Colonial II—The First Net Zero Carbon Multifamily Retrofit in New York State | Project of the Month | PHA Live!

Retrofitting aging multifamily housing to net zero carbon standards requires not only bold goals but also meticulous planning, design, and execution. In this session, Ashley Wisse, Senior Project Manager at New Ecology, takes you inside Colonial II—the first net zero carbon multifamily retrofit in New York State and a NYSERDA Buildings of Excellence award-winning project. This groundbreaking effort shows how deep energy retrofits can transform aging affordable housing into high-performance, zero-carbon buildings that serve vulnerable populations while setting a new standard for sustainability. In this event recording, you’ll learn how Colonial II went from a 1970s dormitory to a fully retrofitted, high-performance residential building—and the technical, design, and operational strategies that made it possible.

What you’ll learn in this session:

-How geothermal, on-site PV, community solar, heat pump domestic hot water, ERVs, added insulation, and EV charging were integrated into the project -Why replacing the façade with EIFS was key to improved efficiency

-How ASHRAE 90.1 energy modeling evolved from predesign to final as-built results

-The setbacks, adjustments, and innovations that enabled true zero-carbon performance

-Strategies to overcome certification challenges with NGBS and ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction

✨ Bonus: Continue the conversation inside the Reimagine Buildings Collective, our community platform where practitioners share resources, host AMAs, and collaborate year-round. Join here: https://collective.reimaginebuildings.com/