Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I N O. X V I I J U LY 2 5 , 2 0 1 6 28 T he concept behind the super- insulated passive house got a big boost with the construction and recent opening of Village Centre in Brewer, a 48-unit housing aimed at working families and individuals with qualifying incomes. e trick with this project was that the site, design and budget were already nailed down when the devel- oper decided to pursue passive house standards for a highly insulated, air- tight structure that can be heated in the winter and cooled in the summer with minimal energy consumption. e site is at 266 Center St. And the success of this project, with only a 3% overage in the budget, dem- onstrates the passive house is doable and aff ordable for anyone, says Portland- based CWS Architects Principal Ben Walter, the project's lead architect. "Because we started with a building that wasn't oriented and laid out to be optimal in terms of performance, this project demonstrated to us that anyone can" build to passive house standards, Walter says. "In Maine, most sites are not going to have optimal orientation. So you want to prove it can be done under not-ideal orientations or condi- tions, and not be super-complicated." Village Centre's attractive exterior design features variegated facade projec- tions, heights, hues and window place- ments. e 54,886-square-foot building is made up of one- to three-bedroom apartments. A grid-connected photovol- taic array with 100 solar panels, purchased from ReVision Energy, is mounted on the roof to generate 26 kilowatts. Construction cost just under $8 million. e site was a former middle school torn down as part of school consolida- tion. In its place, the city decided on aff ordable apartments in partnership with Portland-based Community Housing of Maine, a nonprofi t that develops, owns and maintains aff ordable housing. CHOM obtained a competitive Low Income Housing Tax Credit allo- cation from the Maine State Housing Authority, along with construction fi nancing from TD Bank. e solar array was paid for with a grant from the TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank. Goals included revitalizing the neighborhood and creating community connectivity with green-space walk- ways, public parking and public transit links. e project enjoys proximity to shopping, schools and entertainment. Amenities include an on-site laundry, indoor play area, library, community Nominate your candidate for the fourteenth annual Mainebiz Next List To make a Donation to the Next List Alumni Scholarship Fund through the Maine Community Foundation, visit mainecf.org and click on mainecf.org and click on mainecf.org Make a gift. Do you know someone who is: A true entrepreneur? A forward-thinking leader? A positive motivator for change? A problem-solver who takes a fresh approach? FOLLOW US @MBEVENTS #MBNext16 Nominations close on August 26 Visit mainebiz.biz/next for the nomination form. Mainebiz needs your help to recognize Maine's dynamic individuals who are trailblazers in their industry. To identify these business mavericks, we're opening the nomination process up to you! You tell us, who's Next? PRESEN T ING SP ONSORS P H O T O / L A U R I E S C H R E I B E R A passive house with proactive goals Affordable housing and sustainable architecture merge in Brewer B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r F O C U S From left, Ben Walter, principal and lead architect at CWS Architects; Erin Cooperrider, principal and lead architect at Community Housing of Maine; Cordelia Pitman, director of pre-construction services at Wright Ryan; and D'arcy Main-Boyington, economic development director for Brewer.

• Cover