Owner: Sustainable Comfort Inc. | Location: Worcester, MA | Completion Date: 2017
Programs Pursued: LEED for Homes Silver, Energy Star
Deep Energy Retrofit of Worcester Triple Decker
Built in 1917, exactly 100 years ago, as an economical way of living for the working class of the time, the SCI team used an integrated project delivery technique to repurpose the 4395-square foot building for today’s working class and last another 100 years.
The 38 Stanton Street Deep Energy Retrofit project encompassed SCI’s new vision for the triple decker; built to top level green building standards that allow for better indoor air quality, quieter interiors with less city noise, and private decks that allow residents to have their own inner city oasis.
Using a construction crew who themselves live in the Worcester area, and an executive team who came to Worcester for college and never left, the SCI team is pursuing the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes Silver Certification and ENERGY STAR Certification on the 38 Stanton Street project.
Several factors that support the LEED for Homes Silver & ENERGY STAR Certifications include reuse of the existing building, location near several amenities, 3” of rigid insulation in exterior walls to reduce energy consumption, air sealed and insulated attic, continuous ventilation, low flow water fixtures, vapor retarder on slab and basement walls, high efficiency furnaces and water systems, new windows, and the units will be sealed for compartmentalization to reduce the movement of odors, pests, energy, and moisture between apartments.
The SCI team is currently working to purchase and rehabilitate other triple deckers in the surrounding Stanton Street neighborhood, all in a neighborhood cluster effort to support the city in which they live and love, Worcester, MA.
“We love the concept of coming full circle, people who went to college in Worcester, staying in Worcester, working in Worcester, and building businesses in Worcester. We want to support the new working class of Worcester, and entice them to stay here.”
Taylor Bearden, a development partner, added, “We’re refreshing a most basic facet of the northeast’s urban landscape. The three-decker served a tremendous social purpose and has evolved over time to meet varying peoples’ needs over the past century. They house immigrant families, enable multi-generational home ownership and create good density even in our inner-city suburbia. The problem is that now they’re tired, and they no longer have a clear purpose. We asked ourselves, ‘What is that purpose?’ 38 Stanton Street and surrounding community projects, that is our answer.”
Property Management
At SCI we don’t just help construct greener buildings, we also want to better understand what it’s like to live in them. Then use that knowledge to improve our buildings and our communities. Each building we renovate also gets managed by us. Our property management team works to ensure a healthy and comfortable living situation for each tenant, while linking them to community resources around Worcester. This commitment to our residents and our community makes us one of the best Worcester property management companies.