Cathartes Private Investments and Pro Con Inc said that The Residences at Portwalk have been awarded LEED Gold Certification by the USGBC. Cathartes P.I. is the owner and developer of the property and Pro Con was the architect and construction manager for the design build development. Completed in November 2011, the property consists of 36 luxury apartment homes above first floor retail.
Sustainable design practices were incorporated into each phase of construction and operations of the building, which resulted in The Residences at Portwalk attaining a 31% improvement in energy performance when compared to a similar building. Cathartes and Pro Con registered the project with the USGBC in 2011 and The Residences at Portwalk received LEED Gold Certification this month.
"We developed, designed and constructed The Residences at Portwalk with a strong focus on sustainability and incorporated environmentally friendly features into the operation of the building," said Jeff Johnston of Cathartes "We are very proud that the Residences at Portwalk attained LEED Gold certification and know the residents appreciate the building's energy cost saving features."
This is the second development at Portwalk that has achieved LEED certification. Portwalk's first phase, the Residence Inn by Marriott Hotel and the Portsmouth Harbor Events & Conference Center achieved LEED Silver Certification in 2011.
The Residences at Portwalk Sustainable Features:
· Oversized windows that exceed LEED requirements for performance and day lighting were installed throughout the building.
· Energy Star qualified appliances were installed in each of the 36 apartments.
· Low volatile organic compound (VOC) products were used in construction including paints, sealants, coatings and carpets.
· Low flow plumbing fixtures were installed in the apartments reducing water usage by 37% over a similar building with regular flow fixtures and saving gallons in annual water consumption.
· Exterior lighting fixtures are controlled by photo sensors and reduce light trespass. Energy efficient lighting was used throughout project, including LED lighting in the residential lobby.
· White TPO heat-reducing reflective roof system was installed.
· All the cooling and refrigerants on the property, including condensers, and refrigerators use non CFC (Chlorofluorocarbons) refrigerants.
· Energy recovery ventilation (ERV) systems were installed that ventilate the building while minimizing energy loss.
· Property is landscaped with drought resistant trees.