30 years old ˗ more relevant than ever!

Darmstadt/Wuppertal, Germany. Passive House is celebrating its 30th birthday – and is more  relevant than ever before. The 25th International Passive House Conference demonstrated how important it is to implement climate protection in buildings on a large scale. The Passive House Institute moderated the anniversary conference live in the Historic Town Hall of Wuppertal, for the participants it took place online. The research institute emphasised the key role that energy…


Call for 2021-2023 NYPH Board Members Candidate Applications

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Dear Esteemed NYPH Supporter, We are excited to announce that our 2021-2023 Board Elections are here! Do you have a vision to change the landscape of New York's built environment? Here's your chance! NYPH is looking for fresh ideas and strong leadership to head the organization starting Fall 2021. Successful applications will be determined by a members-only election. Click here to submit your application for the 2021-2023 NYPH Board Member…


Europe’s first uninhabitable Capital

I recently read a piece in the New York Times that shocked me. The article was about the fires that raged all over Greece last month and it posited the idea that “Athens could become Europe’s first uninhabitable capital city.” In the wake of the fires, the Greek government stated that the climate crisis is upon us. Joe Biden said the same thing just this week after visiting hurricane-ravaged parts…


Project Spotlight: Casa Celina, Magnusson Architecture and Planning PC

Location: Bronx, NY Client: JASA, Xenolith, Kretchmer Companies Type: Affordable Senior Housing Size: 136,000 SF Units: 205 The winning RFP proposal for NYCHA’s Sotomayor Houses in the Soundview section of the Bronx (and named in honor of the Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s mother, Celina Baez) this 16-story building will offer affordable senior units. Approximately 3,350 square feet of community space will be accessible to NYCHA residents and the surrounding community. The…


How Windows Make (or Break) Wall Performance, Illustrated

The thermal performance of your building’s walls is only as strong as the weakest link, and windows are too often that weak link. Even if you’ve gone to great lengths to build a super-insulated high performance wall, if you poke that wall full of holes, then plug those walls with mediocre windows, you will get a poorly-performing wall. Bad windows will ruin the best wall assemblies. Conversely, good windows can…


Designing the ‘Perfect Wall’ | Partel Tech Knowledge Series

The third episode in this series brings technical information on key layers in designing a perfect wall system. Construction evolved, and energy-efficient buildings now require proper sequencing to control the inside from the outside. Hugh Whiriskey, Technical Director of Partel, approaches the critical roles and properties of the four essential control layers: rain, air, vapor, and thermal in this session. Learn more about: What is the Perfect Wall and the…


Happy Birthday, Passive House !

Passive House now 30 years old –pioneering work paves the way for energy efficiency Darmstadt, Germany. Passive House is celebrating its 30th birthday this year!Starting as an experiment,great credit can be given to this pioneering project by Professor Wolfgang Feist: at a time when only very few people thought about climate protection, it paved the way for energy efficiency in buildings. Today, the Passive House Standard has been implemented throughout…


Today is an AIR QUALITY ACTION DAY

Re-thinking your transportation choices can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make New York's air healthier. Today is an AIR QUALITY ACTION DAY Do Your Part: Your Choices Make A Difference! Use sustainable transportation options like telework, walking or biking. Combine trips for your essential trips. Refuel after dark to prevent releasing pollutants into the air that react with sunlight. Don’t top off your tank. Doing so could damage your…


FERO FAST Thermal Bracket™ Offset Shelf Angle – Passive House Component Certification

FERO FAST Thermal Bracket offset shelf angle is officially a phA Certified Passive House Advanced Component in the Façade Anchors category.  The testing parameters of the Passive House certification included the FAST Thermal Bracket offset shelf angle and FERO’s Thermal TieTM masonry connector.  For more details, our component certificate can be found HERE.At FERO, our mission is to design, engineer and manufacture products that maximize building envelope performance.  We know our…



Four Seven Five becomes Sponsor of NYPH

Masonry Retrofit A great number of historic masonry buildings exist across North America, and today they are being re-imagined with an endless variety of uses. Renovating and reoccupying these old buildings is rightly considered an act of sustainability in itself. Using the existing structure can mean 50% to 75% less embodied carbon, on day one of occupancy, than a new building would generate. In the 21st century, our existing masonry…