Rochester, NY According to SWBR, Rochester Management’s Zion Hill Senior Apartments has received LEED for Homes Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system is the benchmark metric for sustainable design, providing third-party certification for buildings designed to save energy, resources, and provide improved environments for their occupants.

Located on the southwest side of downtown Rochester, the 45,000 s/f community offers 45 one- and two-bedroom affordable senior apartments, seven of which are reserved for residents in need of supportive services to help them live independently. The new community, a partnership between Rochester Management, Inc., a non-profit affordable housing organization, and Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church, increases affordable housing choices and raises the standard of living for Rochester seniors.

SWBR partnered with Sustainable Comfort to design the project to meet the LEED for Homes Gold standard. Sustainable design elements include a well-insulated and tightly sealed building envelope with high efficiency windows, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, and water-saving plumbing features. All apartments are equipped with energy efficient features such as LED lighting, Energy Star certified appliances, and high-efficiency all-electric heat pumps for heating and cooling. The rooftop includes outdoor garden beds and an enclosed greenhouse available for use by the residents. Together with the community gardens on the adjacent property, these offer opportunities for community programs with organizations such as the adjacent school and Foodlink.

SWBR provided architectural, structural engineering, landscape architecture, and interior design services for the project.