASSUMING A 1" OVERHANG 7 - INTERIOR HEADERS AS REQUIRED, SEE PLAN NOTES
CONNECTOR SCHEDULE:
CONN-1: POST CAP BY SIMPSON, CC64, WELD TO POST CONN-2: CONCEALED BM CONNECTOR BY SIMPSON, CBT2 W/ (6) 1/2" MACHINE BOLTS CONN-3: POST/BM CONNECTOR BY SIMPSON, BC4 CONN-4: TAKE SECOND FLR LVL POSTS DOWN TO TOP OF FI FLR BM, CONNECT W/ SIMPSON BC4
32
33
FLOOR PLAN EFFICIENCY
OTISCO STR.
Much of a traditional house is comprised of circulation, or hallways, to get from room to room. In a house where budget is utmost critical, every square inch should be considered for use of some practical way, from sleeping, hygiene, and foot to a place of respite. Circulation can encompass more than 10% of a poorly designed efficiency home. With more interior space, construction and utility costs increase. With a reduced floor area comes many benefits, one of which is less building materials required.
ONTARIO STR.
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As this neighborhood was originally comprised of smaller single family dwellings, the new developments’ small house typology blends in perfectly. Economy of plan to reduce material and construction costs also played an important role in family dynamics. the open floor plan of the main living dining kitchen unit offers an opportunity to socialize while the upstairs bedrooms provide sufficient size to take solace when one needs alone time.
Floor plans of the typical house were not the only simplification of space that were designed into the houses. Clean simple lines of the interior and exterior detailing meant that fewer embellishments which cost money, such as shutters, windows trims or fancy eves, were not needed. It therefore became paramount that the designs worked as simple modern houses whose proportions and design would compliment rather than contrast the more traditional homes in the neighborhood. Though modern in every aspect, these homes were all well received by the community. Home Headquarters held three community presentations where we created presentation boards of each phase of the project and received community feedback. There was not one negative comment throughout the whole process. When residents were given the expectations
that these houses would be built well, with integrity and a complimentary styling to express the economy, sustainability, efficiency and elegance of the best that we could conceive, there was no dissension. We were welcome to continue on course and deliver a product that we believed in and we believe our home owners could build a better life in. Floor plans had to be as simple and elegant as we could possibly conceive in order that the builder could carry out the formwork with the easiest possible means and methods. This simplification of form also provided the contractor with the ability to reduce construction waste. For each house built, the amount of waste that was removed from the site was somewhere in the neighborhood of a hand full of debris for each phase.
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SUSTAINABILITY
GEOTHERMAL
RECYCLED MATERIALS
SOLAR ENERGY
REDUCED RUNOFF
WISE
36
WISER
Shallow frost- protected foundation, insulated from the ground
Stack vent for natural ventilation
Super insulated shell- blown in insulation in attic & SIPS panels
37
2'-0"
RA-1
TYP MTL EAVE CAP ( CN5.B.1)
U' LAYMENT (CN 5.C) LAP OVER ROUGH FASCIA
ZEE CLOSURE ON BUTYL TAPE
3/4" x 4 1/2" FCB FASCIA, (CN 5.B.C) ON U' LAYMENT(LAPPED OVER DECK EDGE ON 2 X 4 ROUGH FASCIA
2 X 4 BLKG EA BAY 2 X 4 BLKG CLOSURE
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN FEATURES EXTENDED TRUSS TOP CHORD
SEAL
TOPL
TOPL
FCPL
BACKFLASH UP UNDER FCPL, SEAL BEHIND FLASHING
FOAM INSUL INTO EAVE
Planning:
1X3 FCB TRIM ON FCPL TYP SIPS BEARING PL (CN5.D) FCPL
•
Minimize home costs - build only the rooms that are needed and minimize hallways. • No basements - shallow frost protected foundation. SECTION: HIGH EAVE SCALE: = 1'-0" - “high and dry” storage away from mold/ moisture • 1 1/2" Attics and less aggregate cost than basements. • Prefabricated components- SIPS wall panels, long-span wood roof and floor trusses. Both help minimize material waste and construction time. TYP BATTEN BEYOND
TOP FLANGE HANGER (CN5.D)
EXTENSION JAMB (CN 8.A), COORD. LENGTH W/WDW MANUF.
6 1/2" SIPS
SIPS (CN 5.D)
SEALANT & BACKER
TAPE FLASH WB O/ FLANGE
Materials: • •
5/4" X 5 1/2" (CN 6.A)
TOPL
TYP SIDING BEYOND EWA-1 OR 2 (SEE ELEVS)
PLAN SECTION: WDW JAMB, HD SIM
6 SCALE: 1components1/2" = 1'-0" Engineered ICF foundation blocks. Metal roofing - long life cycle and is comprised of recycled material. Composite siding- low maintenance, renewable and recycled material. Energy efficient windows- built from recycled materials. SECTION: GLIDING DR/SIDE LITE HD Insulation extruded polystyrene rigid insulation around 10 SCALE:-1 1/2" = 1'-0" the perimeter foundation as well as SIPS panels and blown-in fiberglass attic insulation provide added thermal protection. SIM
10 A4.0
SIDING BEYOND
EWA-1 OR 2 (SEE ELEVS)
YP WDW HD
= 1'-0"
• •
TRIM ( CN 9.F) FA-2
SIPS
TRIM (CN 9.F)
DRIP CAP
EXTENSION JAMB (CN 8.A) COORD LENGTH W/WDW MANUF
WD STOOL FLUSH W/ FACE OF APRON
TOSF
TOSF
13 A4.0
TOSF
WD APRON- DADO TOP 3/8" SQ. (CN 9.F)
Systems:
SIM
5 A4.0
SEALANT
2X BUCK
SHIM SPACE PER WDW MFR
TYP FLR JOIST (CN 4.1.B)
BEDROOM 3
6 1/2"
2 X 6 WD BUCK
12' 0 7/8"
•
705 OTISCO STREET SYRACUSE, NY
WDW (CN 8.A), SLDR, SIDELITE (SIM)
TOP FLANGE HANGER (CN 5.D)
FLASHING CAP (CN 5.C) UNDER FCPL
2
SHIM SPACE PER WDW MFR
TOSF
FCPL
14 A4.0
2X WD BUCK
6 1/2" SIPS
EWA-1 OR 2 (SEE ELEVS)
FOR HOME HEADQUARTERS, INC.
TRIM (CN9.F)
SUB FLR TO EDGE OF PL
These documents are pro of Open Atelier Architect (OAA) and may not be u without explicit permissio 2017. It is a violation of th for any person, unless ac under the direction of OA alter these plans in any w
SILL FLASHING UNDER WDW UNIT
DATE: 20 JANUARY, 2017 - PERMIT SET
8
EWA- 2 (SEE ELEVS)
TYP SIDING BEYOND
•
SECTION: WINDOW SILL
5 SCALE: 1 1/2" = 1'-0" Community geothermal well field with distribution system in laundry building. Homes to have forced air heat and air conditioningenergy transfer from geothermal system via water-to-air heat pump. House fan can be utilized during transitional seasons. Stormwater runoff directed by roof pitches to rain gardens and pervious paving allows water to penetrate back into the ground. Windows arrangement accommodates egress, maximizes privacy, and allows for increased daylighting. SIM
10 A4.0
PROVIDE(2) PT 2X6 SILL PLATES, BOTTOM @ 6 1/2", W/ UPPER AT 5 3/4" W/ BASE TRIM (CN 9.F)
•
EWA-1
CUT ICF BLOCK THICKNESS OF SLAB, SEE (CN 2.5.B)
5 A4.0
12" ALUM PERIMETER BASE FLASHING, 6" ABOVE & BELOW GRADE
6 1/2" SIPS
24" WELDED WIRE MESH REINFORCING LAYER AT PERIM (CN 2.5.C) IFA-1
SIM
TYP BENT ANCHOR BOLT (CN 2.2.3)
TYP SLAB ON GRADE (CN 2.5.A)
1" X 11 1/4" CELLULAR PVC SKIRT BD TUCKED UNDER SIDING, EXTEND INTO GRADE, DADO TOP- SEE CN 6.C
WELDED WIRE MESH (CN 2.5.C)
TYP 12" ICF
•
(2) #5 CONT HORIZ REBAR
135
3"
SIM
18" ICF
1 5/8"
VB (CN 12.A)
1'-0"
6 3/8"
9 1/4"
•
135
TOC
4 A4.0
FIN GRADE
2" XPS INSULATION SLOPE TO DRAIN
TOC
TOC
TOC
2'-0"
0'-0"
0'-0"
0'-0"
EXTERIOR WALL SECTIONS
LE: 1 1/2" = 1'-0"
5'-10 7/8"
TION: CEILING
FILTER FABRIC
MIN 6" SCREENED & WASHED GRAVEL, SLABE DRAINAGE & B'FILL
PERFORATED PERIMETER DRAIN PIPE EXIT TO DAYLITE (CN2.4.B)
A4.0
UNDISTURBED EARTH OR ENGINEERED FILL
OF
4
38 SCALE: 1 1/2" = 1'-0"
SECTION: TYP FDN/SLAB
TRANSVERSE SECTION
REAR LONGITUDINAL SECTION-WEST
SCALE: 3/4" = 1'-0"
SCALE: 3/4" = 1'-0"
3 2 TRANSVERSE SECTION
1
FRONT LONGITUDINAL SECTION-WEST SCALE: 3/4" = 1'-0"
EWA-1: FCB/FCPL BD AND BATT SID TYP WEATHER BARRIER - CN 6 1/2" SIPS PANELS - CN 3.S 1/2" GWB INT FINISH - CN 7.
EWA-2: 1X12 WD CHANNEL SIDING TYP WEATHER BARRIER - CN 6 1/2" SIPS PANELS - CN 3.S 1/2" GWB INT FINISH - CN 7. RA-1:
Through the use of sustainable planning principals, this neighborhood intervention is intended to demonstrate immediate and long-lasting reduction in greenhouse gas emissions through the redevelopment of underutilized and vacant properties in the Near West Side. This project adds yet another layer of sustainability work complementing and further enhancing the efforts already undertaken in the neighborhood, including but not limited to utilizing smart planning principles, including infill-redevelopment, diversity of land use and
proximity to employment, community assets and public transportation and LEED housing design and the installation of green construction principles in the new construction of RA-2: METAL ROOFING - CN 5.ATYP UNDERLAYMENT - CN 5 affordable housing. 5/8" DECK - CN 5.F
2 X10 WD RAFTERS - CN 3.D
RUFF-SAWN PTD PLYWD The project is designed to meet the ENERGY STAR for 3/8" Homes IFA-1: FINISH PER PLAN NOTES - C performance standards as a prerequisite of LEED for Homes V.4SLAB ON GRAD CONCRETE 2" RIGID INSUL - CN 2.5.E-H certification process, the latest LEED version.
IFA-2: FINISH PER PLAN NOTES - C 3/4" PLYWD SUBFLOOR - CN 9.5" D WD TJI'S - CN 4.4.1.C 1/2" GWB FINISH CLG - CN
LONG TRUSSES
HIGH PERFORMANCE INSULATION TOPL
12
METAL ROOFING
2
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
TOPL
SIPS WALL PANELS
METAL ROOFING - CN 5.ATYP UNDERLAYMENT - CN 5 5/8" DECK - CN 5.D 18 1/2" FLAT WD TRUSSES - C SPRAY FOAM INSUL - CN 5. 1/2" GWB FINISH CLG - CN
ATTIC MECH
TOSF
T
DAYLIGHTING CLOSET
STAIR
BATH-2
TOFF
TOFF
T
SHALLOW FOUNDATION ENTRY
BATH-1
TOC 0.0'
TOC
RAIN GARDEN
2
LONGITUDINAL ELEVATION-EAST SCALE: 1/4" = 1'-0"
39
TOC
LONG-SPAN TRUSSES
SIPS PANELS
40
INSULATED CONCRETE FORM (ICF) BLOCKS The utilization of ICF foundation blocks and perimeter rigid insulation to allow for a much shallower foundation than typical poured concrete footings. The added insulation given by the concrete forms is advantageous in several ways. They reduce waste by eliminating the need for formwork which tends to be thrown away after use, the thermal bubble that is created by the expanded polystyrene which provides better control of thermal transmission from the ground and it allows for less concrete volume needed by reducing the depth of footings. Together with the other enhanced technology the project benefited from lower construction costs and better thermal insulative properties.
Image credit www.gobestsystems.com/icf-block/
41
STRUCTURAL INSULATED PANELS (SIPS) The exterior walls were designed using SIPS, structural insulated panels, for numerous reasons. Ease of installation due to the lightweight material greatly reduces costs associated with shipping and installation. An entire elevation of a house can be comprised of 3 or 4 panels and can easily be installed by a single laborer. This approach takes much less time and materials than building the wall using traditional wood studs. Also, by having these wall systems built off-site, the amount of construction waste is drastically reduced as well.
42
Image credit www.jedpanel.com
43
LONG-SPAN TRUSSES
44
Image taken from www.weyerhaeuser.com
Long span trusses were employed for the roof and floor framing. Trusses are inherently stronger than simple framing by means of the geometry that they are comprised of. The roof trusses use triangulation to accomplish their higher strength, and the floor trusses use their cross-sectional area to be able to withstand higher loads. The top chord is put into tension when loaded while the bottom chord is put into compression. The use of trusses greatly reduces the amount of wood needed as a result of their engineering. The homes at Resilient Corners were designed with these structural members running the long dimension of the house (which is different from typical home construction). This approach allows for less members to be installed, thus reducing installation time.
Image taken from www.cpiat.com
45
WINDOWS AND DAYLIGHTING Andersen windows were specified for this project for a variety of reasons. Andersen was the first of the top ten U.S. window manufacturers to obtain Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) Chain-of-Custody (FSC-CO16636) in 2008*, a certification that means that every stage of the supply chain, from sourcing to production to distribution, uses wood from responsibly managed forests.
Image taken from Andersen windows
46
The designers selected 100 series windows as they are made from a revolutionary new material called “Fibrex” which is made from 40% wood fiber from reclaimed material created during production. The other 60% is a thermoplastic polymer, some of which is also reclaimed. This blend creates a dimensionally stable, low-VOC, and extremely strong material that is also resistant to rot, decay, and fungal growth.
Daylighting strategies- tall windows maximize light penetration, high windows allow for natural light while maintaining privacy. Low-E glass coating on windows facing South and West help to reduce thermal heat gain during the summer. OA performed a study of window to wall percentages for optimum daylighting while reducing the need for artificial light sources.
A-L
A-L
705 OTISCO 705 OTISCO STREETSTREET SYRACUSE, SYRACUSE, NY NY
High windows create a sense of privacy between closely located homes
These documents are property of Open Atelier Architects (OAA) and may not be used without explicit permission, © These are 2017. Itdocuments is a violation ofproperty the law of Atelier unless Architects forOpen any person, acting (OAA) anddirection may notof beOAA usedto under the without explicit © alter these planspermission, in any way. 2017. It is a violation of the law for any person, unless acting under the direction of OAA to alter these plans in any way.
4
EAST ELEVATION
4
EAST ELEVATION
2
WEST ELEVATION
2
WEST ELEVATION
SCALE: 1/4" = 1'-0"
NORTH ELEVATION
3
NORTH ELEVATION
1
SOUTH ELEVATION
1
SOUTH ELEVATION
SCALE: 1/4" = 1'-0" SCALE: 1/4" = 1'-0"
47 SCALE: 1/4" = 1'-0" SCALE: 1/4" = 1'-0"
SCALE: 1/4" = 1'-0" SCALE: 1/4" = 1'-0"
SCALE: SCALE: PROJECT PROJECT NO: 2016-16-7 NO: 2016-16-7
DRAWNDRAWN BY: AMH, BY:TK AMH, TK CHECKED CHECKED BY: AMC BY: AMC
DATE: 20 DATE: JANUARY, 20 JANUARY, 2017 - PERMIT 2017 - PERMIT SET SET
SCALE: 1/4" = 1'-0"
3
LOT & BLOCK LOT & BLOCK NUMBER NUMBER 100-14-20 100-14-20
D
FOR HOME FOR HOME HEADQUARTERS, HEADQUARTERS, INC. INC.
D
A3.0 A3.0
REDUCED RAINWATER RUNOFF Strategies were employed to reduce the amount of rainwater runoff from the site. Rain gardens and pervious paving in the driveways help attain these goals. Older infrastructure throughout Syracuse was being overburdened because of the combined sewer and rainwater within the same citywide drainage infrastructure system. However, over the years Syracuse has made great strides in separating out the two systems to alleviate flooding and backflow during heavy rain pours. Projects that can reclaim rain water and integrate it back into the on site soils rather than moving it through miles of ducted systems ultimately improve the performance of the overall infrastructure and provide relief by minimizing cost incurred for more costly maintenance burdens down the line. RUNOFF IS DIRECTED FROM ROOF SLOPES INTO THE GARDEN NATIVE PLANTS DO NOT REQUIRE FERTILIZER AND HELP FILTER POLLUTANTS CONCRETE CURBS KEEP PONDING WATER IN PLACE 6”- 9” OF HIGHLY PERMEABLE SOIL OVERFLOW DRAIN TO ALLEVIATE FLOODING UNCOMPACTED NATIVE SOIL
PERVIOUS PAVING ALLOWS WATER TO PENETRATE INSTEAD OF RUNOFF
48
RUNOFF REDUCTION EASES WATER LOAD INTO AGING CITY INFRASTRUCTURE
RAIN GARDENS
PERVIOUS PAVING
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS Both exterior and interior materials and finishes were selected with sustainability in mind. Plumbing fixtures were specified as “low flow” fixtures in order to conserve water, low VOC flooring was selected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the metal roof that was selected is inherently sustainable due to it’s ability to be recycled, and will be finished with a light color to reflect solar heat gain on hot summer days. All of the exterior walls, floor, and roof were highly insulated to save energy and were air-sealed at the seams to reduce air infiltration. The concrete slab employed the use of ICF blocks
as previously discussed, the SIPS panels used for the walls and roof have very good insulation value due to their outer shell of rigid insulation. In addition, the structural integrity of SIPS reduce thermal bridging by eliminating extraordinary number of framing members that bridge between inside and outside skins. Above the ceiling, blown-in insulation provides exceptional thermal blanketing to keep the interior of the house warm during the long winters in Syracuse.
Image credit www.greenbuildingadvisor.com Image credit www.stylizedcharacters.com
Image credit www.urips.com
Image credit www.greencomfortsolutions.com
49
DISTRIBUTED GEOTHERMAL The closed loop district geothermal system not only has the capacity to serve the needs of all the project, but the idea can be expanded to some day serve the entire block, including the potential for future development. Out of the eight new energy efficient homes constructed six will be served by geothermal. The other two being built across the street unfortunately were unable to be served by this system as crossing the street with the plethora of utilities and the distance covered from the well and well pump made the prospect unfeasible. A new Laundromat will be constructed with a solar evacuated tube hot water system on the roof that can be supplemented by the geothermal system and heat water for the washing machines. The geothermal well field includes 8 300 deep foot vertical bores. Each building served by the Geothermal System has a
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water source heat pump as the heating and cooling system. The Energy Star rated Laundromat and community center has a water to water heat pump heating, colling and hot water. The geothermal system provides augmented temperature differential obtained from the earth and therefore does not consume fossil fuels. It supports a future where most electricity is expected to come from renewable sources. Ultimately this project is expected to highlight the benefits and synergy of a shared geothermal resource. The legal ownership arrangement used here can also provide an example of how long-term operating practices associated with the shared asset can be managed and maintained. Many other aspects of the project are expected to be duplicable.
As part of the proposal, our proposal included language the supported potential expansion beyond the project. It is anticipated that one additional replication of the project could be implemented in the first five years with two additional replications somewhere between six and fifteen years after
completion. The proposal goes on to stipulate that the team also estimates three additional replications in years sixteen to thirty. These replications are estimated provided there is local will and resources to do these types of project.
LEGEND WARM WATER SUPPLY COOL WATER RETURN
UNIT B
UNIT C
LOT & BLOCK NUMBER 100-12-25, 100-12-26.1, 100-12-26.3
MIXED USE HOUSING PROPOSAL CORNER OF OTISCO ST. & ONTARIO ST. SYRACUSE, N.Y. FOR HOME HEADQUARTERS, INC.
SM
SM
DRAWN BY: CHECKED BY:
CB
UNIT D
8 SEPTEMBER, 2017-SITE VARIANCES
UNIT A
CB
LAUNDROMAT
DATE: 17 FEBRUARY, 2017-PERMIT SET
UNIT E
18 AUGUST, 2017-REVISION-2
UNIT F
7 MARCH, 2017-REVISION-1 OCTOBER 11, 2017 - VARIANCE SUBMITTAL
GEOTHERMAL WELLS (BELOW GROUND)
OTISCO STR.
N 71d 07' 30" W 33.0'
These documents are property of Open Atelier Architects (OAA) and may not be used without explicit permission, © 2017. It is a violation of the law for any person, unless acting under the direction of OAA to alter these plans in any way.
SCALE: PROJECT NO: 2016-18
ONTARIO STR. CB
CB
This diagram shows the flow of water through the complex. Starting with the geothermal wells located in the rear portion of the project, tempered water is sent to a room in the rear of the laundromat where pumps and monitoring equipment then distribute the tempered water on to each home to provide augmented temperate source of heating and cooling.
A0.1 OF
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SOLAR- EVACUATED TUBE COLLECTORS Evacuated solar tubes were employed on the roof of the laundromat to assist in heating the water for the washing machines saving energy by reducing the amount of energy required to heat the water. The evacuated tube collectors consist of a number of rows of parallel transparent glass tubes connected to a header pipe which are used in place of the blackened heat absorbing plate collector. The glass tubes are cylindrical in shape and positioned at an angle that takes advantage of the low sun angle of the northeast. Sunlight is as close to perpendicular to the heat absorbing tubes as possible to enable the collectors to perform well even when sunlight is low, as in early morning or late afternoon, or when shaded by clouds. Evacuated tube collectors are particularly useful in areas with cold, cloudy wintry weathers.
images on this page credit http://www.alternative-energy-tutorials.com/solar-hot-water/ evacuated-tube-collector.html
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3
SOUTH ELEVATION
4
solar tubes
cool roof
MECH WASHERS
DRYERS
rain garden
LAUNDRY
PLAY
geothermal
The laundromat building is also used to house all the equipment for the geothermal system. A small mechanical room in the rear of the building of sufficient size hosts the pumps and controllers that will service the houses. All the hydronic piping from the geothermal wells goes directly into this mechanical room and then distributed to each house. Moving water at more temperate temperatures provides a level of relief on each unit’s mechanical equipment reducing the overall energy costs.
UILDING SECTION
53
EAS
DESIGN ITERATIONS - FIRST PROPOSAL
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The final design was a result of many series of experimental building forms and sizes as well as building types. The original idea that was proposed to NYSERDA consisted of a series of row houses, three or four units to a building, which provided some savings in wall construction and by ganging units together we would also save on energy. In the end, the logistics of sales potential and in keeping with the single family vernacular of the neighborhood, it was decided to create a series of single family homes instead. These images represent our first pass at the single family homes. Though the forms were slightly modified and refined over the course of the project, the overall concept of long span truss single sloped roof to feed into strategically placed rain gardens was kept.
In this early version, we toyed with the idea of a communal parking lot and communal green space. When the real estate team tested the idea in the neighborhood, it became apparent that single family homes were more in keeping with the type of lifestyle local residents were looking for.
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DESIGN EVOLUTION OF THE LAUNDROMAT As we progressed in the design, the final form began emerging driven by site constraints as well as costs and needs. This version of the laundromat and community gathering space is slightly larger than the final version. Due to the zoning constraints, the overall size of the building was reduced for the final scheme, which in the end provided a bit of relief for Home Headquarters in costs. For all the buildings being proposed for this project, this building was the only one that would not generate any income for the developer. This then was primarily a gift to the community and an amenity which has been well received much
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needed. Affordable laundry is essential to good hygiene, and since this laundromat is to be used primarily by those within this project it will also be open and available to neighbors bringing this much needed service closer to their homes. Many homes do not have laundry hook ups and rely on these types of services.
community community energy energy
1
community energy
NORTH ELEVATION
2
WEST ELEVATION
energy
3
SOUTH ELEVATION
4
solar tubes
EAST ELEVATION
cool roof
57 MECH
DESIGN EVOLUTION OF THE HOUSE PROTOTYPE
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