New Life for Presbyterian Manor Senior Living
Sustainable Renovation in Boulder Showcases Energy-Efficient, Healthy, and Resilient Design
Published January 13, 2025
Establishing a Model for Legacy Renovation
The mission of this project was to create a benchmark for legacy renovations, giving the existing Presbyterian Manor Senior Living facility another 50+ years in its life cycle. This effort strived to guarantee the continued availability of affordable housing for vulnerable communities while maintaining the building’s relevance and usability well into the future.
Enhancing Comfort, Efficiency, and Well-Being
From the outset, the project was seen as an opportunity to improve key aspects of the living environment, including comfort, energy efficiency, health, and overall well-being. These improvements were prioritized alongside strategies to increase resilience, ensuring the building could adapt to future challenges while adhering to budgetary constraints.
Presbyterian Manor Senior Living
Implementing Green Design Strategies
To achieve its goals, the project integrated green design principles from the beginning. Key efforts included the abatement of existing hazardous materials, the use of low VOC finishes, and the installation of modern, sustainable features such as ENERGY STAR appliances and WaterSense bath fixtures.
Meeting Strict Energy Conservation Standards
Upgrades like window replacements, new facades, and the addition of unitary HVAC systems significantly improved the building’s energy performance. These changes enabled the project to comply with the City of Boulder Energy Conservation Code—standards that are more stringent than the IECC 2018 requirements under which the project falls.
Advanced Certifications
EnergyLogic worked with the project team to ensure and verify Enterprise Green Communities (EGC), ENERGY STAR, and City of Boulder Energy Conservation Code. The EGC and WELL certification was awarded in August 2024. This project was submitted by the EnergyLogic Sustainability Team including Sage Calamari who is accredited as a WELL AP.
From the Enterprise Green Communities Website
Our cost-effective, above-code green building program includes integrative design, site considerations, water, energy, healthy building, operations/maintenance, and resident engagement. It is applicable for new construction, substantial and moderate rehabilitation, historic properties, and adaptive reuse across both multifamily and single-family affordable housing projects.
In partnership with the International Well Building Institute and their WELL Building Standard, we’ve leveraged the best of these impactful programs, and created a path for affordable housing developments in the United States to create best-in-class healthy, efficient, and environmentally responsible homes. Projects that achieve certification with the 2020 Criteria are recognized as certified under both Enterprise Green Communities and the WELL Building Standard.
WELL Building Standard
We’re leading a global movement to transform health and well-being with our people-first approach to buildings, organizations and communities. We do this using our WELL Building Standard (WELL), a roadmap for creating and certifying spaces that advance human health and well-being.
Developed over 10 years and backed by the latest scientific research, WELL sets pathways for accomplishing health-first factors that help every one of us to do our best work and be our best selves by supporting our physical and mental health across 10 core concepts. Rigorous performance standards for design interventions, operational protocols and company-wide practices are verified by a third party.
About the Author
