Ida Yarbrough Apartments, Phase 2

Located in Albany, NY, the Ida Yarbrough Apartments complex serves families with a wide mix of income levels. An ambitious undertaking to revitalize and expand the development begin in 2016 with the construction of 61 townhomes and garden apartments. Phase II immediately followed, which involved the construction of an additional 76 units in one seven-story mid-rise, one low-rise and two scattered site buildings. HEA was retained to design the M/E/P systems associated with the Phase II buildings.  

Per the project’s requirements, systems in all four buildings were designed per both NYSHCR and Enterprise Green Community Guidelines. With regard to HVAC systems, the apartments in the scattered site buildings are equipped with a high-efficiency combination water heater/boiler and fan coil units (FCUs), while the apartments in the mid-rise building are served by FCUs connected to central boiler and chiller plants. Energy recovery ventilation and central exhaust systems were also designed for the mid-rise building, including an exhaust system for a central laundry facility. Kitchen and toilet exhaust are routed through common shafts to heat recovery ventilators on the building’s roof.

A high efficiency domestic water heating plant consisting of a lineup of condensing water heaters and a low-volume storage tank was designed for the mid-rise building. All apartment units in all buildings received low-flow fixtures to meet the project’s water use reduction targets. Energy Star-rated equipment was specified in all four buildings.

HEA coordinated all aspects of each building’s utilities and service entrances, including underground power, water, and natural gas services. Emergency power was provided for life safety systems in the mid-rise building. HEA also designed and coordinated each building’s security systems, which included both access control and video surveillance systems.