Home to 33,000 people and more than 12,000 households, Orange, N.J., is a growing city where Northern Hills Redevelopment chose to build its newest project. Conveniently set in a township with access to all major roads, the NHR residential lofts are a good investment. Ceilings 17 to 20 feet high and modern flooring throughout, as well as polished travertine countertops in the bathrooms and kitchens, round out the spacious feeling this building creates for its residents and visitors. It also features a green roof.

Green and Easy

These eco-friendly residential apartment buildings, utilizing green roof technology, were designed by John E. Alford and engineered by Babs Engineering. Insulated concrete forms (ICFs) manufacturer Quad-Lock’s local representative, Rich DeVito of Innovate Building Products, worked closely with the design team and developer Keith Miles to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the product during planning and construction.

Northern Hills chose ICFs specifically for its ease of use so the developer could utilize the Quad-Deck Green Roof application. The two buildings, totaling more than 12,000 square feet of living area, have walls that are 35 feet high and finished in a stucco exterior.

ICFs were also used for the interior firewalls. The creation of this building envelope allows for even greater energy efficiency and lower long term maintenance and operating costs. The increased safety of the building shell allowed the insurance company to offer better rates to the residents who will live there.

Not For Its Own Sake

The green roof application has many benefits: it has no susceptibility to water damage, it creates less storm water runoff, doubles the service life of the roof, reduces the building’s carbon dioxide production, increases oxygen to the atmosphere and enhances the urban setting of the building by offsetting it with growing plants.

Developer Keith Miles said, “Using the… ICF system instead of the traditional ‘stick-built’ construction allowed us to find efficiencies and sharpen our pencils to come up with a better bottom line.”

The developer’s only comment when asked what he would do differently next time was, “Change the interior floors from stick built to ICF flooring systems.”

For more information, visit www.quadlock.com.

Northern Hills Redevelopment Project

Location - Orange, N.J.

Developer - Northern Hills Redevelopment LLC, Keith Miles

Architect - John E. Alford

Engineer - Babs Engineering PC

ICF Dealer - Rich DeVito, Innovative Building Products

Residential Space - condos/lofts with 12,000 square feet living space over two buildings

Roof System - Green roofs utilize Quad-Deck

Firewalls - Quad-Lock firewalls separate the units