BERRY STREET COMMONS
                                                               AN RPM COMMUNITY

LEED Certified Buildings

LEED Certified buildings offer the following benefits:

Environmental:

  • Enhance and protect ecosystems and biodiversity
  • Improve air and water quality
  • Reduce solid waste
  • Conserve natural resources

Economic:

  • Reduce operating costs
  • Enhance asset value and profits
  • Improve employee productivity and satisfaction
  • Optimize life-cycle economic performance

Health and community:

  • Improve air, thermal, and acoustic environments
  • Enhance occupant comfort and health
  • Minimize strain on local infrastructure
  • Contribute to overall quality of life  


LEED features of BERRY STREET COMMONS

Berry Street Commons is the first LEED for Homes Gold Certified Affordable Housing Project in the State of New Jersey and features the following:

Innovation & Design

        Berry Street Commons has earned exemplary points for both high density development and reduction in irrigation demand.  The very high density development of Berry Street Commons at almost 54 units per acre helps conserve land and promote community livability, transportation efficiency and walkability.  The landscape design at Berry Street Commons greatly reduces irrigation demand which conserves water.

        All common area electrical power at Berry Street Commons is provided by solar energy. These areas include the elevators, exterior lights and all interior hallway and stairwell lighting.  Solar energy systems use solar radiation to produce heat and electricity and there are different methods in which solar energy is harnessed. At Berry Street Commons, solar energy is harnessed through photovoltaic systems (solar panels) on the roofs of both buildings.



Location & Linkages

        Berry Street Commons has earned the maximum amount of LEED points for being within ½ mile of at least fourteen basic community resources like shopping, places of worship, entertainment and transportation hubs.  Berry Street Commons is also located within a ½ mile of Naaman Williams Park.  Living in close proximity to community resources encourages walking, biking and minimizes dependency on personal automobiles and their associated environmental impact.


Sustainable Sites

        Berry Street Commons’ sustainable features include minimizing the disturbed area of the site during construction, greatly reducing irrigation demand through its landscape design, high density development and taking steps to prevent pest problems by virtually eliminating unwanted openings into the building.


Water Efficiency

        All units are equipped with high to very high efficiency fixtures and fittings such as low flow faucets, low flow shower heads and high efficiency toilets.  Low flow fixtures conserve water and can dramatically reduce your home water consumption by as much as 50%.


Energy & Atmosphere

        Every unit at Berry Street Commons has been tested for its energy efficiency by an Energy Star official.  Energy Star® is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.
        Appliances such as refrigerators, dish washers, furnaces and thermostats are all Energy Star products.
        All windows are high performance Energy Star® windows consisting of two panes of glass. The space between the panes is filled with a safe gas (argon) that reduces heat loss through the window. In addition, an extremely thin and invisible layer of metal or metal oxide—called a low emittance (low-e) coating—is applied to the surface to further reduce the amount of heat passing through the window.
        The use of Energy Star fluorescent lights in the units is another way to save money, consume less energy and protect the environment.


Materials & Resources

        The walls and floors at Berry Street Commons were manufactured off-site in a quality controlled facility, then shipped and assembled at the job.  This type of off-site fabrication helps reduce construction waste.  In addition, all of the construction waste from the job itself was sorted so that almost half of the waste has been diverted from landfills and incinerators and will be recycled.


Indoor Environmental Quality

        Berry Street Commons has taken numerous steps to increase the indoor environmental quality of its apartments.  During construction, all ductwork was sealed to minimize contamination.  Bathroom and kitchen fans exhaust air and gases outside of the building to promote good clean air quality in the home.  Permanent walk-off mats have been installed at all main entrances to reduce contaminants being tracked into the buildings.  There are exhaust fans in both garages to keep fresh air moving through the area and prevent carbon monoxide from accumulating.  Lastly, all units will be flushed with fresh air for 48 total hours prior to occupancy by running the HVAC continuously with all windows and doors open.


Awareness & Education

        Every apartment includes an Operations & Maintenance Manual to help educate every tenant about the apartment’s features and equipment.  The manuals contain the LEED information regarding the certification of the buildings, owner’s manuals for all of the installed appliances and general information on the efficient use of energy, water and natural resources.
        The tenants will also receive a one-hour orientation reviewing the operation of their equipment, appliances and fixtures.
        Lastly, the building manager will also receive a similar manual with all the required information for the entire project along with a minimum one-hour orientation to review all of the installed equipment, appliances and fixtures.