‘Hurricane-proof’ housing complex proposed for West Roxbury
16 super-green, super-stormproof town houses have been proposed along Allendale Street in West Roxbury by Dorchester developer Jacqueline Nunez’s Wonder Group LLC.
A two-acre stretch of woods in West Roxbury could become home to 16 super-green, super-stormproof town houses, if Dorchester developer Jacqueline Nunez’s Wonder Group LLC has its way.
The group has submitted a proposal to the Boston Redevelopment Authority for homes built in five clusters at 64 Allendale Street near the Jamaica Plain border. They would be “the first residential project in Massachusetts using fortified construction,’’ Elizabeth Whittaker, principal of Merge Architects, the company building the homes, told Boston.com.
To be considered “fortified,’’ structures have to achieve FORTIFIED Home certification from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, a designation that reflects “superior protection for homeowners and their property from the effects of catastrophic storms and weather events brought on by the effects of climate change.’’
“This means a robust construction – structures built for extreme weather events like hurricanes and high winds,’’ Whittaker said, adding that the New England project was ripe ground for testing the real estate market’s demand for this type of architecture.
In addition to being stormproof, the homes would be highly sustainable, targeting a “net-zero performance’’ by producing as much energy as they take from the grid. To achieve net-zero, the townhouses (and four units in an existing single-family home that would be refurbished and extended) would be equipped with rooftop solar panels and super-insulated walls to retain heat.
The wood-sided homes would be built on a slope, each with three bedrooms, private entrances, and garages. Each resident would have dedicated bike storage and electrical charge stations for their vehicles.
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Prices for the homes have yet to be disclosed, but the entire project is expected to cost around $20 million.
“[Jacqueline Nunez] is a wonderful client,’’ Whittaker said. “She believes good design will pay her back and the community back. She’s pushing this sustainable agenda very aggressively.’’
A community meeting with the Boston Redevelopment Authority is scheduled for August, and Whittaker said they expect to get final approval in early fall.
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