Architect claimed that residential building would be first in the United States to conform to strict “Passive House” design standards. On March 24, 2010, the City Planning Commission approved the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s proposal to allow the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council to build a six-story affordable housing project on a vacant City-owned site at 803 Knickerbocker Avenue in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The 28,390 sq.ft. project, known as Knickerbocker Commons, would include a 4,957 sq.ft. senior citizen center, 3,769 sq.ft. of recreation space, and seven parking spaces. All 24 rental units would be affordable to households earning between 30 and 60 percent of the area median income. Fifteen percent of the units would be set aside for the disabled.

At the Commission’s March 10 hearing, Henry Gifford, representing architect Chris Benedict, said the project would be the country’s first apartment building to fully conform to the strict “Passive House” design standards used in Europe to promote energy efficient development. A passive house is a well-insulated, virtually airtight building that relies on passive sources, such as sunlight, people, and electrical equipment, for heat. Gifford briefly explained that the proposed building’s design included applying thick foam insulation next to the outside of the building’s walls, not just between the studs, and placing windows in the appropriate position to take advantage of seasonal variations in the amount of direct sunlight the building would receive. Each rental unit would also have its own thermostat and ventilation system to prevent overheating. (more…)

Located on former prison site, the complex will provide affordable and special needs housing. On September 30, 2009, the City Council approved the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s proposal to facilitate the construction of a 455- unit complex, known as Navy Green, in Brooklyn’s Wallabout neighborhood. The 461,449 sq.ft. mixed-use development will be located on most of the block bounded by Flushing Avenue to the north, the Brooklyn- Queens Expressway to the south, Vanderbilt Avenue to the east, and Clermont Avenue to the west. During World War II, the Navy operated a prison on the site and the City’s Department of Correction used the structure before its 2005 demolition.

Dunn Development and L&M Development Partners’ proposal for the site includes four multi-family buildings and 23 four-story townhouses. The developers will build two 12-story structures on Flushing Avenue that will step down to eight-stories as they wrap around the corners of Clermont and Vanderbilt Avenues, respectively. The plan calls for constructing 10 four-story townhouses along Clermont Avenue, and 13 townhouses on Vanderbilt Avenue. An eight-story structure will be built on the southern portion of Clermont Avenue, and another eight-story building will be located along the southern portion of Vanderbilt Avenue. This building will provide 95-units of housing for low-income singles and special needs housing, targeting formerly homeless adults who suffer from mental illness. (more…)