Completion

Completion date
12/31/2015

Occupancy

Melpet Farm Apartments is a rental property with 27 units. The residents live in the units full time.

Days per year Building is fully occupied:
365

Scope

Type of Construction New
Number of buildings 9
Floor area of each building 3,500
Bedrooms 3
Bathrooms 1.0
Stories 2
Conditioned Building Volume 28,000 cu ft
Conditioned Floor Area 26,000 sq ft

Location and Climate Details

Multi Family Affordable Housing

Address
812 East West Rt 134
Dennis, MA 02660
United States
Location Type Rural
Climate Region Zone 5
Lat. / Long. POINT (-70.153523 41.7111058)
Elevation 24 ft
Solar Insolation 4.25 kWh/m2/day
Annual CDD and Base Temp 736 | 65 deg F
Annual HDD and Base Temp 5704 | 64 deg F

Site

Site conditions:
previously developed land
Site description:

The site was initially used for agricultural purposes and a portion of it continues to be used as a horse farm. Several buildings that existed on the site were used by the Dennis Housing Authority from 2002 until 2008 for affordable housing but ultimately demolished in 2014.

The adjacent town-owned barn and pasture lands were the site of Boomtown, a popular long-running children’s show starting Rex Trailer and his sidekicks Pablo, Cactus Pete, and Sergeant Billy, that aired on WBZ TV in Boston from 1956 – 1974.

Materials and Design Strategy

Materials:

The materials chosen by the design team were selected to match a vernacular of the cape. The interior finishes do not include any carpet and low to no VOC paint and sealants. The landscape utilizes all native plants and rain gardens to manage storm water.

Special architectural measures:

The original site plan was adjusted to create more south facing roof surface to improve the PV system performance.

Indoor Environment Description:
Kitchen and bath exhaust vent to the exterior. An individual HRV is installed in each unit to provide continuous ventilation.