The Tyler

East Haven, CT
High School to Affordable Senior Housing: A Passive House Retrofit

This former high school was built in three phases between 1936 and 1973. Closed in 1998, it fell into disrepair. Seeking to breathe new life into the facility, the City of East Haven charged the team with transforming the main wing of the building into affordable housing for seniors.

The project team has repurposed the four-story, 104,871-square-foot brick building into 70 units—40% are at 40% of the area median income (AMI), 10% are at 80% AMI, 30% are at market, and the remainder are set aside for households who are currently homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Challenge

Historic preservation and adaptive re-use are challenging under the best of circumstances. In this instance, the team was further challenged to retrofit the building to meet the Passive House Institute’s aggressive EnerPHit Standard for retrofitted buildings.

Solution

Petersen Engineering has cultivated longstanding, trusting relationships with project partners WinnDevelopment and The Architectural Team. Coordinating closely with these project partners, along with Steven Winter Associates as sustainability consultant, we were able to meet the aggressive goals associated with this project.

Results

The Tyler is on track to certification, expecting to use 20% less energy than an ENERGY STAR new construction building. By repurposing the former school building, the community will avoid 18,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions annually – the yearly energy use of 1,900 homes. Finally, a 90-kilowatt solar PV system on the roof will contribute to even greater carbon reductions by producing more than 100,000 kilowatt hours of clean, renewable energy every year.

Awards

Readers’ Choice Awards for Overall Best Development and Best Green Development
Affordable Housing Finance

 

2021 Award of Excellence
U.S. Green Building Council

 

Historic Rehabilitation Award
Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits

 

Merit Award
Preservation Connecticut

Images ©Andy Ryan

Project Details

Client

WinnDevelopment

Architect

The Architectural Team

Timeline

Design work was completed in early 2019. The first new tenants moved into The Tyler in September 2020.

Services Provided by Petersen Engineering

MEP/FP Engineer of Record