Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) is a component of NextGeneration NYCHA, the housing authority’s 10-year strategic plan to preserve public housing. A component of RAD is the rehabilitation, improvement, and modernization of public housing property and buildings.

IMEG provided structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection engineering design services for the renovation of approximately 1,315 apartment units totaling more than 1.73M-sf of space across 60 buildings. The renovations featured upgrades to apartments, base building services, public spaces, and community/public assembly spaces that included a daycare center.

The project included coupling a high-efficiency boiler with a plate-and-frame heat exchanger connected to a 200-gallon storage tank, allowing for the lowest usage cost during peak times. The condensing boiler is approximately 97% more efficient than the traditional gas-fired hot water tanks, and by coupling this with circulating pumps for both hot water heating and domestic hot water, buildings can employ the storage tank water during peak hours, and utilizing the same system, supply perimeter heating during the winter months.

The incorporation of modernized building systems was developed with “over the air” Ethernet controls to give ownership the capability to review and respond to any codes that the boiler system can provide.

Special attention was given to the indoor air quality control per guidelines to ensure that mold, pollen, and asthma-triggering materials are lessened for the occupants. Central battery inverters were introduced to lessen the load of the diesel-fired generators, allowing for fewer carbon emissions, and assisting with monthly testing of the generators. The modification and renovations included Energy Star appliances, as outlined by the 2015 Enterprise Green Community criteria.

The design team was careful to minimize disruptions to the occupants while working in occupied buildings.

This project successfully addressed the complex criteria of creating technologically functional apartments that comply with and, in some cases, exceed New York City Code, NYCHA design guidelines, Enterprise Green Community Criteria, and the Developer’s guidelines.

The energy savings provided by the building management will reduce operational costs and the impact the building will have on the local utility grid.