Image: Courtesy of Chris Benedict, R.A.

Brooklyn apartment building will comply with “Passive House” standards designed to dramatically reduce energy costs. On April 29, 2010, the City Council approved the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s proposal to allow the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council to build an energy-efficient, affordable apartment building at 803 Knickerbocker Avenue in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The six-story building, known as Knickerbocker Commons, will provide 24 dwelling units, affordable to households earning between 30 and 60 percent of area median income; a senior citizen center; recreation space; and seven parking spaces

The project, designed by architect Chris Benedict, will be the country’s first apartment building to conform to the strict “Passive House” design standards created in Germany and expected to be adopted by the European Union in the near future. (read more…)

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. (read more…)

State court judge granted a preliminary injunction blocking the plan the day after full Council approval. On December 21, 2009, the City Council approved the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s rezoning plan for the Broadway Triangle Urban Renewal Area in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The plan includes rezoning nine blocks, primarily zoned for manufacturing, to R6A and R7A districts in order to facilitate the development of 1,851 residential units, 844 of which will be marketed as affordable. Of those, 488 affordable units will be developed on 35 properties that will be disposed of by the City to private developers. Prior to the plan’s approval, HPD issued site authorization letters to the United Jewish Organizations (UJO) and the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council (RBSCC) to develop 181 affordable units on three assemblages of lots in the urban renewal area.

Opponents of the proposal expressed concern about HPD’s planning process and argued that the proposal would not provide enough affordable housing. The Broadway Triangle Community Coalition, a group representing more than 40 community-based organizations, said the planning process lacked transparency, noting that HPD did not use a competitive bid process when it granted site control to the UJO and RBSCC. On September 9, 2009, before the City Planning Commission approved the plan, the Coalition filed a lawsuit challenging the proposal. The Coalition claimed the proposal violated federal law because of its racially and religiously discriminatory impacts and accused the City of excluding several community groups from participating in the proposal’s planning. (read more…)