Project
Fifth City Commons
Residential: Affordable Multi Family
Chicago , IL | 2025
- 54.7K GSF
- 1 Company
About
Fifth City Commons / Garfield Green is a 43-unit affordable housing building, developed by Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) located on a long-vacant lot in Chicago’s West Side. The project achieved Phius CORE 2021 Design Certification in May 2023, and is currently under construction. This 3-story building will offer one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments along with multiple tenant amenity spaces and a ground floor commercial space. A central LG VRF system provides heating and cooling, while a high-efficiency Swegon Dedicated Outdoor Air System (DOAS) provides direct ventilation to individual spaces. Heat pump water heaters located in closets off corridors provide efficient water heating for tenants. A rooftop PV system is anticipated to produce ~235,000 kWh annually significantly offsetting the expected building energy usage. R-21 Armorwall insulation panels provide continuous insulation as well as the primary air and water barrier for the building, with Alpen triple-pane windows used for glazing. In 2019 the project was a winning entry in the global C40 “Reinventing Cities” competition due to its sustainable design and repurposing of a long-vacant lot.
Project Owner
Preservation of Affordable Housing
Is the project achieving or targeting net zero energy?
Not Targeting or Achieving
Is the project Net Zero or Net Zero Ready?
Net Zero Ready
Project Size in GSF
54.7K
Category of height
Mid-Rise
Number of residential units
43
How is the building all-electric for heating?
Air-source Heat Pump
What other systems are used for heating?
Air-source Heat Pump
Is the service hot water all-electric?
Yes
What is the primary system type for domestic hot water?
Air-source heat pump
On-site renewable energy
74%
Is the owner purchasing off-site renewable energy to offset all electricity consumption?
Unknown
The construction cost difference from "conventional" to being net zero "ready" (including incentives) for this building is
We didn't calculate the cost premium
Certifications related to Energy / Carbon
PHIUS
Site EUI
19.8 kBtu/sf/year
Net Site EUI
13.5 kBtu/sf/year
The EUI is
Modeled
What is the climate zone for this project?
6A Cold Humid