Scranton, Pa – Northeast Pennsylvania Center for Independent Living (NEPA-CIL) earned an Energy Star rating from the US Dept. of EPA. The 18,000 s/f building operated as a photo processing / retail facility prior to its complete green renovation for the NEPACIL. In addition, the NEPACIL’s mission is to empower persons with disabilities and therefore the building had to exceed all the requirements of the ADA.
Prestwood Photo Studios located on Sanderson Ave. in Scranton rise to land mark status because so many people patronized the business over the years. The NEPA Center of Independent Living purchased the building after DeScipio completed a feasibility study showing that the existing building and site can meet the needs of the organization. The result is a state of the art technically
advanced building, sensitive to the environment, aesthetically pleasing and completely ADA accessible.
Recycle and Reuse
Rather than constructing a new building, the NEPACIL project utilizes existing resources within the existing infrastructure of the city of Scranton. What is greener than recycling an existing building? After hazardous asbestos materials were mitigated many of
the materials removed from the building were recycled. Materials such as: steel, copper, stainless steel, wood framing, rigid roofing insulation and rubber roofing were either recycled or reused. To reduce the carbon footprint of the building, materials
and systems designed and specified followed professional standards in energy and environmental design. The
super tight building enclosure coupled with the state of the art HVAC and lighting systems will greatly reduce the monthly
utility bills while at the same time create better indoor air, light and thermal comfort for the occupants.
