working prototype · illustrative data

Healthy Materials Packages

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HM Packagesconcept
Melrose Senior ApartmentsBronx, NY · 48-unit moderate rehab
Enterprise Green Communities aligned
+3.1% vs BAU

Unit renovation

The flagship package: six swaps that hold first cost within ~3% while halving embodied carbon.

Flooringliving + bedrooms · 585 sf
VE-safe
+$205 first cost-64% carbon3 regional suppliers · lead 2–3 wk
HPD publishedGreenGuard Gold
Why it holds

Targets the same wear and damp-mop cleanability LVT is specced for, at a premium small enough to survive a value-engineering pass. EGC · Healthy Living Environment — resilient flooring

Paintwalls + ceilings, 2 coats · 1,850 sf
VE-safe
+$111 first cost-14% carbon6 regional suppliers · lead stock
GreenGuard GoldCDPH v1.2 compliant
Why it holds

Zero-VOC lines are cost-parity at contractor grade now — the spec holds even when the paint schedule gets rebid. EGC · low-VOC paints and coatings

Insulationdemising walls, thermal + acoustic · 460 sf
VE-safe
$253 first cost-60% carbon4 regional suppliers · lead stock
Formaldehyde-freeHPD published
Why it holds

The rare swap that is cheaper outright — and the fire and acoustic ratings come free. EGC · envelope + healthy living

Kitchen caseworkbase + wall cabinet boxes · 14 lf
VE watch
+$168 first cost-19% carbon2 regional suppliers · lead 4–6 wk
NAF — CARB exemptFSC available
Why it holds

Cabinet boxes are the unit's largest formaldehyde source; the ~6% premium is the package's most exposed line, so it is named as the health upgrade — not hidden in the millwork budget. EGC · composite wood emissions

Countertopkitchen + bath vanity top · 32 sf
VE watch
+$160 first cost-20% carbon2 regional suppliers · lead 3–4 wk
Declare labelHPD published
Why it holds

Same fabricators, same install day; the delta is one line in the kitchen budget and it removes the particleboard core. EGC · healthy interior finishes

Adhesives & sealantswhole-unit allowance · 1 lot
VE-safe
+$20 first cost-12% carbon5 regional suppliers · lead stock
CDPH v1.2 compliant
Why it holds

Invisible in the budget and the schedule — the cheapest health win in the package. EGC · low-emitting materials

Concept prototype · illustrative data — representative magnitudes, not measured quotes or verified EPDsassistant runs on a live model API via a server-side proxy