PROJECT.

Starling Yard

A better place to call home

To help meet the community’s need for affordable housing, the project repurposes the vacant Starling Middle School and introduces two new buildings to the site.

Problem

Starling Yard is an affordable retrofit and new construction project with three 3–4 story buildings and 97 units situated in Columbus, Ohio. The work includes the adaptive reuse of a long-vacant 1908 (1919?) school, Starling Middle School, paired with two new buildings.

Energy compliance was a challenge because the existing school had already been improved, leaving fewer opportunities to meet requirements. Early identification of the most strategic certification pathway set the project on a clear path, guided by our NGBS Master Verifier.

Certifications:

National Green Building Standard

Location:

Columbus, OH

Our Role:

Sustainability Consulant
Energy modeler
NGBS Certification

Project Team:

Woda Cooper Companies, Developer & Builder
PCI Design Group, Architect

Solution

Choosing A Flexible Pathway

Adaptive reuse, paired with new construction, utilizing NGBS’s flexible pathway, allowed the team to meet sustainability goals while addressing the challenges of a historic renovation. Certification was achievable for both the century-old school and the new buildings.

Collaboration at Every Stage

Guidance from our NGBS Master Verifier shaped the project approach from the start. By working closely with the developer, design, and construction team, we assessed existing conditions in the historic school, utilized energy modeling, and guided viable pathways to NGBS compliance.

Leveraging Experience for Certification

Sol's expertise in affordable housing, historic retrofits, and high-performance design streamlined coordination across multidisciplinary teams, simplified complex rating systems, and accelerated the path to NGBS certification.

The Impact

NGBS Green Certification – Silver Level

53%

energy reduction over existing conditions

100%

reuse of rehab building's floors, walls, and roof structure

35%

rehab building's total water usage reduction from existing conditions

10%

energy use reduction from IECC baseline

NGBS offers a comprehensive framework for affordable housing. Its flexibility makes it especially valuable for projects like Starling Yard, which have both retrofit and new construction components. It is also proof that sustainability and affordability can - and should - coexist.

– Sanyog Rathod, AIA, LEED Fellow, CEO, Sol design + consulting

Starling Yard shows how green building and historic preservation can work together to deliver high-performance, affordable housing. The design team made thoughtful choices that will keep utility costs low for residents while preserving the architectural character of the original school. It’s a model for community-focused, sustainable development.

– Nate Steeber, NGBS Green Verifier