About Finch Cambridge
Finch Cambridge is an ultra-efficient Passive House certified six-story building and the largest Passive House project completed to date in New England. Developed by Homeowner’s Rehab, Inc., with a focus on efficiency, climate resilience, and residential comfort and health, the 111,450-square-foot building has 98 units, all deed-restricted to be affordable for low-income tenants. In addition to achieving PHIUS+ 2015 certification from the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS), the project has also been certified by Enterprise Green Communities and FitWel.
The envelope has minimal thermal bridges with continuous roof insulation (R55) and walls, including R21 in the wood stud cavities plus R9 continuous insulation outboard. The envelope air tightness was tested per ASTM E-779 (whole building blower door), achieving an exceptional 0.073 CFM@75 pascals per square foot of envelope (equivalent to 0.41 air changes per hour [ACH] @50 pascals) and outperforming the PHIUS+ certification requirement.
Heating and cooling are provided via a central variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system (11.9 EER average), and fresh, filtered air is delivered through a central energy recovery ventilation (ERV) to common areas and each residential unit. The domestic hot water system uses a 96% efficient condensing central boiler with an aquastatcontrolled recirculation loop and low-flow fixtures to minimize heat loss.
Sponsor involvement
The Sponsors of Mass Save® provided Residential New Construction incentives to help cover the incremental costs to upgrade the building envelope, air sealing, and mechanical equipment. The incentives from the Sponsors of Mass Save reduce the building owner’s annual electric consumption by 70%, thereby reducing operating costs for the life of the building.
