Three Arts

A highly ambitious project, Three Arts involves the EnerPHit retrofit of what was once known as the Three Arts Club, a 1927 Colonial Revival building in a landmark district on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Once complete, the 51,500-square-foot steel-frame and masonry curtain-wall building will be all-electric and provide over 60 units of permanent supportive housing for low-income seniors.

The firm has had to navigate a uniquely difficult set of constraints: an initial effort gained National Register of Historic Places designation allowing the non-profit owner West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing to obtain federal historic tax credits essential to the project's financial viability, Early NYSERDA funding allowed significant input from energy consultant Steven Winter Associates, critical because the building's registered historic and landmark district status limits modifications to both the exterior façade and historically protected interior spaces. Preservation frequently took precedence over performance upgrades.

As explored in the article, the firm's technical strategies for insulation, window replacement, mechanical systems and accessibility upgrades, and structural considerations for the floor slabs (which were constructed using cinder concrete with draped wire mesh) have demanded significant coordination between architect, structural engineer Old Structures Engineering and mechanical engineer Dagher Engineering. As very few deep energy retrofits have been attempted on buildings of this scale and age within North America, the team’s pioneering work at Three Arts is of crucial importance for New York’s climate goals and will be the subject of intense study for years to come.

Kissena House

Kissena House is an eight-story building currently in development in Queens. Located at 45-29 Kissena Boulevard, the all-electric building will create over 110 units of affordable senior housing and help densify developer Selfhelp Community Services’ Flushing campus. The building will be sited on an underutilized parking lot and will be partially cantilevered over an existing community center.

Selfhelp engaged C+GA because they trusted the firm to overcome significant site constraints and to maximize the number of units while also creating something beautiful, comfortable, and efficient. To optimize performance, the team plans to use EIFS cladding and high-performance windows to ensure a well-insulated and airtight enclosure. These will be paired with all-electric mechanical systems, including PTHPs. Another key aspect of the project is its focus on enriching the Selfhelp campus by incorporating new hardscaping, garden spaces, and plantings around the building. Construction is slated to begin in early summer 2026.

77 William Street

77 William Street is part of three-building project that will create dozens of affordable units and is part of a broader effort to revitalize Newburgh’s East End Historic District. The project is a partnership between community organization Safe Harbors of the Hudson and BronxPro Group, and several units will be set aside for formerly homeless individuals, those with mental illness, and survivors of domestic violence.

The centerpiece is 77 William Street, a new five-story, 46-unit Phius-certified building. Flanking it are two historic buildings that will each receive deep energy retrofits and add nine units of affordable housing to the project total. As explored in the article, the team has navigated three separate municipal approval processes to ensure the new construction and retrofits are sensitive to the neighborhood's historic character but also take into consideration performance and embodied carbon. Like their work on Three Arts, C+GA has been exceptionally careful when balancing performance upgrades with historic preservation. Historic buildings cannot be insulated from the outside and insulating from the inside can create hygrothermal problems within the brick that need to be managed through conscientious moisture control and thoughtful detailing.