A unique senior housing complex using a modular sustainable design is taking shape in South Yonkers.
The LaMora Senior Housing complex is under construction with modular units now being put into place. The project is unique in that it is one of the few affordable housing designs that uses Passive House in a modular construction format.
Passive House is a voluntary standard for energy efficiency in a building, which reduces the building’s ecological footprint. It results in ultra-low energy buildings that require little energy for space heating or cooling. Because their heating, cooling and ventilation systems are self-sustaining they are also less vulnerable to weather events.
The $44 million development in the Hollow neighborhood of South Yonkers will create 60 energy efficient and affordable homes for seniors. All 60 apartments will be affordable to residents aged 62 and older with incomes at or below 60 percent of the area median income.
The apartments include low-flow plumbing fixtures, Energy Star appliances, individually controlled high-efficiency electric heat and cooling, and LED lighting and emergency generators to ensure building resiliency.
Construction is expected to be completed by spring 2024. Yonkers Housing Authority President and CEO Wilson Kimball said the City of Yonkers has long been plagued by extreme heat and flooding brought about by climate change. When Hurricane Ida caused some extreme flooding at one of its senior housing sites, Kimball said it was all the more reason to seriously consider the idea of Passive House design for new construction.
“Yonkers population, like the rest of Westchester, is ageing. We would like our tenants to be able to age in place where they can be assured that their medical life support devices have an independent reliable energy source. Even if first responders can’t get to LaMora because of a catastrophic weather event, our seniors will be able to weather the storm,” she said.
Stuart Lachs, AIA, LEED AP of Perkins Eastman, lead architect for the project, said, “After more than four years of planning and design, it’s exciting to see the first of the more than 90 modules that will make up the LaMora Senior Living Apartments lifted into place. As one of the first modular, passive house, senior living buildings in the country, LaMora Senior Living Apartments showcases the balance between affordable and environmentally-conscious design. Perkins Eastman is honored to work with MHACY, a forward-thinking and innovative client dedicated to reducing the shortage of affordable housing for seniors in Yonkers.”
Residents of La Mora will have access to services provided by the Yonkers Office for the Aging, including case management, home-delivered meals, assistance with entitlement programs, transportation, health awareness programs, access to nutrition centers, recreation and exercise programs, and supermarket and pharmacy delivery coordination. Services will be funded by the Office for the Aging and the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services.
