Chester Agricultural Center Farmworker Housing

Project Description

Chester Agricultural Center’s (CAC) Farmworker Housing project, located within a NYS designated disadvantaged community in Chester, will feature 34 new construction seasonal and permanent rental units for low- and very-low income farmers and farm laborers across 10 buildings, along with a community education and event space on a site surrounded by rolling hills, meadows and adjacent to CAC’s 270 acres of Black Dirt farmland. Using ground and air source heat pumps, shared heat-pump water heaters, and roof-mounted solar, the project is designed to achieve net zero energy performance and Phius CORE certification. Additionally, the project prioritizes the use of low carbon, cost effective materials and emphasizes resiliency, utilizing the site’s natural topography for water storage and management including bioswales, rain gardens and greywater collection systems for irrigation. This farm-based housing project’s goal is to pilot circularity in its building materials and processes.

Project Status: Schematic Design

Market Sector: Low-Rise Multifamily

Developed by: Chester Agricultural Center, Inc.

Designed by: WXY Design

The Buildings of Excellence Competition

The Buildings of Excellence (BOE) Competition is a $83 million competition that has distributed monetary awards over five rounds. Kicked off in early 2019, BOE recognizes and rewards the design, construction, and operation of resilience, climate-friendly multifamily buildings that are healthier for residents and their communities.

Designing and developing clean and resilient buildings that are good for both businesses and residents is at the core of this competition.

The honorees are visionary architects and developers who take the lead in achieving beautiful, zero-emission buildings that improve quality of life and inspire the industry to follow their example toward a climate-friendly future. Their projects are beneficial for the environment, highly profitable, and provide them a competitive edge in the marketplace.