flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Precast concrete used for affordable, sustainable housing in New York

Precast concrete used for affordable, sustainable housing in New York

Largest affordable housing development in the nation will provide housing for close to 500,000 people. 


By By BD+C Staff | March 27, 2012
This is the 5th total precast concrete building solution that Blue Sea Developme
This is the 5th total precast concrete building solution that Blue Sea Development, the developer, and Oldcastle Precast have wo

As part of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s $7.5 billion New Housing Marketplace Plan to provide affordable housing for 500,000 New Yorkers, Oldcastle Precast provided structural precast concrete building components for the new development at Forest Houses in New York.

It is part of the largest municipal housing plan in the nation.

The development at Forest House is a “green” and energy saving designed, precast concrete building, manufactured by Oldcastle Precast, containing 124 affordable units available to households making 60% of the AMI or less. The 109,000-sf building also contains a superintendent’s unit, landscaped open space, and 43 underground parking spaces under the first level and features a unique rooftop, commercial greenhouse that will yield 80,000 to 100,000-lb of fresh produce a year and be distributed to residents and local markets in the Bronx.

Oldcastle manufactured 136,162-sf of precast concrete hollow core plank for the floors and roof, which was specifically design to handle the unique load of a roof top greenhouse and 70,000-sf of precast concrete wall panels to construct an energy efficient building envelope for the eight-story Forest House Development building. The exterior precast walls were cast with Glen-Gery thin-brick and sandblast type finish with colored concrete to provide a comprehensive exterior finish.

In addition to the housing structure, a Storm Capture Reuse System was installed to handle approximately 16,000 gallons of captured water. An equipment package treats the captured water making it available for irrigation to the roof-mounted hydroponic greenhouse, providing another unique feature to this environmentally friendly project.

This is the 5th total precast concrete building solution that developer Blue Sea Development and Oldcastl  have worked together on in the past 10 years.

The development team consists of Blue Sea Development Co., Blue Sea Construction Co., LLC, ABS Architects and TY Lyn International. The team was selected due to its history of developing quality affordable housing that is both attractive & sustainable. The project is scheduled for completion December 2012 and is seeking LEED Certification. BD+C

Related Stories

| Oct 7, 2011

GREENBUILD 2011: UL Environment clarifies emerging environmental product declaration field

  White paper defines EPD, details development process, and identifies emerging trends for manufacturers, architects, designers, and buyers.

| Oct 7, 2011

GREENBUILD 2011: Otis Elevator introduces energy-efficient escalator

The energy-efficient NCE escalator from Otis offers customers substantial “green” benefits.

| Oct 7, 2011

GREENBUILD 2011: Schools program receives grant to track student conservation results

To track results, schools will use the newly developed Sustainability Dashboard, a unique web-based service that makes tracking sustainability initiatives affordable and easy.

| Oct 7, 2011

GREENBUILD 2011: Transparent concrete makes its North American debut at Greenbuild

  The panels allow interior lights to filter through, from inside. 

| Oct 6, 2011

GREENBUILD 2011: Growing green building market supports 661,000 green jobs in the U.S.

Green jobs are already an important part of the construction labor workforce, and signs are that they will become industry standard.

| Oct 6, 2011

GREENBUILD 2011: Dow Corning features new silicone weather barrier sealant

Modular Design Architecture >Dow Corning 758 sealant used in GreenZone modular high-performance medical facility.

| Oct 6, 2011

GREENBUILD 2011: NEXT Living EcoSuite showcased

  Tridel teams up with Cisco and Control4 to unveil the future of green condo living in Canada.

| Oct 5, 2011

GREENBUILD 2011: Johnson Controls announces Panoptix, a new approach to building efficiency

Panoptix combines latest technology, new business model and industry-leading expertise to make building efficiency easier and more accessible to a broader market.

| Oct 5, 2011

GREENBUILD 2011: Software an architectural game changer

Interactive modeling software transforms the design­build process. 

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category



Urban Planning

The magic of L.A.’s Melrose Mile

Great streets are generally not initially curated or willed into being. Rather, they emerge organically from unintentional synergies of commercial, business, cultural and economic drivers. L.A.’s Melrose Avenue is a prime example. 


Curtain Wall

7 steps to investigating curtain wall leaks

It is common for significant curtain wall leakage to involve multiple variables. Therefore, a comprehensive multi-faceted investigation is required to determine the origin of leakage, according to building enclosure consultants Richard Aeck and John A. Rudisill with Rimkus. 

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021