Paul A. Castrucci Architects (PCA) provided architectural designs including Passive House modeling

Paul A. Castrucci Architects (PCA) provided architectural designs including Passive House modeling and consulting for Habitat for Humanity’s Habitat Net Zero project. Prototypes for a total of 13 affordable single- and two-family modular homes were designed for existing lots throughout the neighborhood of Jamaica, Queens. The combined living space totals 19,500 SF with individual homes ranging 1,200 SF to 4,000 SF. Two-story wood framed construction with a pitched roofs are…


Candela Lofts

  Candela Lofts Installs Structural Thermal Breaks Meeting Passive House Standards HOBOKEN, NJ—Built on the site of a former two-story candelabra factory, Candela Lofts is the first luxury, multi-family building in the New York Metropolitan area built to international Passive House standards. The 30,000 sq ft (2,787 sq m), seven-story structure offers nine two-, three- and four-bedroom luxury loft residences from 1,545 to 3,400 sq ft (144 to 316 m2). The…


T H E H E R I T A G E

Dextall's goal to help reduce greenhouse gas emission is in action with the Heritage project. An interesting fact is this project is entered in the Empire Building Challenge Competition. One of the primary challenges of the project is to minimize disruption to the tenants. Dextall’s prefab wall systems are installed from the exterior of the building and do not require scaffolding or staging Once completed, 1660 Madison Avenue will feature…


Before & After: RedBrick Developers Passive House

This Brooklyn Heights Greek Revival Rowhouse lived a number of lives since it was originally built in 1846. Throughout the home’s early years, a series of additions and renovations at the rear of the house created an eclectic collection of spaces. Since 1951, the family of architect Herbert Kaufman owned the home, until our client purchased it. They used it as a three-family building with an owner’s triplex on the…


PARTEL INTRODUCES ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS FOR AIRTIGHT MEMBRANES IN BUILDING TRANSPARENCY

Partel has become the first manufacturer of building envelope systems in Ireland to publish Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for air and windtight membranes. With these third-party reviewed EPDs, it’s now possible to measure our product´s environmental performance and impact on the overall project. This action is part of our commitment to the responsible performance of buildings and sustainable production processes. The first Partel products to attain the Environmental Product Declaration…


New Passive House Project Could Be a Model For Office Buildings

The idea of Passive House first took shape in the U.S. and Canada as a solution to the oil embargo in the early 1970s. Architects and engineers, faced with an energy shortage, started exploring ways to use less energy in homes they built. Fast-forward to the late 1980s, Swedish engineer Bo Adamson and German physicist Wolfgang Feist began discussing what would later become the Passive House standard and, in 1996,…



Sustainability in NYC Buildings, Avenue 8

  KEY TAKEAWAYS Local Law 97 – recently enacted legislation that tackles emissions from NYC’s largest carbon emitting sector – is big news. Local Law 97 is a first-of-its-kind legislation enacted as part of New York City’s 2019 Climate Mobilization Act that caps carbon emissions that large buildings can release each year without paying a penalty. The carbon emissions limits take effect in 2024 and become increasingly stringent thereafter. Buildings…



Lottery opens for 324 units at world’s largest affordable Passive House, from $388/month

Posted On Wed, December 29, 2021 By Aaron Ginsburg VIEW PHOTO IN GALLERY Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development A housing lottery opened this week for more than 300 apartments at the world’s largest fully affordable Passive House. Sendero Verde is a mixed-use project currently under construction in East Harlem that includes affordable housing, community space, retail, outdoor gardens, and a school. As part of…


Architects Focus | Retrofit Solutions and Design Opportunities

 Presenter: Michael Ingui Ed May Program Overview: Join us as Ed May and Michael Ingui present current designs, techniques, and approaches to the historic masonry retrofits they are currently working on. Learning Objectives: Understand how Passive House consultants approach building evaluation, design and certification. Gain Familiarity with the basic workflow of Passive House design and modeling as well as the critical tools used in assessing Passive House performance. Opportunities…


BENCHMARKING RESULT FOR PASSIVE HOUSE RETROFITS RATED TOP 5%

We are pleased to share our benchmarked data that puts our retrofit building’s energy performance within the top 5% in the city for its energy use. We present three of our completed retrofit projects, two-six story affordable co-op multifamily buildings on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, and a historic row-house in the Sunnyside Gardens Historic District. The benchmarked data also validates Passive House (PH) strategies as cost-effective to retrofit homes. Our…