Thornton Tomasetti, the international engineering firm, announces that Oak Street Lofts in Portland, Maine has received LEED Platinum certification. Thornton Tomasetti worked as the sustainability consultant and LEED for Homes Provider. The 37-unit Avesta Housing-owned apartment complex was completed in spring 2012, with CWS Architects serving as the architect.
Key Points
• Located in the heart of Portland’s Arts District, Oak Street Lofts is the first affordable multifamily building in Maine to be certified LEED Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). This means that the units will be nearly 40% more energy efficient than the typical multifamily building. Heat and electricity costs for each studio apartment are expected to average about $58 per month, compared to $92 per month for a typical unit.
• Thornton Tomasetti employed energy modeling to analyze window glazing types, solar thermal water heating and a heat recovery ventilation system. The firm also focused on envelope design to improve thermal breaks at the exterior wall, cellulose insulation for reduction of air infiltration and sound attenuation and higher performing windows.
• The entire construction system was planned from the outset to be both efficient and durable. Panelized, locally sourced wood wall framing minimizes waste, and all waste products generated were pre-sorted for the most efficient recycling and disposal procedures. More than 60% of construction waste was recycled.
• The 29,370-square-foot building, which includes 14,274 square feet of residential space, is highly insulated with a tight thermal envelope. The closely controlled building envelope is balanced by an energy efficient indoor air management system.
• The building site was deliberately selected for its convenient access to local amenities. City transit lines make more than 250 stops per day within a half mile of the building, and there are a variety of community resources nearby.
• Oak Street Lofts was principally financed through the Green Affordable Housing Bond proposed by the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition and authorized by the Maine State Legislature in 2009. The bond was passed in an effort to accomplish three goals: create jobs in the hard-hit construction sector; increase the energy efficiency of Maine’s aging housing stock; and build safe, quality homes that low- and moderate-income members of the community can afford.
About Thornton Tomasetti (www.ThorntonTomasetti.com)
Thornton Tomasetti provides engineering design, investigation and analysis services to clients worldwide on projects of every size and level of complexity. We fulfill the needs of our clients at every stage in the building life cycle through seven integrated practices in Structural Engineering, Façade Engineering, Forensics, Renewal, Construction Engineering, Property Loss Consulting and Sustainability. Founded in 1956, today Thornton Tomasetti is an 800-person organization of engineers, architects and other professionals collaborating from offices across the United States and in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
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Contact
Great Ink Communications – 212.741.2977
Eric Gerard/Lindsay Church
Thornton Tomasetti – 917.661.7800
James M. Kent, JKent@ThorntonTomasetti.com
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