Knickerbocker Commons is New York State's first 100% affordable multi- family building to be built and certified to the Passive House standard. Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council intends that Knickerbocker Commons will demonstrate to the affordable housing development community that ecologically conscious design can be achieved with no additional construction costs.
The 24-unit building was built on vacant city land in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The 6 story building totals 34,581 sq. ft. The building’s sculpted EIFS façade optimizes solar gain/shading, replacing the traditional heating system. Low-voltage equipment and water reuse decreases energy costs to 20% of that of an average NYC building its size. And Knickerbocker Commons was built for the same cost per sq. ft. as typical affordable housing projects in NYC.
Architect: Chris Benedict R A
Developer: Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council
Website: https://www.nyc.gov
Other info: https://thenyhc.org