Mould in Buildings: What is it and how can it be Prevented?

19 January 2022 By: Alison Phelan, Technical Consultant Technical Topics Mould in Buildings: What is it and how can it be Prevented? Concern about mould in construction has been increasing as people become aware that exposure to mould can cause a variety of health effects and symptoms, and impact decay of the building’s structure. As people spend a substantial part of their day indoors, be that in their homes, offices,…


What is Passive House? By EP Engineers

Chris Burgess | Friday July 30, 2021 Passive House Design Gains Steam in NYC as Leading Sustainability Solution for Commercial Development As New York City’s landlords and developers stare down tightening carbon-emissions caps with Local Law 97’s deadline fast approaching, the energy efficiency of commercial buildings is becoming even more paramount. What is Passive House? The basic tenets of Passive House design include an extremely well-insulated and super-tight building envelope…



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…


It’s not even August and we’ve already used up the Earth’s resources for the year

By Kristin Toussaint There’s five months left of the year 2021, yet we’ve already used up our annual ecological budget—the amount of timber, food, forests to suck up CO2 and other resources we demand of our planet that it can regenerate within a year. Our Earth can only sustainably provide so much, and each year, Earth Overshoot Day marks the date by which we’ve used up that amount. After Earth…


Exhibition Open Call – Built Environment Virtual Pavilion for COP26

Overview COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference, is a critical moment in the fight against climate change. It takes place in November 2021, and the eyes of the world will be on the host city, Glasgow. Covid-19 travel restrictions may reduce the number of delegates able to attend COP in person. To mitigate risk and enable maximum participation in COP26, regardless of the status of the physical Conference, an unprecedented…


The inside story of New York’s greenest condo

The Upper West Side hums with nostalgia—from the Museum of Natural History to the mason facades of the Central Park West Historic District, the neighborhood is a treasure trove of storied buildings. Now, it welcomes a new piece of history: Manhattan’s greenest condo, dubbed Charlotte of the Upper West Side. Under the leadership of the Roe Corporation, a real estate development company helmed by John Roe, a number of beloved…


Bushwick retrofit project provides blueprint for greening buildings

New York City’s sustainability goals for the next decade are ambitious: The Climate Mobilization Act of 2019 mandates that the city must cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030. And a good chunk of that must come from buildings, which contribute close to 70 percent of the city’s total carbon output. Landlords have been fretting over how to make their buildings more green since the legislation passed…


Renderings Revealed for ‘The Oasis’ Passive House Office Building at 38-42 12th Street in Long Island City

Aerial rendering illustrates The Oasis and the surrounding neighborhood - Archimæra By: Sebastian Morris 7:00 am on December 9, 2020 JNY Capital and United Housing Company are working in collaboration on The Oasis, the country’s largest-ever Passive House office building at 38-42 12th Street, near the northern boundary of Long Island City. From Brooklyn-based design studio Archimæra, the building’s Passive House standard construction will incorporate extremely efficient mechanical and electrical systems, a…


Why Passive House Buildings Create a Healthier Interior Environment

Passive House buildings are undoubtedly better for the environment because they use less energy than a typical building. But how does the interior experience in a Passive House building compare to a typical building? Here's an explanation of why Passive House buildings provide superior indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and acoustics. Read More >


Passive Housing: Lottery Launches for 1230 Metcalf Avenue in Soundview, The Bronx

1230 Metcalf Avenue in Soundview, The Bronx By: Vanessa Londono 7:00 am on December 12, 2020 The affordable housing lottery is now open for Metcalf Avenue Apartments, a 12-story mixed-use development at 1230 Metcalf Avenue in Soundview, The Bronx. The 219,546-square-foot corner building is designed by Dattner Architects and developed by Phipps Houses and will yield a total 249 units in a mix of studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. Available on…


In these super-sustainable new apartments, you may never pay a heating bill

When Sendero Verde, a 100-percent affordable apartment development in East Harlem in New York City, opens its doors in 2022, it’ll live up to its name, which means Green Path in Spanish. Within the city block where the new series of high-rise towers will stand, residents of the 361 apartments will be able to stroll through new landscaping and public spaces. A charter school will be on-site and a short…