Innovative Design, Net Zero Ambitions: Going Behind the Project at 144 Vanderbilt Avenue

Providing more intelligent, sustainable, and comfortable living and communal environments for its Brooklyn residents and community members to enjoy.   

Photo by Clark Hodgin.

Set to open this year, the new multi-unit residential building at 144 Vanderbilt Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, will have eight stories of residential space above ground floor level retail. The residential units will be optimized to allow for beneficial exposure for daylighting and natural ventilation in every suite.

The project is targeting net zero emissions in operations and is seeking funding through NYSERDA’s Carbon Neutral Economic Development Program, which requires that the building be designed to achieve strict energy performance requirements. The development is intended to reimagine urban living with the goal of providing more intelligent, sustainable, and comfortable living and communal environments for residents and community members to enjoy .Entuitive was retained to provide Building Envelope Consulting services to assist the design team in achieving a design that will meet the requirements for net zero emissions in operations.  We spoke with Giulia Alimonti, AIA, LEED AP, Vice President of Building Envelope Services in our New York office, about the unique building envelope services our team provided on this project. 

Photo by Clark Hodgin.

Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Giulia. Can you tell us more about the project?  

Of course, thanks for having me. 144 Vanderbilt is a new construction building that features an asymmetric design with cubic volumes, large windows, beautiful precast concrete panels in the shade of pale pink. Designed by the architects SO-IL and Kane AUD, the mixed-use building will offer retail space on the ground floor and 26 residences. The location is a focal point on the corner of Vanderbilt and Myrtle Avenues in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood.

What were some of the technical challenges? 

The building’s design is pretty unique with all these setbacks and shifts in the floors and facades, so it’s not your typical tower. Each of those misalignments creates different angles and intersections that need special attention. When you have that kind of complexity, it’s not just about how it looks, but also about making sure everything is structurally sound. We must manage potential risks associated with air or moisture infiltration and wear and tear over time. Our team was able to help support the architect's aesthetic vision without compromising the performance - minimizing thermal bridging and heat loss throughout the envelope.

Photo by Clark Hodgin.

Innovative design, indeed! Can you elaborate on our team’s sustainability services provided on the project? 

Our team evaluated a variety of technologies and design approaches to determine the overall feasibility of achieving net-zero ready operation for the project. We worked closely with the design team to ensure that proposed approaches were appropriate to the design and would allow for achievable reductions in project energy usage and associated GHG emissions. Going above and beyond the local energy code was documented by our energy modelling team.

Thank you so much, Giulia, for talking to us about this iconic project! To learn more about the project, reach out to Giulia.