Environmentally friendly buildings are the perfect antidote to environments that aren’t so friendly, as Saint Polycarp Village demonstrates. Situated next to an elevated interstate and a major intersection, the building envelope’s spray-foam insulation—5 ½ inches in the walls, 12 inches in the roof—deadens noise, and an intense filtration system reduces pollutants the traffic puts into the air. Add features such as triple-pane windows, a white roof with plants and photovoltaics covering 80% of its surface, and an energy recovery ventilator that continually refreshes the air in the corridors and baths, and you have quiet, comfortable quarters that beat energy code by 47%.
The macro moves were site-specific, too. Hugging the 3.5-acre parcel’s northern edge, the 24-unit building buffers a courtyard and exceeds open-space zoning by almost 300%. “Balconies face a peaceful area of this former church campus,” says architect Iric Rex, AIA. “The building fills a long-vacant gap in the urban fabric.”
PRODUCTS
Windows & Exterior Doors: Kawneer, Pella / Roofing: Firestone Building Products / Siding: James Hardie, Metecno / Framing: LP Building Products / Sheathing: Huber / Insulation: Icynene / Cabinetry: Armstrong / Countertops: Formica / Toilets: American Standard / Bath Showerhead: Niagara Conservation / Exterior Lighting: Kim Lighting / Paints & Stains: Benjamin Moore / Flooring & Carpeting: Flexco, Forbo, Johnsonite, Leggett & Platt, Shaw / Alternative Energy: SunPower / Elevator: Kone