Smart Renovation: How AI Breathed New Life into an Aging Apartment Complex 🧠🏢🔄
In Cincinnati, Ohio, the 1960s-era Maplewood Apartments had become a symbol of deferred maintenance and rising utility costs. Units were drafty, lighting was inefficient, and energy bills consumed a disproportionate share of residents’ incomes. The solution? Not demolition—but data.
Rather than starting from scratch, a renovation team used artificial intelligence to guide a deep energy retrofit—one that would reduce emissions, enhance comfort, and preserve affordability.
The Power of AI in Retrofit Design 🔍🌡️
AI isn’t just reshaping new buildings—it’s transforming how we approach old ones. In renovation contexts, AI tools can:
Analyze utility data to identify top energy drains
Model weather impacts and building envelope performance
Optimize HVAC upgrades and insulation strategies
Evaluate material reuse to minimize embodied carbon
These tools empower design teams to make strategic decisions quickly and cost-effectively—especially when every dollar counts.
Case Study: Maplewood Apartments, Cincinnati, OH
The Maplewood project was a public-private partnership between the city housing authority, a sustainability consultancy, and a local architecture firm. Key steps included:
Digitizing existing plans and overlaying 12 months of utility data
Running AI-based simulations to evaluate over 1,000 retrofit scenarios
Prioritizing upgrades based on return on investment, carbon savings, and resident benefit
Final interventions included:
Envelope sealing and new thermal insulation
Energy Star-rated windows and appliances
A centralized geothermal heating and cooling loop
Sensor-based lighting and daylight-responsive fixtures
AI also guided phasing to minimize tenant displacement and downtime.
Results and Benefits 📉💡
After 18 months of renovation:
Energy use intensity dropped by 42%
Average resident utility bills fell by $65/month
Indoor air quality and daylighting improved across all units
Carbon emissions decreased by 250 metric tons annually
Residents noted not just lower bills, but better sleep, fewer asthma flare-ups, and a renewed sense of pride in their homes.
Takeaways for Future Projects 🧠📐
Maplewood illustrates how AI can unlock value in the buildings we already have. Key lessons:
Retrofitting can be strategic, not just reactive
Data-driven design makes performance predictable and measurable
Preservation and sustainability go hand in hand
Importantly, the AI tool used for Maplewood has since been adopted citywide to support upgrades at more than 20 other multifamily sites.
Final Thoughts
In an era of housing scarcity and climate urgency, the smartest solutions might not be new—they might be smarter ways of working with what we have. AI is giving us the tools to do just that: to retrofit with precision, preserve with purpose, and uplift communities in the process.
What aging building in your city could be tomorrow’s sustainability success story?
Instagram Caption:
🧠🏢🔄 Maplewood Apartments shows how AI-driven retrofits can slash emissions, cut costs, and improve lives—without rebuilding from scratch. #AIinArchitecture #RetrofitDesign #AffordableHousing #BlueprintForTomorrow