Intervale Green & Louis Niñe House

 

The largest multi-family, high-rise, EnergyStar certified affordable housing development in the nation, Intervale Green is comprised of 128 units of affordable housing for low-income and formerly homeless families, with commercial storefronts along the first floor. The Louis Niñe House includes 46 units for young adults aging out of foster care and provides on-site vocational and educational programs.

What Makes Intervale Green, Green?  Read about the green building technology behind this award-winning building.

Impact:

1. With homes that are 33% more efficient than conventional apartments, residents living in Intervale Green are expected to spend 30% less on utility bills, easing the burden on low income families already struggling during difficult economic times.
   
2. Bringing over ½ acre of vegetation to the community, including three green roofs for vegetable and flowering gardens, two lush courtyards, a public sculpture garden, and over 40 new street trees and a roof top urban farm will improve air quality in a neighborhood with the second highest asthma rates in all of the Bronx and twice the New York City average.
   
3. Other energy efficient measures included 85% efficient boilers and hot water heaters, low-flow faucets and showerheads, pin-type fluorescent lighting, bi-level lighting in the stairs, Energy Star refrigerators and clothes washers, and occupancy sensors in the common areas and offices. Green features include a green roof system, wheatboard kitchen cabinets, low-VOC paints and sealants, and recycled content flooring.

Urban Farm
Launched in 2010, the Intervale Green Urban Farm will provide fresh vegetables and herbs for the residents of Intervale Green, and clients of the WHEDCo’s Community Food Pantry.  Creating opportunities for exercise, environmental and nutrition education, and community building, the farm will also increase the amount of fresh produce consumed by Intervale Green residents and food pantry clients.  Tenants, trained as urban farmers, are spearheading the project.WHEDCo will also provide cooking classes and workshops to help families learn to use familiar vegetables in new ways, and to help increase the amount of less common or less popular vegetables, especially seasonal, inexpensive, locally available produce.

Impact:
* 3,500 square feet garden

* 1,000 lbs of produce annually

* 1 daily serving of vegetables for up to 30 people

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creating Public Art WHEDco has partnered with two local Bronx artists to commission public sculpture installations into the open spaces at Intervale Green. Matthew Burcaw's "Traffic" sculpture which frames the lobby space above the mailboxes, brings a touch of whimsy to the space and recalls the burnt out cars and debris that used to be dumped on the Intervale Green site when it was vacant. In a similar spirit, Linda Cunningham's sculptures “Structural Transformations," "Going Somewhere" and "New Growth" which are installed in the public sculpture garden, in the front courtyard, and in the lobby, respectively, symbolize the rebirth of this area of the Bronx.