E&LP is excited to announce that two of our projects won Best Engineering Design – Site Design Awards for the Adaptive Reuse and Sustainability Project categories at the 2020 Awards of Excellence hosted by the Metropolitan Builders & Contractors Association of New Jersey.
Best Engineering Design – Site Design – Adaptive Reuse
30 MacLean Princeton, NJ
For this adaptive reuse project that converted a former Masonic Temple in Princeton’s Witherspoon-Jackson Historic District into a 10-unit apartment building, the design focused on “preserving its communal character and providing beautiful habitable space for local residents.”[1] E&LP provided preparation of boundary/topographic survey, preliminary and final site plan engineering plans, stormwater management plan, local and regional permitting, and UST environmental oversight.
Originally built by the Elks in 1924, the charm of the building’s façade has remained as the building has been internally transformed into a 10-unit apartment building with studio, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom units that are each unique. The only addition to the building’s original footprint is the stairwell that minimally extends into the former parking lot, which still has space to accommodate parking for all tenants. Certainly, this is a creative use of the property, for the design is sensitive to the surrounding area and emphasizes the curb appeal of the historic building in addition to maximizing the available space for occupancy.
While its exterior has largely remained unchanged, the structure has been improved with the superior efficiency and sustainable materials required for a LEED Certified property.[2] Each unit has high efficiency appliances and independent thermostats coupled with hardwood floors for historic appeal. Overall, this successful adaptive reuse site design project has achieved the proper balance of historical preservation and modern renovation that benefits its residents and the Princeton community.
Best Engineering Design – Site Design – Sustainability Project
Hunterdon Transformer Company Solar Facility
This sustainability project’s purpose was to provide a renewable energy source to Hunterdon Transformer Company’s two existing facilities in Alpha Borough. The project entailed both Major Site Plan and Minor Subdivision approvals for the construction of the photovoltaic solar facility. Although from above the facility appears to be one large system, it is in fact three separate systems. Two supply power to Hunterdon Transformer Company’s two facilities, and a third supplies power to another adjacent industrial business. The project has succeeded in providing Hunterdon Transformer Company’s energy needs from renewable energy sources while also providing a cost savings to them.
The design of the system was sensitive to the surrounding area, for it used the existing environment to situate the facility without visual impacts to the area or the need for extensive landscaped buffers. Concerning curb appeal, the slope of the existing topography and the maintenance of the tree rows along Edge Road provide a visual screen augmented by evergreen trees while maintaining the preconstruction view along the road. Similarly, the location of Hunterdon Transformer Company’s existing buildings provides a visual buffer from Industrial Road. The facility was designed to preserve the existing wetland drainage swale that bisects the property. This maintains the existing drainage patterns and eliminates potential negative impacts from redirecting stormwater runoff on neighboring properties.
Although the property could have been developed into an industrial use similar to the Hunterdon Transformer Company facilities, the solar facility provides benefits to the public welfare now while preserving the ability to restart the prior agricultural use in the future when the facility is decommissioned. The project location was selected due to its ability to fit in with the surrounding facilities as it is adjacent to other electrical utility uses. Specifically, there is a Battery Energy Storage System to the north and a substation and electrical transmission lines to the south. Overall, this successful sustainability project fits within the existing environment of the industrial and agricultural area while providing benefits to the businesses and greater community.
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