Brunswick, ME

Bowdoin College, Park Row Apartments

Scope/Solutions

Needing to expand its housing options, Bowdoin College undertook several projects, including constructing the new Park Row Apartments for upperclass students. The eighty-eight-bed development includes four wood-framed buildings, each with apartment-style dorm rooms and a multi-purpose room. SGH provided building enclosure consulting services and served as the project’s Passive House Institute US Verifier (PHIUS+ Verifier).

SGH collaborated with the project team on the design and construction of the building enclosure. As the PHIUS+ Verifier, we also conducted and witnessed performance testing. Highlights of our work include the following:

  • Reviewed the building enclosure design and provided recommendations for improving energy efficiency, airtightness, watertightness, and constructability
  • Helped detail transitions to reduce thermal bridging and air leakage as required for PHIUS+ certification
  • Established PHIUS+ performance requirements, roles and responsibilities, testing protocol, and procedures for documenting progress and issues
  • Reviewed enclosure-related submittals and provided recommendations to ensure the building enclosure systems met the overall project design intent and performance requirements
  • Observed construction of the building enclosure and mechanical systems, conducted an infrared survey of the exterior walls, and performed whole-building and dwelling unit airtightness testing to compare with the PHIUS+ certification and project requirements
  • Witnessed testing and balancing of the mechanical system, verified air flows met PHIUS+ certification requirements, and reported power consumption to the Passive House Design consultant
  • Prepared a PHIUS+ on-site verification package for submission to PHIUS

Project Summary

completion-date

2019

Completion Date
certification

PHIUS+

Certification
building-size

10K-14K Per Building

Project Size
Solutions
New Construction
Services
Building Enclosures
Markets
Education
Client(s)
Bowdoin College
Specialized Capabilities
Building Science | Roofing & Waterproofing

Key team members

Jason Der Ananian
Jason Der Ananian
Associate Principal