Specifying Residential Appliances: Green Update

Energy-saving appliances reduce water use and enhance sustainability
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Advertorial course provided by Bosch
Peter J. Arsenault, AIA, NCARB, LEED-AP

CASE STUDIES

Taino Plaza: Multi-Family Residential Building
Bronx, New York

Taino Plaza is an energy-efficient, mixed-use affordable housing and commercial building in the Bronx, NY, jointly developed by the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corp. (SoBRO) and L&M Equity Participants, Ltd. Designed by Curtis + Ginsberg Architects, LLP of New York City, the building consists of 105 units of low and moderate-income housing, interior and exterior community space, and 18,400 square feet of commercial space. The architects worked with the client to obtain New York State funding for many energy-efficient upgrades, including high-efficiency heating and lighting systems, and photovoltaic solar panels on the roof. Specifying ENERGY STAR® appliances for this building was part of the overall, integrated strategy to design an energy efficiency building. The specifications called for these better-than-average appliances in the following areas:

  • Apartments, allowing residents to minimize their energy usage.
  • Community room, where residents and others use a common kitchen facility.
  • Laundry room, where front-loading, water-conserving washing machines are heavily used by residents.

The building also received funding from the Bronx Initiative for Energy and the Environment, and the Bronx Borough President because of environmental elements in the design, including:

  • Urban and site design for re-developing a former brownfield site, locating near mass transit, and judicious use of landscaping with trees for shade.
  • Additional energy efficiency measures, including effective monitoring and control systems, building envelope attention to detail, and outside commissioning of the mechanical and electrical systems.
  • Use of sustainable materials with recycled content, use of rapidly renewable materials, and recycling rooms on each floor.
  • Indoor environmental quality, including ample use of daylight, operable windows for natural ventilation, and individual thermostats in each apartment.


Bosch home appliances

Buildings such as this, which can potentially qualify for LEED certification, are helped in this process by installation of residential appliances that use less energy and water.

 

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Originally published in Architectural Record.
Originally published in December 2005

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