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

| Feb 21, 2014

Calatrava ordered to pay millions for 'shortcomings in his work' on conference center project

Famed architect Santiago Calatrava must pay 2.9 million euros due to faulty design work on the Palacio de Congresos project in Oviedo, Spain. 

| Feb 21, 2014

First look: Goettsch Partners reveals 'lighthouse' tower scheme for China resort

Topped with glowing beacon that will be visible for miles in any direction, the Rosewood Sanya tower is the centerpiece of a new resort and meeting complex on China’s Hainan Island.

| Feb 20, 2014

5 myths about cross laminated timber

A CLT expert clears up several common misconceptions and myths surrounding the use of wood as a building material.

Sponsored | | Feb 20, 2014

Chicago’s historic Wrigley Building renovated to attract tech companies

Purchased in 2011 by a consortium of investors led by BDT Capital Partners, the building’s new owners have recently renovated and reimagined the next life for this architectural landmark—as a hub for tech firms.

| Feb 20, 2014

World's longest desk? Massive, undulating desk accommodates 145 office workers [video]

The desk is built from plywood and one continuous sheet of resin, and can serve all 145 office employees at once. 

| Feb 19, 2014

It's a world record! Largest uninterrupted concrete pour kicks off Wilshire Grand project

Guinness World Records verifies the concrete pour as the largest ever

| Feb 19, 2014

Why you should start with a builder, part two

When it’s time to build or expand, the first step is finding a builder that fits your needs. Once you have found a builder, checked their references, visited with their previous clients and are ready to move forward, the next step is answering an initial set of questions that will direct your project.

| Feb 19, 2014

Slight rebound for Architecture Billings Index

After consecutive months of contracting demand for design services, AIA's Architecture Billings Index inched up nearly two points to 50.4 in January, indicating favorable business conditions.

| Feb 19, 2014

Sefaira Adds Daylighting Analysis to Performance Based Design Platform

Sefaira, the leader in software for high performance building design, today announced that its performance based design platform now includes daylighting analysis. With the addition of daylighting, Sefaira combines two critical design metrics in the same tool. 

| Feb 19, 2014

Harvard's 'termite robots' can build any thing, any way [video]

The robots build by observing thier environment and then obeying a set of traffic rules programmed by researchers.

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