Dive Brief:
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Perch Harlem, a seven-story, 34-unit multifamily building built to Passive House standards, is now leasing, according to Builder magazine
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Located in the Harlem Heights neighborhood of Harlem, NY, the project includes units ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments, with rents priced from the $2,600s.
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This is the first market-rate rental building in New York City to be designed to the stringent energy-efficiency Passive House standard and is the first Perch Living branded low-impact, multifamily building line in the country.
Dive Insight:
Fitted with a fitness center, lounge, and rooftop terrace offering views of Midtown Manhattan and the George Washington Bridge, the project mirrors the amenity-rich nature of today’s market-rate apartment complexes — with one big difference. The project is designed to the Passive House standard, which requires using as little energy as possible for heating and cooling, focusing on features such as site orientation, strategic use of natural light and thermally efficient materials in the building’s construction.
The 40,000-square-foot project includes 34 residential units. Green features include central heating and cooling with ERVs (Energy Recovery Ventilation) to improve air flow. The building is expected to use 90% less energy than an existing building put to similar use, and 80% less energy than a new apartment.
The green building industry has made great strides in constructing buildings that mind their environmental impact. The next step, Construction Dive reported earlier this month, is to better utilize data to determine the payoffs and to ensure that the building’s energy-efficiency features are being properly implemented. Capturing data from building maintenance and operations, in addition to post-occupancy reviews of space use, can be helpful to owners in assessing their investment.
