Sara Kudra
Username
Sara Kudra
Proposer First Name
Sara
Proposer Email
skudra@dreamcollaborative.com
Proposer Last Name
Kudra
Proposer Company/Organization
DREAM Collaborative
Proposer Phone
(617) 606-7029
Proposer Job Title
Affordable Housing Director

Boston 2023 Areas of Focus

Proposed Session Description
Passive house buildings go hand-in-hand with on-site generation and electrification, but what happens when you have code-required emergency power backup? The Kenzi tackled the wicked problem of designing, pricing, and permitting the first all-electric building above four floors in the City of Boston. We will dive into the nitty gritty of construction-phase design changes in the midst of COVID supply chain issues, reveal our strategy for Boston Fire Department fears, and discuss what code language we leaned on to pull it all together. The session will share why the owner and design team felt this seemingly insurmountable task was necessary to achieve on this age-restricted affordable housing project in the heart of Roxbury.
Diversity and Inclusiveness
Two professional women in the field of architecture and development will be discussing an affordable housing project in an Environmental Justice community of Roxbury, MA. We will touch on the big "why" of the work- bringing affordable housing with tax credit structure to deliver a senior living "aging-in-place" community for the immediately proximate neighborhood.
Learning Objectives
Strategize their approach to AHJ’s to effect positive outcomes
Define the steps required to design battery energy storage systems
Apply code language to their future all-electric project for permitting
Advocate for why electrification is an environmental justice issue
Has this session been presented before?
No
Session Format
Presentation followed by facilitated discussion or breakout groups
Session Format Details
A presentation that incorporates active learning and participation and may use various media (e.g., video, polling) to facilitate learning.
Recommended Length
60-minute session

Strongest Content Connection - Boston 2023

Comments about your speaker roster
Sara is a registered architect with significant experience working on mixed-use developments and residential projects throughout New England. Motivated by a commitment to shape her community in a socially and environmentally responsible way, Sara thrives in creating and imagining elegant and relevant solutions to complicated design problems. Julie is Vice President for Design and Building Performance, responsible for design and energy efficiency for development projects and the owned portfolio. She assists POAH in the acquisition process with building investigation, energy budgeting, scope development and cost estimates. A Certified Passive House Consultant and LEED-certified architect with an undergraduate degree in environmental design, Julie has worked as an architect, construction manager, owner’s project manager and Executive Director of the Texas Historical Foundation.
Reviewer 1
Schow, Mark
Reviewer 2
Carlson, Kurt
Curator
Smith, Greg
Proposal #
152
Session #
703
Committee Decision
Accepted

Presenters

Full Description
Going electric is still difficult in most municipalities. Misinformation and fear of electric battery backup is preventing owners and code officials from taking on the challenge of electrifying emergency back-up systems. It is critical that projects grapple with the challenge to forge a path for others through setting precedents and by increasing demand in the supply chain; only then can we reach scale for battery backup. We want to share that it is possible, and it takes perseverance, but in the end the results are critical. Not only must we do this, but we need to focus our efforts on communities plagued with environmental injustice.