Hotel Marcel
New Haven, CT
After it was left vacant for two decades, the brutalist Pirelli Building designed by architect Marcel Breuer in 1967 has transformed into a net-zero, all-electric boutique hotel and conference facility named after its original designer.
Project Overview
Becker + Becker strives to revitalize urban communities through the retrofit of historic buildings, and the team used an integrated design strategy and interdisciplinary solutions to solve unique building challenges. Hotel Marcel sets the bar high for future retrofit projects. The team is pursuing EnerPHit and LEED Building Design + Construction (BD+C): Hospitality Platinum certifications. After a full year of operation, it will submit utility documentation for New Building Institute’s Net Zero certification.
Becker + Becker’s objective to pursue Passive House certification results in energy savings, increased occupant comfort, and building durability. The building features an all-electric commercial kitchen to service hotel guests, complete with electric appliances and ventless hoods. On-site, rooftop, and carport photovoltaic systems offset 100% of the building’s greater energy loads, working toward the net-zero operation. The solar PV canopies for electric car charging and rooftop solar enable the building to react to demand response signals from the utility grid.
Building Details
- 111,000 GSF
Project Team
- Architect, Developer & Owner: Becker + Becker
Services Provided
- Accessibility consulting
- Enclosure consulting
- Passive House design
- Sustainability consulting
Certifications
EnerPHit
LEED
Project Services
SWA provided LEED BD+C: Hospitality Platinum and Passive House certification services, including review of interior materials, Passive House design analysis, plan reviews, and on-site testing and verification required for certification.
SWA’s Enclosures team performed condition assessments and moisture and thermal analysis and recommended continuous insulation and thermal break strategies as well as continuous air-barrier design for the existing precast concrete façade. In addition, the team led the installation of “historically correct” triple-glazed windows in coordination with the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to replace the original single-glazed windows.
SWA’s Accessibility team continues to provide compliance consulting services to help ensure that the project meets accessible design and construction requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Chapter 11: Accessibility of the CT State Building Code.
Awards
CTGBC 2022 Green Building Awards – Award of Excellence
2023 Connecticut Preservation Awards – Award of Merit
Video: An Adaptive Reuse of the Historic Pirelli Building
In this video from Consigli Construction, Consigli’s Aaron Krueger, Becker + Becker’s Bruce Redman Becker, and SWA’s Kate Doherty explain how their firms are transforming the Pirelli Building in New Haven, CT, into the net zero Hotel Marcel designed to Passive House standards.
