New Atlantic Development

In response to an RFP issued by the Department of Neighborhood Development, New Atlantic is proposing a new 18-unit condominium project at 273-287 Highland Street in Roxbury. Working with Utile, the project architect, the proposed project will exceed all energy codes and will actually produce more energy on an annual basis than it consumes.

Named Highland Yard, the project is designed to be durable, energy-efficient, and resource-conserving. The building addresses the specific needs of Boston’s climate: it keeps heat in and cold temperatures out, lets the sunlight in during the winter, and promotes cross-ventilation and good shading during the summer. However, to surpass the target of net-zero energy, a climate-responsive design must take additional measures to optimize envelope performance, building systems efficiency, and renewable energy production.

For this reason, the project has adopted the guidelines of the PHIUS+ 2015 Passive House standard. By designing to this standard, heating and cooling demands will be kept so low that space conditioning systems can be kept simple and small, and overall operational energy use will be minimal. As a result, the building will be able to produce more energy than it consumes after the integration of a renewable solar photovoltaic system.