EVALUATION OF A HIGH-PERFORMANCE MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING IN ASPEN, COLORADO

Multifamily housing is an essential component of urban sustainable design, because finite available urban space necessitates greater use of attached housing and shared community spaces. Improving the energy efficiency of this category of housing presents special challenges, because units share walls and the space heating and domestic hot water systems are frequently centralized, requiring recirculation and long pipe runs to reach all units. These challenges were investigated as part of the first phase of a high-performance multifamily housing community called Burlingame Ranch in Aspen, Colorado. The first phase of the project has been completed, and features such energy efficiency measures as insulated slab-on-grade foundations, condensing boilers, solar preheat for hot water, heat recovery ventilation, and energy-efficient lighting and appliances. The authors participated in a thorough evaluation of key building systems for one prototype building and provided insights into potential design improvements that can be implemented in the second phase of construction.