For Matthew O’Malia and his firm OPAL Architecture, each design opportunity is not just a creative exercise, it’s also a potential manifesto. The question of where to build is answered by the custom client, but what remains in play is what to build and how to build it. Indeed, how should we build is a conundrum that’s dogged and excited Matt for years, ever since he partnered with builder Alan…
SARANY selects the Battery Playscape and Charlotte of the Upper West Side for 2023 awards
We were honored to learn that two of BKSK’s projects, the Battery Playscape and Charlotte of the Upper West Side were selected to win 2023 design awards. At the award event/SARANY gala on June 13th the level of the award will be announced amongst all of the awardees. This is the first award for Charlotte since the completion of the multifamily building that is built to Passive House design standards and is currently in…
4697 Third Avenue
On a prominent double-corner lot that sat empty for decades, 4697 Third Avenue addresses a diverse context with a rich program of affordable housing and community services for the vibrant Fordham neighborhood. The building balances the neighborhood’s industrial and emerging residential contexts with sculptural window fins and a building massing that rises and twists as it responds to a highly visible site. Size: 63,000 SF Client: BronxPro Group Award: PHIUS Passive House…
Candela Lofts
Project Highlights First luxury multi-family residential building in the NY metro area built to International Passive House standards Employed structural thermal breaks to thermally isolate balconies, roof awning structures and slab edge connections at the adjacent building Thermal breaks were one of many sustainable design choices that helped this seven-storey building meet requirements for LEED Platinum and Passive House certification Learn more...
STATE STREET PASSIVE HOUSE
Address: Brooklyn, New York Role: Project & Preservation Architect Architect: Unknown Year Built: 1890 Completed: 2018 Project Status: Completed This four-story brick townhouse was gut renovated and expanded with a three-story addition in the back, built using insulated concrete forms. The garden level has a separate studio apartment in front and an indoor, 8-foot by 13-foot swim-in-place pool in back. Although the pool area is within the home’s thermal envelope, addressing the humidity issues posed by…
The Beacon Community Facility
LOCATION: East Harlem, New York, NY PROGRAM: Adaptive Re-use Community Facility TOTAL AREA: 59,300 SF CLIENT: The Community Builders + Ascendant Neighborhood Development PARTNERS: NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development, W X Y Architecture, Victor Body Lawson, Terrain Landscape Architecture, Lettire Construction We are proud to be part of the winning team for The Beacon, led by The Community Builders and Ascendant Neighborhood Development and including PCA, WXY Architecture, and Body Lawson Associates…
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,…
The House at Cornell Tech, Student Residence Tower
Project Highlights High performance, eco-friendly, urban building Tallest Passive House high-rise in the world at the time of completion Thermal breaks separated louvered HVAC rooms on each floor to isolate them from the conditioned interior Used to meet requirements for continuous insulation and reduce heat loss World’s Tallest Passive House Pushes Environmental Envelope with Help of Structural Thermal Breaks Roosevelt Island, New York City – At 26 stories, The House at…
What Are the Top 5 Largest Passive Houses?
Building professionals are always looking forward to the future because advancements in sustainable technology make eco-friendly lifestyles easier every day. People who prioritize green standards will need their home to align with their values, leading to the rise of passive houses. These are a few reasons passive houses are crucial for the future and New York as a state. What Is a Passive House? Before researching the top five largest…
DEXTALL | D Wall – New Construction
About the Building Currently under construction, this 8-story mixed-use building located in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, will feature 38 rental-based market rate and affordable residences, community facility space, and ground floor retail. The site is conveniently located across from the Jamaica Van Wyck subway station. Dextall's Solution The façade features Dextall’s prefabricated walls that provide optimal performance and eliminates the need for maintenance for decades. The prefab walls incorporate…
Candela Lofts
Project Highlights First luxury multi-family residential building in the NY metro area built to International Passive House standards Employed structural thermal breaks to thermally isolate balconies, roof awning structures and slab edge connections at the adjacent building Thermal breaks were one of many sustainable design choices that helped this seven-storey building meet requirements for LEED Platinum and Passive House certification Candela Lofts Installs Structural Thermal Breaks Meeting Passive House Standards HOBOKEN, NJ—Built on the…
Building a climate resilient future
Sustainability at ROCKWOOL "At ROCKWOOL, we transform volcanic rock into stone wool and our products contribute to address many of society’s biggest climate change challenges, creating new opportunities to enrich modern living and build safer, healthier, and more climate resilient communities. Indeed, stone wool is a versatile natural material with multiple benefits that makes it ideal for applications in buildings, industry, transportation, horticulture, and water management. We pursue a fact-based,…