Princeton, NJ

Princeton University, Meadows Apartments

Scope/Solutions

Seeking additional housing for its graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, Princeton University embarked on a project to build a new mixed-use housing complex in the Meadows neighborhood of West Windsor. The Meadows Apartments include three low-rise dormitory buildings with interconnecting outdoor areas, a cafe, and a community center. SGH served as the building enclosure consultant and the Phius Certified Verifier for the project, which was designed with high-performing building enclosure systems and Passive House strategies.

SGH consulted on the building enclosure design, including wood-framed exterior walls clad with fiber-cement siding, vinyl windows, and low-slope membrane roofs and provided construction phase services for the project. Highlights of our work include:

  • Reviewing the building enclosure design and providing recommendations for improving performance and constructability
  • Helping select systems and develop details for the enclosure, focusing on intersections between adjacent systems
  • Collaborating with the design team to balance Passive House, performance, and budget requirements
  • Working with the project’s mechanical engineer and testing and balancing agents to review and confirm that the mechanical systems’ performance met the project criteria
  • Reviewing related submittals and shop drawings
  • Conducting whole-building air leakage testing, mechanical duct leakage testing, and compartmentalized dwelling unit testing to help with energy certification processes
  • Tracking enclosure-related and passive house tasks using a data management application developed by SGH, allowing us to effectively manage a high volume of items for the large project
  • Supporting the project team to help them achieve Phius final certification

With 379 housing units and 600 beds, the Meadows Apartments was one of the largest
Phuis-certified projects in the country when it opened in 2024.

Project Summary

completion-date

2024

Completion Date
building-size

329k

Project Size
Solutions
New Construction
Services
Building Enclosures
Markets
Education
Client(s)
Mithun
Specialized Capabilities
Roofing & Waterproofing | Environmental Simulations

Key team members

Michael Louis
Michael Louis
Senior Principal
Ali Yalaz
Ali Yalaz
Consulting Engineer