Phase Three Achieves NGBS Certification
SAVANNAH, GA / ACCESSWIRE / October 6, 2022 / The third phase of Savannah Neighborhood Action Project (SNAP) in the city's historic district is now certified under NGBS Green, a nationally recognized green building program by Home Innovation Research Labs. The $25 million affordable housing development renovated under Georgia's Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) includes 55 buildings around Savannah's Dixon Park and Victorian District - some dating back to the 1800's.
Five of the 55 Savannah Neighborhood Action Project (SNAP) buildings redeveloped by Vitus.
While many developers would look at historic renovations as a daunting task, Erika Stern, Vitus Construction Manager, said she enjoyed the process. "There are definitely challenges, but it's very fun to work with these types of buildings," said Stern. "We worked closely with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) to ensure the renovations fit within the neighborhood. A big focus is on the historic exteriors. We returned the homes to their original colors. And so to have buildings with purples and blues, and greens - it's beautifully vibrant and a nice change from everything having to be painted one color."
Seattle-based Vitus has preserved more than 125 affordable properties across 30 states, including many in Georgia. Stern said Georgia was the first state that she's worked with that required green building certification for Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). It was also her introduction to SK Collaborative, who has worked with Vitus on sustainability improvements for several affordable developments in the Southeast. "That was my first entry into this green world," she said. "I have personally enjoyed our collaboration; they are extremely knowledgeable about the programs."
Before and after examples of exterior renovation: Homes returned to the original colors and refinished - all in accordance with local and state historic building preservation requirements.
SK Collaborative put that knowledge to work to improve the energy performance of all three phases of SNAP. "Before the renovation, some of the ducts leaked so badly that our equipment wouldn't even register the rate of air infiltration -- it was so high," said Sarah Kelty, SK Collaborative Green Building Consultant. "Getting the ducts sealed and properly connected made a big difference. And with all the other upgrades, we saw over 80% improvement in many units."
"Other units - because of the historic nature and structure of the buildings - were harder to pass, even with above "Getting these apartments to the QAP-required air leakage targets would not have been possible without a contractor willing to work with us on creative solutions."
Working with a contractor supportive of the green improvements was also vital to the redevelopment's success. "I'd never done a project before that included these blower door testing details," says Rich Hagen of Empire Construction, the general contractor for the job. "I was able to learn the steps to take during a remodel that can dramatically benefit a homeowners' energy bills. Doing the initial testing to see exactly where you can lose air in a historical home is just eye opening."
The historic first two phases of the development were not required to seek NGBS certification, but they did implement the other QAP sustainability requirements, such as upgrading the interiors with 14 SEER air-conditioners, ENERGY STAR appliances, LED and CFL lighting, water efficient fixtures, and tankless water heaters. "Phases one and two were considered contributing historic buildings," said Stern. "Typically, it's due to the year when they were built. Phase three was built later, so we were able to make energy efficient replacements to things like windows, which helped us qualify for a NGBS certification.
Kitchens before (above) and after (below) renovation.
Stern said historic properties like this are not easy to get certified. "Every component was reviewed [by the State] - from the windowsills to the siding, to the roofs, to the front porches. And anything we touched had to be approved in order for us to make a replacement. For phases one and two, which were considered 'contributing buildings', we really could only replace in kind - whereas for the buildings in SNAP phase three, we were able to upgrade and provide more insulated energy features."
Another challenge was moving residents in and out during COVID. "We had to relocate people temporarily to hotels or another unit," said Stern. "It was on a 14-month schedule with each building taking about six to eight weeks. We took additional steps to ensure the safety of residents throughout the temporary relocation, adding extra cleaning protocols and ensuring residents were out of their units while contractors were doing work in their units. Our contractors were required to follow CDC guidelines: wearing masks, using cleaning stations, doing extra sanitation before the residents returned."
Bathrooms before (left) and after (right) renovation.
In the end, Stern said it's worth achieving the energy and environmental upgrades of NGBS certification. "From the owner's side, these types of programs help ensure the longevity of the buildings and make the building envelopes better sealed," she said. "For residents, we want them to be comfortable and safe with adequate heating and cooling - not getting an icy blast in the middle of winter because there's no insulation, the windows are cracked, and duct work is falling apart. It's really incredible how far these buildings have come thanks to the thorough work by this team."
ABOUT VITUS
At Vitus, our mission is to create a positive impact - one community, one family and one life at a time. Since 1996 we have partnered with lenders, investors and public agencies to preserve and extend the life of existing affordable housing across the country in markets with the greatest need. Through holistic renovation, we focus on the well-being of residents and rejuvenating the surrounding community to both improve the overall quality and incorporate features that promote physical activity, community gathering and energy efficiency. To date, our team has provided stable homes to more than 25,000 residents in 30 states.
ABOUT SK COLLABORATIVE
SK Collaborative applies proven green building techniques to real-life situations. We work with developers, builders, remodelers, contractors, and architects to identify cost-effective techniques that can help earn financial incentives through tax credits, utility rebates and financing discount programs. Our services range from consulting, design reviews and charrettes to waterproofing inspections, testing, training, and building certification under LEED, EarthCraft, National Green Building Standard, ENERGY STAR, Enterprise Green Communities, Fitwel, and Green Globes. SK Collaborative is your one-stop resource in Making Buildings Better.
ABOUT EMPIRE CONSTRUCTION
Empire is a general contractor that specializes in multi-family Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) affordable housing renovation. At Empire, we've spent years implementing and refining our processes for LIHTC renovation projects. Our vast LIHTC renovation experience combined with our strong bonding capacity make Empire the southeast region's preferred general contractor for occupied and vacated LIHTC renovation projects.
For more information, contact Sarah Kelty at skelty@skcollaborative.com.
SOURCE: SK Collaborative
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https://www.accesswire.com/719376/SNAP-Takes-a-Historic-Approach-to-Green-Building
