In the Black Dirt fields of Chester, New York, a new kind of housing is taking shape. Designed for the people who grow our food, this project establishes a replicable model for healthy, high-performance design that supports the needs of agricultural workers and sets a new standard for rural housing.

With support from NYSERDA’s Buildings of Excellence program, the Chester Agricultural Center and WXY are advancing a vision that blends affordability, sustainability, and dignity. The project is one of only nine selected across the state in this round of funding and one of just two located in a designated disadvantaged community. It will meet Passive House standards, utilize bio-based materials, and operate without the use of fossil fuels on-site. NYSERDA’s award affirms the project’s role as both a critical piece of local infrastructure and a model with statewide—and national—implications.

WXY’s role began well before the award. As Sara Katz, Executive Director of CAC, puts it, “WXY led with listening.” During the feasibility phase, the team sat down with farmers and farmworkers to ask what they needed. Those conversations became the foundation for the entire project, shaping its design and its values. “It’s not a top-down model,” Katz says. “WXY didn’t come in with a finished vision, instead they responded to what they heard. And now they’re helping make those ideas real.”

The result is a plan rooted in care and performance. Design elements include passive systems, natural ventilation, and durable, low-carbon materials—choices that support health and resilience without driving up costs. The process itself is part of the innovation: a full-cycle approach that moves from community input to zoning, modeling, and development, creating a clear and shareable framework.

“We’re combining Passive House design, bio-based materials, and long-term affordability to create a framework that can stand as an example for the rest of the country,” says Claire Weisz, founding principal of WXY. At a time when over half of farmworkers report living without access to safe heating or potable water, the need is urgent.

What we're building in Chester is housing designed for replication and grounded in the simple idea that those who tend the land deserve homes built with the same intention and care.

Explore more about the NYSERDA Buildings of Excellence award.