PLUG-IN+ is a Runner-Up in MassCEC’s Triple Decker Design Challenge

We are thrilled to share that PLUG-IN + has received a Runner-Up Award in the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s Triple Decker Design Challenge!

PLUG-IN + is a holistic, all-electric retrofit design approach for triple deckers that prioritizes resilient systems, locally available labor and materials, and minimal resident disruption. Utile worked with Haycon, Resonant Energy, and Structures Workshop to deliver this comprehensive product design. PLUG-IN + has four main elements: outside-in envelope upgrades for thermal comfort and energy efficiency, air tightness measures and balanced energy recovery ventilation for enhanced air quality, cost optimized rooftop solar PV to offset electricity usage, and an exterior mechanical systems “plug-in.” The “plug-in” is a small addition that elevates the building’s ventilation and water heating systems out of the basement for flood resilience, and it can be customized for each site to provide additional benefits like bike storage, outdoor seating, and composting.

Learn more about our vision here. You can also read more on the competition in The Boston Globe’s “Triple-deckers can rise again for the 21st century” by Anthony Flint.