Johnson Park Green Community Apartments in Utica, New York, has officially achieved Passive House certification through the Passive House Institute U.S. (Phius). Passive buildings meet the highest levels of energy efficiency, cost little to heat or cool, and offer exceptional indoor comfort.
The new 62-unit affordable and supportive housing complex in Utica consists of three residential buildings and one community building serving both residents and the surrounding community. Recognized as a winner of NYSERDA’s Buildings of Excellence Competition in 2021, the project’s residential buildings achieved Phius precertification in 2023 and final certification in 2024 under both Phius CORE 2021 and Phius+ 2018 standards.
The three residential buildings feature a unique energy model and thermal envelope tailored to its scale and internal heat load. The large multifamily building contains more internal heat sources—from appliances to occupants—requiring less insulation to balance indoor temperatures. The smaller buildings, with fewer internal heat gains, use thicker insulation to retain warmth and maintain consistent comfort. This building-by-building approach ensured high performance across the entire development.
Though not Phius certified, the community center exceeds baseline performance targets, with a thermal envelope estimated to perform 15–20% better than code—aligning with the design team’s goal of achieving LEED Silver equivalence.
Other sustainable features:
- All buildings are all-electric
- Air-source heat pumps provide heating, cooling, and hot water
- Residential units have individual ERVs; multifamily building has centralized ERVs
- Continuous ventilation supports airtight Phius standards
- Rooftop solar arrays offset energy use
Completed in 2024, the project was co-developed by Rockabill Consulting and Johnson Park Center, a non-profit organization which operates the community service facility and provides support services to eligible tenants. SWBR provided architectural, landscape architecture, and structural engineering design services.