Fifth City Commons

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

Project Team

Sustainability Consulting
Subcontractor