Technology & Wellness
Charlotte of the Upper West Side sets a new benchmark for sustainable architecture with an emphasis on wellness and luxury. Intelligently designed and engineered, with integrated state-of-the-art building systems designed to boost residents’ health, wellbeing, safety, and comfort, these homes are good for the environment and good for you and your family.
Charlotte of the Upper West Side is pursuing Passive House certification. The Passive House standard focuses on bringing a home’s energy consumption for heating and cooling to virtually zero. This type of house provides a high level of physical and mental comfort for residents, with constant year-round temperatures and a remarkably quiet living space. This is achieved through extensive insulation to prevent heat loss or gain, an all-electric Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) HVAC system specific to each residence, and introduction of fresh air through specially built vents that exhaust stale air while transferring the temperature to the incoming fresh air. In addition, industry-leading duct and air sealing technology from Aeroseal minimizes leaks to ensure air flows where it’s engineered to go. Aeroseal’s patented, non-toxic, water-based formula effectively seals all holes and gaps in air ducts and vents. Comprehensive and detailed inspections at every stage of installation ensure the custom envelope remains airtight.
The Passive House standard originated in Germany several decades ago and has since spread around the world as building professionals have sought ways to create more resilient, energy-efficient, and comfortable living environments.
Triple-paned, quadruple-layered, and highly energy-efficient windows feature Guardian’s UltraClearTM glazing. This museum-quality low-iron glass offers brilliant neutrality and a light transmission rate of more than 91 percent for incomparable esthetics and an incredible viewing experience.
The Passive House-rated, hybrid aluminum and FSC-certified wood windows, a combination of Zola's European-crafted ZNCTM and ThermoPlus CladTM systems, are the first to pair Zola windows with Guardian's UltraClearTM glass. Offering two layers of German-engineered Purenit, a patented CFC-free polyurethane foam insulation resistant to moisture and other environmental hazards, these windows boast the highest thermal performance among Zola’s industry-leading products.
The UV system has been engineered into all of the fresh air, ERV, and residential HVAC units in the entire building, including all common areas, with remote sensors to detect bulb outages. UV light is applied on the supply side of the units, which dramatically reduces or eliminates biological contaminant buildup on the heat-exchange fins and ductwork. This results in even cleaner air, with high long-term operational efficiency.