Boston rehab promises energy efficiency for condos

Fifteen months ago, Green Bean Development LLC purchased a two-and-a-half story home at 73 Sawyer Ave. on Jones Hill in Dorchester with the idea of converting it to condos.

Built in 1890, the three-family home had seen better days. The rear fire escape from the upper floors was dilapidated and dangerous and the roof was in desperate need of repair, but the bones of the house were fine.

Many of the original architectural details were intact, including the brackets and trelliswork on the exterior.

Most extraordinary was the beautiful stairhall. It has raised paneled wainscoting and a gorgeous oak staircase with a newel post and period light. Much of the woodwork had never painted.

Since then, the developer, Joseph Todaro, has set a goal to create a property that would be 60 to 70 percent more energy-efficient than its counterparts, according to Devin Bean, business manager.

At the same time, the project designers, RODE Architects of the South End, proposed adding a deck that would provide a better, safer and more attractive access to the upper units. The general contractor is Boston Green Building of Allston.

The developer has been working with National Grid and with Building Science Corp. on three fronts to ensure that this Queen Anne-style farmhouse is air-tight, well insulated and resistant to water infiltration.

“This is a substantial gut-rehabilitation,” says Bean. The developer received a grant of approximately $72,000 from National Grid to complete a “deep energy retrofit.” That doesn’t cover the full extent of the renovations, he adds.

As part of the program, the development team, along with National Grid, will be holding an open house from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 12, to show the “before” part of the project. The walls are completely exposed.

Before construction began, the house at 73 Sawyer St. in Dorchester was in need of serious repair.

There is a 4-inch-deep cavity that will be filled with batts of insulation in between the framing. Another 4 inches of rigid, foil-faced insulation already has been applied to the exterior.

New siding will be a HardiPlank-like material in various styles – clapboard, shake and fish scale – in keeping with its Victorian heritage.

To further enhance the R-value of the house, triple-paned, two-over-one Argon-filled windows are replacing the old windows. Most are installed. A new roof with Energy Star-rated asphalt shingles will have interior insulation to provide up to an R-60 rating for efficiency.

Bean says the developer also is exploring the possibility of adding solar panels on the south side of the roof. New skylights have been added on the north side.

(The interior has been designed to preserve the stair hall as common space; one condo will occupy the first floor, and the second and third units will be front and back duplexes.)

The second floor landing is a continuation of the beautiful oak wainscoting in the entry hall. Presently it is covered for its protection.

Everything will be new, except for the trim, which will be white, says Bean. The house itself will be painted blue.

The work is expected to be completed in September, and Justin Green of In Realty will be marketing the condos.

Images of the work in progress are on a blog that Bean created: www.73sawyerave.blogspot.com.