The Town of Hartford devoted several years evaluating options to address its outdated municipal offices that were housed in a former early 19th century school. The Town selected Bread Loaf for the design and construction of a complete renovation of the existing facility.

The building is a Net Zero ready facility featuring an open transparent lobby that connects the Bridge Street side of the historic building with public parking and Lyman Park. Municipal department offices and public meeting rooms flank the main lobby on each of the three floors. Flood proofing of the building was required by code, which was creatively achieved by allowing future flood water to travel through the building basement. A complete structural rebuild of the floor framing systems was required after construction began and Bread Loaf was able to fit this added work into the budget and schedule.

The renovated building is fully accessible with installation of a new elevator, entrance ramps and other ADA compliant amenities. Design emphasis was placed on creating healthy workspaces with access to daylight, fresh air, and outdoor views in a highly efficient design that resulted in a Net Zero ready building. The fully renovated Hartford Town Hall embraces its historic past while celebrating the modern era in which it was reconstructed.

• Net Zero ready building
• No fossil or biomass fuel systems
• Embodied energy conservation by preserving existing building materials
• Energy Efficient Building Shell: R-20 foundation; R-40 walls; R50 Roof
• High-performance air sealing of the building envelope
• Indoor lighting uses 30% less energy than code
• Outdoor lighting uses 90% less energy than code
• Day lighting controls
• All electric air source heat pump with simultaneous heating and cooling rated to -13°F
• Point of use domestic water heaters for each bathroom
• Low flow plumbing fixtures
• Full DC control system for air source heat pump system and energy recovery unit