The Managing Board has initiated a Building Envelope Project to repair and renew the building’s protective layer. The primary aim of the Project is to fix existing damage to the building’s wall assembly, while remediating or reconstructing it to protect against future damage. To focus on the Project, the Managing Board has established a Building Envelope Helping Circle. The Helping Circle is a subcircle of the Board that may include non-Board members.

Aims of Helping Circle (confirmed by consent of the Board, 5/20/24): 

Work with professionals and community to create a proposed plan for the Project - balancing numerous factors – technical, financial, aesthetic, environmental, etc.  Proposed plan should identify the contractor who will do the work, and a plan for how CCH will finance and oversee the work. Full Circle / Association consent is required before the plan is implemented. Helping Circle will manage the engagement of our professionals responsibly to achieve these aims.

Proposed Membership Requirements (proposed 5/24/24 for consent at 6/2/24 Full Circle)

As required by the Governance Framework, the Board requests the Full Circle’s consent to set requirements for membership in the Helping Circle, as set forth below. Decisions regarding the membership of the Helping Circle will use the proposed membership requirements, and will  be made by the broader circle (in this case, the Managing Board), as specified by the Governance Framework.

Membership requirements for the Building Envelope Helping Circle: 

• Circle will be limited to six members. 

• Members must embrace the aims of the Project and the Circle, and must have identifiable skills or experiences that are relevant to these aims. 

• Circle members must be willing and able to meet frequently (outside of Board meetings), and to read and analyze technical and financial information. 

• At least two members should also be Board members.

Rationale for membership requirements: Circle meetings (which may be frequent, in this case) are more efficient and easier to organize with fewer members. The complex problem space will require members to spend a significant amount of time studying and preparing for decision-making discussions. Having a minimum of two Board members on the Helping Circle will ensure a good communications link with the Board. 

Current members (who were chosen in accordance with the above requirements)

Annie - SCRIBE (Core member of previous Envelope circle, manages our relationship with SPS, recent re-siding experience)

Art (Current CCH Board member, extensive experience as developer)

Bill (Ex-Board chair, member of previous Envelope circle)

Bob M - LEADER (Current CCH Board chair, experience managing many CCH projects)

Joe - FACILITATOR (Current CCH Treasurer, member of previous Envelope circle)

Introduction letter from the Board - sent May 2, 2024

The Next Big Project for Cambridge Cohousing:

Envelope Renewal

The building envelope forms a thermal barrier between the internal and external environments. It consists of the roofs and walls of the building, along with the foundation. One of its jobs is to protect the building by ensuring that precipitation drains down and away from the building, as intended, rather than flowing into places where it can cause harm. 

Historic Background

We have long been aware of systemic problems with the outer protective layer of our walls. A 2002 report from consultant Fred Unger pointed to problems with the installation of flashing and Hardie Board, and warned that a big, expensive project was lurking in our future. Much later - in the 2010’s - the same issues were investigated by SPS. Serious problems were found, and a major remediation plan was proposed. More recently, in 2022, while evaluating our back porches, Alex Steinberg (our consultant, from JBS Home Inspections) noted the same issues.  

There have been a number of positive changes to building envelope components over time. However, we have delayed a major, systematic re-skinning of the building, which is the only possible way to remediate the fundamental mistakes made by the original contractors. The damage resulting from these mistakes is ongoing, and may now be accelerating due to the botched gutter job of 2021.   If we are lucky, we will find that it has rarely gone deep enough to affect the building’s structure.

In the meantime, other elements of the building have been aging and are now in need of replacement. Some of these elements (for example, decks and porches) will be more cost-efficient to replace when combined with envelope remediation. Our flat roofs are nearing their expected 30-year lifetimes. All things considered, the time is ripe to plan a large renewal of the building exterior. 

Project Process

The project that we are envisioning is the kind of project that condominiums of a certain age inevitably face. There are a number of firms that specialize in exactly this type of work. (Contrast this with the patio project -- an unusual situation that necessitated extensive, creative engineering work and numerous aesthetic decisions.)  

Given the relatively straightforward nature of this project, the Board decided to streamline the process, and handle it “in house” instead of creating a formal Helping Circle. The Board’s immediate aim is to hire and work with a vendor to develop the overall project plan, which will then be proposed to the Community. The Board designated three of its members to focus on the task (Joe, Art, and Bob). This team invited non-Board members Annie (who has a relationship with SPS) and Bill (an interested party) to join them. The Board also hired Alex Steinberg (JBS Home Inspections) to help us choose a vendor.

The team has met on site with a number of candidates. Each candidate got a tour of the building, noting the areas where water is getting behind the siding, causing Hardie Board to crumble, and trim boards to rot.  We discussed window-related issues (often a critical aspect of jobs like this).  We also discussed issues around including or not including decks and porches in the project scope.  We provided the results of the SPS investigation. The candidates understand the core task: Fix existing damage to the building’s wall assembly, while remediating or reconstructing it to guard against future damage. 

Currently, there are three vendors in the running. Our selected vendor will work with the Board’s team to analyze the situation and explore options. The team will give a status report at every Board meeting, and will enlist input from the Board or Community whenever necessary. The ultimate product of this preliminary phase is to create a sensible overall plan for the project - taking everything into account (requirements, logistics, finances, and so on). The plan will combine scope, timing and financing. 

Elements of the Project Scope

In addition to the outer walls of the building, other elements will be included in the scope if there is technical or financial justification for it. For example:

• Some window and sliding door replacement will be in scope because of age or damage AND because it may be deemed necessary to properly install the flashing. 

• Townhouse deck replacement is likely to be in scope because it helps (or is necessary) to address adjacent envelope issues, AND because nearly all decks and railings are overdue for replacement. 

• The flat roofs will be in scope along with the townhouse decks, because the only time to replace them is when the decks are rebuilt, AND because the rubber membrane may need to run up the wall under the siding, AND because the flat roofs are nearing the end of their expected lifetime. 

• The rear porches may be in scope because their replacement may require significant flashing and siding work AND because the porches do not satisfy current building code, so are due for replacement.  

• Gutters are in scope because the siding work will require removal of many gutters and downspouts AND because, as currently built, they are creating water infiltration problems. 

• Some landscaping may be in scope because it needs to be coordinated with the gutter work. Water coming off the building cannot be allowed to pond against the building, as is currently happening in several EE locations. 

• Issues involving the balconies will need to be evaluated. 

Community Involvement in Decisions

The scope of work will almost definitely include the total replacement of the building’s siding and trim. We could choose Hardie Plank again (properly installed, this time), using the pattern and color scheme developed for the Common House and West End. However, we recognize that this is a unique opportunity to revisit old choices. We may, in fact, be forced to revisit those choices. The choice of siding material is a particularly complicated decision involving initial cost, ongoing cost, lifecycle impacts on the environment, ease of installation, aesthetics, etc. Another important factor is the contractor’s willingness and ability to use the material, and the warranty they are able to offer.  It isn’t a decision that can be effectively analyzed by the full Board, much less the Full Circle. It requires a small, nimble, dedicated, highly-focused group that has the community’s trust.  If you think you belong in this group, or just have something you want to say to the group, please let us know (contact Bob M).

Project Timing and Financing

The project will be divided into separate stages of work - spaced over time. The minimum stage is one side of one building. Larger stages tend to minimize overall cost and disruption - and there is usually a cost penalty for deferring work. However, smaller stages may be desirable for financial or logistical reasons. As we currently envision it, the project will be staged over the course of two or three years. (This is subject to change as we work with the contractor to analyze our choices.)  Work will begin in the East End, which is currently in the worst shape. Our goal is to get the work started in the Spring of 2025. 

A number of financing options will be investigated. We’re aware that some folks are nearing the point where they can’t afford to live here. We can’t promise any miracles, but we can promise to do our best- within legal constraints - to develop a plan that makes it feasible for everyone to stay. 

-Bob M.

P.S. The Common House roof (which is another element of the building envelope) will also need to be replaced in the next couple of years. It can be handled as a separate project - allowing it to be replaced on its own timetable.  Unless we identify a substantial financial incentive or logistical advantage, we will not combine it with the siding work. However, it does add a significant factor to our overall financial planning. 

Historical Documentation

• Fred Unger report, 2002

• SPS report, 2019