Coleman House Apartments

Project Overview

Newton, MA –

SES provided commissioning services for this 7-story multifamily apartment building renovation and addition targeting Enterprise Green Communities certification. The project included 146 dwelling units and common spaces, requiring extensive coordination with the General Contractor for phased construction and commissioning activities in an occupied building.

Commissioning scope included central building equipment (rooftop ERVs, exhaust fans, cabinet unit heaters, and split AC units) and dwelling unit systems (VRF heat pumps and inline ERVs). SES developed an intricate sampling schedule organized by phase and unit type to ensure proper commissioning coverage across all construction phases. SES also provided a condition assessment of existing systems that were remaining in operation including 4 boilers, boiler pumps, and distribution pumping, indirect water heaters, electric domestic water heaters and associated pumping and recirculation.

A key challenge involved integrating existing systems with new construction components and resolving related control sequence ambiguities between new VRF fan coils and existing fin tube radiation served by the retained boiler plant. SES identified issues beyond the original project scope, helping the owner distinguish between existing building conditions and new construction responsibilities, ultimately delivering a building that is efficient, effective, and finely-tuned for occupant needs.