Callahan Construction Managers (Callahan) announces an exciting milestone reached in the construction and testing for Passive House Certification at Squirrelwood, an affordable housing development located in Cambridge, MA.
The Passive House verification process consists of numerous inspections and tests that culminate in unit blower door testing and a whole building blower door test to confirm that the construction meetings the PHIUS minimal air infiltration standards. The blower door test results at 54 Market Street were 0.27 ACH50, making this building the 4th best performing multi-family building (excluding duplex style buildings) tested for PHIUS Certification in the United States, and the #1 best performing multi-family buildings on the east coast.
54 Market Street is the largest new building in the Squirrelwood project and has been built to PHIUS+ standards, ensuring maximum energy efficiency and resident comfort. Passive House construction adheres to five building-science principals: buildings are super insulated, have an airtight building envelope, high-performance windows and doors, energy recovery ventilation, and a minimal space conditioning systems.
“We’re proud to create housing in Cambridge that’s not only affordable but also built to the highest quality standards. Residents will enjoy lower utility costs and a healthy, comfortable living space, while our whole community benefits from more environmentally-friendly housing,” said Carl Nagy-Koechlin, Executive Director of Just-A-Start. “Achieving this milestone, despite the many challenges of the pandemic, truly demonstrates the power of partnership and our unwavering commitment to affordable housing and economic opportunity.”
“The spectacular results we witnessed at Squirrelwood were the product of a full team of skilled professionals, working together towards a common, clearly communicated goal. The teams from Callahan, Davis Square, New Ecology, and Just-A-Start threw themselves into the challenge, each working together to improve details, refine the execution, and shepherd the project from plans to reality. It was a pleasure to watch them work, and we are all extremely pleased with the results.” Doug Tierney, Owner’s Project Manager, Tierney Development Services, LLC.
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