Inside Third & Bond: Week 88

This week, the Hudson bloggers get feedback on their “green” progress.

Last week, Bob and Rosie of Steven Winter Associates, came by Third + Bond for the second inspection on our journey to a high performance building. Steven Winter Associates is our green building consultant and assisting us with both USGBC’s LEED for Homes program and NYSERDA’s Multifamily Performance Program. By this time next year, we should be fully approved as LEED-Gold and Energy Star (rating for the entire building, not just appliances).

The first inspection took place several months ago and was to verify that we were installing the foundation insulation as planned. Bob also checked that we were using good construction practices in terms of waste management and the like.

The second inspection was to check progress and to note any potential issues. Bob and Rosie’s visit followed a construction site meeting, so a large group of Hudson and Kiska representatives were available to attend the walk through. While Bob and Rosie didn’t say anything we hadn’t heard before, we think it made a tremendous difference to have them point to areas that need extra care, as opposed to showing photos of an example building. When Bob pointed out the mastic on the HVAC ducts and complimented the subcontractor’s excellent application of the gooey substance to seal the joint between two metal tubes, it brought the abstract idea of air sealing into specificity.

Likewise, when he pointed out the floor to ceiling line where two wall panels come together and said the crack between them must be sealed off by spray foam, we could practically see Kiska’s project manager mentally calculating the amount of spray foam he needed to purchase.

The idea behind all this foam is part of the seal it tight, build it right school of thought on high performance buildings. We choose to heat and cool our buildings pretty much year round and that takes energy. There are repercussions of this energy use, from utility bills to air pollution. By minimizing the amount of energy that escapes through cracks and spaces in a building, we minimize the energy lost and thus energy needed to do the heating and cooling.

One of the downsides of this approach is the need to mechanically ventilate. By drastically limiting the air flow into and out of structures, we end up with stale indoor air which is unpleasant and possibly unhealthy. Thus, small motors are installed to mechanically draw in fresh air and expel stale air. These motors themselves use energy but far less than a typical building that breathes.

The dominant approach to building has been to allow the miniscule cracks that let outdoor air into the building and forego mechanical ventilation wherever possible (NYC Code requires some minimum ventilation of bathrooms and kitchens). At Hudson, we frequently have discussions about the merits of breathing buildings versus sealed buildings. Sealing buildings in this intensive manner is relatively new and takes more work on the contractor’s end. Every crack, every pipe penetration through a wall, every joint needs to be sealed and there could easily be dozens in each apartment. It isn’t difficult work but it does take time and attention. Truthfully, much of the sealing is required by NYC Code to prevent smoke and fire from spreading, but it is most often completed in a, shall we say, less than rigorous manner.

Bob and Rosie also helped us plan for our blower door tests. A sample of the 44 units will undergo this pressurization and de-pressurization test that measures how much air is leaking into a residence. These tests are required as part of the green building programs and we must meet certain benchmarks or… forgo the green accolades… or rip out finished work to make fixes. Neither of these outcomes is acceptable, so we need to be on top of Bob and Rosie’s recommendations from the get-go. It’s our first green building and it’s the first of our construction manager, and most if not all of our subs. (In the photo, the blower test is installed in the front door and the man is using the remote to conduct the test and read the number of air changes counted.)

Blower door tests are complicated by the fact that their results are largely meaningless unless the unit is in move-in condition with all finishes installed. (The blower door test is installed into the front door of the unit duplexes are also tested from the front door.) But by that point, it’s not practical to go back and make changes. Fortunately for us, we are working on two model units for sales purposes. Those will be completed this fall and can undergo early blower door tests. It’s sort of like the open book test before the final exam.

Speaking of exams, time for the results of last week’s quiz. Whether buoyed by lechacal, crimsonson, Colonel, or heck of a job brownie, or simply by their own curiosity, we have selected two winners: shchune and Thomas Pensabene. Benson, you are invited too but need to email us at info@hudsoninc.com to grab your honorary spot. Huntgrunt, our first tour winner way back during the design phase, please send us an email, too, so we can include you on the tour!

Answers: 1) Rogers Marvel Architects; 2) Filing representatives; 3) Roxul; 4) Third + Bond; 5) we don’t know either; 6) Titan, mini, timber, steel H; 7) A; 8) B; 9) B; 10) Irish, Turkish, Ecuadorian, Jamaican, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Greek…

Inside Third & Bond: Weeks 1-86 [Brownstoner]
The complete offering terms are in an Offering Plan available from Sponsor. File No. CD080490. Sponsor: Hudson Third LLC, 826 Broadway, New York, NY 10003.