Rock House

Posted by Kendall Rocco , December 4, 2023 - Industry News

Work In Progress- Passive House Located on 40 acres in Connecticut on a heavily wooded site, the house was sited to maximize views of the surrounding hills and seasonal views of the river below. Approached by a long winding driveway, this simple box is cantilevered over an old logging path and includes full height uninterrupted glass on the North, East, and South facades. The detached garage is nestled into the…

All-Electric Building Act – testify remotely on Friday, 12/1

Posted by NYPH , November 28, 2023 - Industry News

Can you testify remotely on Friday, 12/1 @ 10am?  Instructions and talking points are attached. There is a two minute limit for testimony.   Builders and fossil fuel companies have filed for a federal injunction to prevent the Building Code Council (BCC) from updating the Building Code to electrify new construction.  The matter has been assigned to Judge Glenn Suddaby, who held NY’s gun laws unconstitutional. Judge Suddaby has given the BCC…

US invests $2 billion for lower-carbon construction at federal buildings

Posted by Kendall Rocco , November 16, 2023 - Industry News

WASHINGTON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Monday said it will invest $2 billion in 150 federal building projects across 39 states that use materials that minimize carbon emissions, its latest effort to tackle climate change through government purchasing power. The General Services Administration will prioritize the purchase of asphalt, concrete, glass and steel produced and disposed of with lower levels of associated greenhouse gas emissions that meet…

Passive House Conference 2023- George Kontaroudis Architect

Posted by Kendall Rocco , November 10, 2023 - Member News

The annual Passive House Conference was held recently in Denver, Colorado and hosted by the Passive House Network. Attending the Passive House conference always leaves me inspired, energized, and optimistic, and never more so than this year. I have the sense that this is a pivotal moment for Passive House and that scaling-up is imminent. The need for climate change mitigation and adaptation has by now been made heartbreakingly clear…

PARTEL REVOLUTIONISES ECO MEMBRANES WITH A NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH

Posted by Kendall Rocco , November 8, 2023 - Industry News

We are excited to announce the official launch of our two new paper-based ECO membrane products: IZOPERM Plus ECO – a paper-based sustainable vapour control layer membrane & VARA Plus ECO – a paper-based smart ecological vapour control layer membrane. They promote the eco-responsible and environmentally conscious methods of construction with a solid focus on facilitating a lower environmental impact in buildings. Providing a solution for internal applications, improving internal…

“The Heritage” Begins September

Posted by Kendall Rocco , October 25, 2023 - Industry News

Empire Building Challenge Award Winner Beginning at 59th St., the most celebrated stretch of New York’s Fifth Avenue—the leafy, museum-studded gambol on the east side of Central Park—runs two-and-a-half miles to the north, stopping at 110th St in Harlem. At either end, its course is marked by a pair of major buildings: downtown, it’s the Plaza Hotel, one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks; uptown, it’s The Heritage. Though less…

Boston skyscraper named world’s biggest ​‘Passive House’ office

Posted by Kendall Rocco , October 24, 2023 - Industry News

A new Boston skyscraper has a climate-friendly claim to fame. Last week, it became the largest office space in the world certified to the extremely energy-efficient ​“Passive House” standards — and the first skyscraper in the U.S. to earn the label. The 812,000-square-foot area for offices at the Winthrop Center, a mixed-use commercial and residential building, requires significantly less energy than similar spaces. Comparable buildings in Boston consume 150% more energy than Winthrop Center’s office space,…

ENERsign® passive house windows and doors

Posted by Kendall Rocco , October 20, 2023 - Industry News

Addressing climate change in the building sector requires higher levels of energy efficiency of all envelope components, especially in cold climates, to reduce the annual heating demand. Windows and doors are typically the weakest points in the thermal envelope for convection, conduction, and radiation. ENERsign® stands for wood-aluminum windows and doors with the highest energy efficiency standards. The best insulation and air-tightness values can be achieved through the interaction of design and material selection.…

Charlotte Becomes First Name in Passive House

Posted by Kendall Rocco , October 19, 2023 - Industry News

“Given the distinct aesthetics of the block and the neighborhood’s penchant for historic preservation, BKSK recognized that the project needed to firmly align with the context of its surroundings, as evidenced by the building’s fenestration pattern and brickwork. The team took inspiration not only from the immediate block, but from the surrounding historical district. As Poisson says, “That really inspired us to create a façade that was worthy of the…

Designing Healthy Homes

Posted by Kendall Rocco , October 19, 2023 - Industry News

Photography: Adam Kane Macchia Many of our projects are renovations in historic districts throughout New York City. These houses, beautiful living relics of New York’s early days, often become increasingly troublesome as they age. They have leaky windows, outdated boilers, leaky radiators, and poor indoor air quality. At the beginning of our restoration process, we often must consider preservation alongside upgrading the building systems. Our systematic approach to retrofits will…