Alafia

A Flagship for Equitable, Clean Energy Development in East New York

The Alafia Project is part of New York State’s Vital Brooklyn Initiative, a $1.4 billion plan designed to address chronic social, economic, and health disparities in Brooklyn’s underserved communities.

Recognizing the need for sustainable, inclusive urban development, New York sought to create a model community that prioritizes affordable housing, health, and environmental resilience.

Through NYSERDA’s support and clean energy-focused programs, the state aims to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, conserve fresh water, and lower greenhouse gas emissions—all while fostering a healthier, more equitable community.

Located on a 27-acre site, Alafia will ultimately include 2,400 affordable housing units, a healthcare center, retail spaces, and recreational areas designed to enhance community well-being.

The project broke ground in late 2022, with its first phase featuring 576 units expected to be complete by 2025.

By adopting Passive House standards and sustainable technologies, Alafia is on track to serve as a national example of resilient, clean-energy urban development.

888 Fountain Avenue, Brooklyn, NY

Project Partners & Stakeholders

Quick facts

$373M Phase 1 delivers 576 units as part of a $1.2B master plan
(1) SHARC 660 unit serving 2 buildings; (2) PIRANHA T15HC units serving 1 building
WET offsets geothermal system load and produces heating, cooling, DHW
Designed to Enterprise Green Communities and Passive House Standards
Supports NY’s All-Electric Building Act and NYSERDA Empire Building Challenge

WHY DID THEY CHOOSE WET?

WET compliments Geothermal infrastructure by reducing borehole requirements, stabilizes ground loop temperature & optimizes efficiency
WET+Geothermal provides highly efficient hydronic energy transfer
Recognition that WET is an untapped thermal resource that should be incorporated in all-electric buildings
Qualifies for multiple incentives (NYSERDA, Geothermal & Solar Tax credits, longterm affordable housing subsidies) to reduce project costs
Aligns with New Yorks vision of all-electric, affordable housing

Play Video

Video #1 Source – Dattner: Alafia page | LinkedIn | YouTube

Play Video

Video #2 Source – WPIX | conEdison | L+M Development Partners

Project Information

Highlights

576 Passive House-certified affordable units: 452 in a 15-story dual-tower (C1 & C2) and 124 in a six-story building (C3)
A 15,000 ft² outpatient clinic (operated by One Brooklyn Health)
7,800 ft² of ground-floor retail space
Meets Enterprise Green Communities standards
Utilizes closed-loop geothermal heat pump systems, Rooftop solar arrays and Wastewater Energy Transfer (WET) technology from SHARC Energy

Product(s) Installed	Project Type(s)	Project Size	Commissioned	Certifications & Awards
SHARC 660 2x PIRANHA T15HC	District Energy Multi-Family Residential	2.2M sq ft 576 Passive House-certified affordable units: 452 in a 15-story dual-tower (C1 & C2) and 124 in a six-story building (C3) A 15,000 ft² outpatient clinic (operated by One Brooklyn Health) 7,800 ft² of ground-floor retail space	Nov 2024	Passive House Standards Enterprise Green Communities ASLA 2023 Merit Award

Master Plan Buildout

Upon full buildout, Alafia will deliver:

Up to 2,623 affordable housing units
Nearly 2.5 million ft² of residential space
143,992 ft² of commercial space
55,384 ft² of community facilities (including a senior center and community health clinic)
29,746 ft² of light manufacturing (e.g., vertical farming, Meals-on-Wheels)
A 1-acre urban farm, over 4 acres of open space, bioswales, and a fitness loop
More than 790 parking spaces, three new streets, and four public walkways

Incentives for Wastewater Energy

The project has been selected for NYSERDA’s Empire Building Challenge and qualifies for:

NYSERDA clean energy grants
Geothermal and solar tax credits
Long-term affordable housing subsidies

This project sets a powerful precedent for deploying Wastewater Energy Transfer in dense, all-electric residential communities. By improving thermal stability, cutting carbon, and slashing energy costs, SHARC and PIRANHA systems at Alafia position wastewater as a cornerstone of just, sustainable urban development.

Project Partners & Stakeholders

Alafia’s design—led by Dattner Architects and SCAPE Landscape Architecture and developed by L+M, Apex, RiseBoro, and S:US—integrates Blue Zone principles, promoting long-term health and environmental sustainability.

Name (click for website)	Role	Project Page	Social
Amalgamated housing corporation (AHC)	Operator	-	LinkedIn
Dattner Architects	Architect	Project Page	LinkedIn
SCAPE Landscape Architecture	Architect	Project Page	LinkedIn
L&M	Developer	Project Page	LinkedIn
Apex	Developer	-	LinkedIn
RiseBoro	Developer	-	LinkedIn
S:US	Developer	-	LinkedIn
Salas O'Brien	Geothermal Engineer	-	LinkedIn
Egg Geo	Geothermal Engineer	-	LinkedIn
ConEdison	Electric Utility	-	LinkedIn

Project Technical Details

To electrify thermal loads and support Local Law 154 and the All-Electric Building Act, SHARC Energy supplied:

One SHARC 660 system serving buildings C1 and C2
Two PIRANHA T15HC systems for building C3

These WET systems recover thermal energy from wastewater to provide low-carbon heating, cooling, and domestic hot water (DHW). By reducing geothermal loop loads and avoiding fossil fuels, they enhance system resilience and dramatically cut emissions—supporting New York State’s decarbonization mandates.

Product Implementation Details

SHARC 660

The SHARC 660 Series system is a high-capacity wastewater energy transfer system specifically designed for large-scale applications.

In Alafia, the SHARC 660 will serve two of the project’s largest residential buildings, harnessing the thermal energy within wastewater to supply essential heating, cooling, and domestic hot water.

2x piranha t15hc

The PIRANHA T15HC system is designed for smaller, high-demand applications within the development, well suited for Building C3.

The PIRANHA unit is an all-in-one heat recovery system that captures thermal energy directly from greywater to produce domestic hot water.

Efficient Hot Water Generation: The PIRANHA T15HC heats domestic hot water using greywater, drastically reducing conventional energy use in smaller buildings.

Compact and Adaptable: Ideal for confined plant rooms, the PIRANHA T15HC seamlessly integrates with existing building systems, meeting hot water demand without significant spatial or structural changes.

Low Operational Costs: The PIRANHA system provides consistent hot water production and energy savings for the building without extensive upkeep.