Worcester, MA Sustainable Comfort, Inc. (SCI), is conducting a deep energy retrofit of the triple decker building at 38 Stanton St. in the Bell Hill neighborhood of the city. This is the first project of its kind for SCI in the city.

Built a century ago in 1917 as an economical way to provide workforce housing, the SCI team is using an integrated project delivery technique to repurpose the 4,395 s/f building for today’s target market and its next 100 year lifetime.

The 38 Stanton St. deep energy retrofit project encompasses SCI’s new vision for the triple decker; built to top-level green building standards that promote better indoor air quality, quieter interiors, and more economical operations, residents have their own urban oasis. The building has been pre-leased and residents will move-in by early summer.

Using a Worcester-based construction crew and an executive team who came to Worcester for college and stayed, the SCI team is pursuing the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes Silver Certification and Energy Star Certification on the 38 Stanton St. project.

Several factors that support the LEED for Homes Silver and Energy Star Certifications include reuse of the existing building; proximity to local amenities; exterior rigid insulation to reduce energy consumption; air sealed and insulated attic; continuous ventilation; low-flow water fixtures; high efficiency heating, cooling and domestic hot water equipment; new windows; and air sealing to reduce the transfer of energy, moisture, odor, and pests between apartments.

The SCI team is currently working to purchase and rehabilitate other triple deckers in the surrounding neighborhoods, all in an effort to support the city in which they live and love.

“We love the concept of coming full circle, people who went to college in Worcester, staying in Worcester, working in Worcester, and building businesses in Worcester. We want to support the new working class of Worcester, and entice them to stay here,” said Albert LaValley, president of SCI.

Taylor Bearden, director of acquisitions for SCI said, “We’re refreshing a most basic facet of the northeast’s urban landscape. The triple-decker served a tremendous social purpose and has evolved over time to meet varying peoples’ needs over the past century. They house immigrant families, enable multi-generational home ownership, and contribute to good density in our inner-suburbs. The problem is this: now they’re tired, and they no longer serve a clear purpose. We asked ourselves, ‘What is that purpose?’ 38 Stanton St. and the surrounding community project is our answer.”

The project team consists of LaValley acting as developer, Bearden as the project manager, Andrew Consigli as the architect, and Margo Valdes as the sustainability designer. The Worcester-based subcontractors on this project include HVAC experts, Fanning Plumbing & Heating, and Spotlight Kitchen and Bath, Inc.

The SCI team has plans to rehabilitate triple deckers in the same neighborhood at 24, 30 & 91 Stanton St., 35 Olga Ave., and a 7-unit building at 44 Gage St. in the city.

Sustainable Comfort, Inc. is a Worcester, Massachusetts based green building and energy efficiency consulting firm with expertise in multifamily housing. SCI specializes in LEED for Homes, Energy Star Homes, Enterprise Green Communities, Passive House, HERS Rating, State Incentive Programs, and Code Compliance. The firm is also involved with the property management and development of multifamily buildings.