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

| Mar 19, 2014

Is it time to start selecting your own clients?

Will 2014 be the year that design firms start selecting the clients they want rather than getting in line with competitors to respond to RFPs? That’s the question posed by a recent thought-provoking article.

| Mar 19, 2014

How to develop a healthcare capital project using a 'true north charter'

Because healthcare projects take years to implement, developing a true north charter is essential for keeping the entire team on track and moving in the right direction. 

| Mar 18, 2014

6 keys to better healthcare design

Healthcare facility planning and design experts cite six factors that Building Teams need to keep in mind on their next healthcare project.

| Mar 18, 2014

How your AEC firm can win more healthcare projects

Cutthroat competition and the vagaries of the Affordable Healthcare Act are making capital planning a more daunting task than ever. Our experts provide inside advice on how AEC firms can secure more work from hospital systems.

| Mar 18, 2014

Charles Dalluge joins DLR Group as president, COO

CEO Griff Davenport announces addition of Dalluge to executive leadership team

| Mar 17, 2014

Rem Koolhaas explains China's plans for its 'ghost cities'

China's goal, according to Koolhaas, is to de-incentivize migration into already overcrowded cities. 

| Mar 13, 2014

Do you really 'always turn right'?

The first visitor center we designed was the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center for the Everglades National Park in 1993. I remember it well for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the ongoing dialogue we had with our retail consultant. He insisted that the gift shop be located on the right as one exited the visitor center because people “always turn right.” 

| Mar 13, 2014

Austria's tallest tower shimmers with striking 'folded façade' [slideshow]

The 58-story DC Tower 1 is the first of two high-rises designed by Dominique Perrault Architecture for Vienna's skyline.

| Mar 13, 2014

Simon Perkowitz to join KTGY Group

Perkowitz, the founder of Perkowitz + Ruth, will assist KTGY in responding to the demands and further development of its growing retail/commercial division. 

| Mar 12, 2014

London grows up: 236 tall buildings to be added to skyline in coming decade, says think tank

The vast majority of high-rise projects in the works are residential towers, which could help tackle the city's housing crisis, according to a new report by New London Architecture.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Urban Planning

Bridging the gap: How early architect involvement can revolutionize a city’s capital improvement plans

Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) typically span three to five years and outline future city projects and their costs. While they set the stage, the design and construction of these projects often extend beyond the CIP window, leading to a disconnect between the initial budget and evolving project scope. This can result in financial shortfalls, forcing cities to cut back on critical project features.



Libraries

Reasons to reinvent the Midcentury academic library

DLR Group's Interior Design Leader Gretchen Holy, Assoc. IIDA, shares the idea that a designer's responsibility to embrace a library’s history, respect its past, and create an environment that will serve student populations for the next 100 years.

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