Retrofit of a Multifamily Mass Masonry Building in New England
Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity (MVHfH) has partnered with Building Science Corporation to provide high performance affordable housing for 10 families in the retrofit of an existing brick building (a former convent) into condominiums. The research performed for this project provides information regarding advanced retrofit packages for multi-family masonry buildings in Cold climates. In particular, this project demonstrates safe, durable, and cost-effective solutions that will potentially benefit millions of multi-family brick buildings throughout the East Coast and Midwest (Cold climates). The retrofit packages provide insight on the opportunities for and constraints on retrofitting multifamily buildings with ambitious energy performance goals but a limited budget. The condominium conversion project will contribute to several areas of research on enclosures, space conditioning, and water heating. Enclosure items include insulation of mass masonry building on the interior, airtightness of these types of retrofits, multi-unit building compartmentalization, window selection, and roof insulation strategies. Mechanical system items include combined hydronic and space heating systems with hydronic distribution in small (low load) units, and ventilation system retrofits for multifamily buildings.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Building Technologies Program
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 1090969
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/GO-102013-3919; KNDJ-0-40337-00
- Resource Relation:
- Related Information: Work performed by Building Science Corporation, Somerville, Massachusetts
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
RETROFIT
BUDGET CONSTRAIN
MULTI-FAMILY
MASS MASONRY BUILDING
ENCLOSURE
SPACE CONDITIONING
WATER HEATING
FREEZE-THAW
REBATES
INCENTIVES
WALL RETROFIT
AIR BARRIER
AIRTIGHNESS
AIR SEALING
COMPARTMENTALIZATION
WINDOW SELECTION
ROOF INSULATION
COMBINED HYDRONIC AND SPACE HEATING SYSTEM
HYDRONIC DISTRIBUTION
VENTILATION SYSTEM
INDIVIDUAL HRV UNIT
CENTRAL HRV SYSTEM
Buildings