Dorchester of Mt. Lebanon

Dorchester of Mt. Lebanon Senior Housing, one of the largest passive house development in Pennsylvania, features a four-story, 60-unit apartment complex, which is reserved for senior citizens aged 62 and older.

Dorchester offers a mix of 1 and 2-bedroom apartments which range from 625 to 911 square feet. Interior features include full kitchens and baths, operable windows, on-floor laundry rooms, community rooms and lounges, and community balconies and outdoor access on two floors.

Dorchester utilizes an $11 million Low Income Housing Tax Credit through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA). Apartments are income restricted for individuals or couples making less than 60 percent of the area median income.

Dorchester is uniquely designed to Passive House certification standards, a rigorous, voluntary standard for energy efficiency in a building, reducing its ecological footprint. Standard requirements focus on energy consumption, reduction of heating and cooling demand, and tight construction of the building envelope. This results in ultra-low energy buildings that require little energy for space heating or cooling.

Residents will realize a lower cost of living through lower utility bills. Passive House buildings typically use 86 percent less energy for heating, and 46 percent less energy for cooling when compared to a standard code-compliant building.