SWBR and Sustainable Comfort, Inc. are pleased to announce that Freedom Commons Apartments in Syracuse has been awarded a LEED® Homes Award in the Outstanding Affordable Housing category by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The awards recognize LEED-certified residential projects that are positively impacting communities through sustainable, healthy, and resilient design, as well as the builders and developers helping to advance green home building. Recipients represent innovative multifamily, single family, and affordable housing projects from around the world.
This $15 million project is a collaboration between the Center for Community Alternatives and Syracuse Housing Authority. The LEED Gold residence was designed to support low-income families, formerly incarcerated individuals, and those who have experienced homelessness. Forty-three of the building’s 54 units are designated as affordable housing and provide comprehensive reentry services that address education, recovery, employment, civic restoration, and case management. It includes a computer lab, meeting space, laundry facility and communal dining area. The building provides access to transportation and uses a high-performance mechanical system. It includes LED lighting, ENERGY STAR qualified appliances, low flow fixtures with the WaterSense label and a healthy indoor environment with dedicated energy recovery ventilation and individual mechanical system control for residents.
“We celebrate the project team and all agencies involved in Freedom Commons. This project embodies the foundational pillars of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC): sustainability, health and wellness, resilience, and equity,” said Tracie Hall, Director, Market Transformation & Development, for USGBC. “When we think about USGBC and LEED, we realize how projects like Freedom Commons can be leveraged to raise the living standard for all. Congratulations to SWBR and all the project team members on this well-deserved recognition.”
SWBR provided architectural, interior, landscape architecture and structural engineering design for the project. Sustainable Comfort, Inc. served as the green building consultant for the project, providing guidance and support to help ensure that Freedom Commons achieved its LEED for Homes Gold goal.”