Retrofit. Have an impact. 27th International Passive House Conference in April 2024 in Innsbruck Darmstadt, Germany. The 27th International Passive House Conference will be held in April 2024 in Innsbruck in Austria! The focal theme of the conference will be "Retrofit. Have an impact.” In order to effectively bring the building sector on course towards climate protection, reliable energy retrofits are indispensable. The conference will take place at the University…
Startup claims breakthrough in turning the earth’s heat into clean power
Fervo Energy, a leading geothermal energy startup, says it achieved a technology breakthrough that could eventually accelerate the push to pull up carbon-free energy from deep down in the earth. On Tuesday, Fervo said it had successfully completed a full-scale well test that confirms the commercial viability of its next-generation technology. The Houston-based startup uses horizontal drilling techniques and fiber-optic sensing tools to access geothermal resources that are otherwise too expensive or technically complex to reach…
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...
SOM Discusses Bio-Concrete in Architectural Record
Although often celebrated as a versatile, durable, and resilient material, concrete accounts for approximately 11 percent of global carbon emissions. In her Architectural Record article “Continuing Education: Decarbonizing Concrete—The Ubiquitous Material Gets a Climate Friendly Makeover,” Joann Gonchar, AIA, highlights various strategies for reducing concrete’s environmental impact. Among the industry professionals featured, Managing Partner Brant Coletta and Design Principal Yasemin Kologlu discuss our ongoing partnership with Prometheus Materials to turn the built environment into a climate…
City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality: Implications for NYC – Livestream
KSK Construction Group
Sculpting Skylines Responsible for some of New York City’s most desirable luxury condominiums, KSK Construction Group is preparing to celebrate 20 years of quality construction and real estate development New York City might be one of the world’s most demanding and competitive markets, but KSK Construction Group has been carving out success in the Big Apple for almost two decades. Providing its real estate development services to a wide spectrum…
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…
PASSIVE HOUSE PODCAST EP. 147: JOHN SEMMELHACK, IAQ AND WILDFIRE SMOKE
Passive House Podcast co-host Zack Semke catches up with John Semmelhack, co-owner of the Comfort Squad based in Charlottesville, Virginia, and a member of the Phius Technical Committee. John shares an immediate, triage solution to keeping indoor air clean (the Corsi-Rosenthal cube) as well as a long-term, structural solution (Passive House airtightness and ventilation with high-performance filtration). Listen to learn about short-term triage solutions as well as longer-term structural solutions…
What we can learn from Nordic countries about affordable housing
The article below is an op-ed by MAP Founding Principal Magnus Magnusson published in Crains New York Business, May 15, 2023 Everyone is talking about making New York housing more affordable and plentiful. But there are lessons from a unique "home-centric" culture that shouldn’t be overlooked. As an Iceland-born architect who has been designing housing in New York for more than 30 years, I’ve seen the achievements and failures of…
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…
SOM Launches Whole Life Carbon Accounting:
“The greatest opportunity to work towards a more sustainable future is to invest in new climate action measures,” said Kent Jackson, SOM Design Partner. “We are proud to extend our long and proven history of working with public bodies, property owners and developers to help lead the way for a low-carbon built environment. We look forward to bringing our skills and expertise to bear on the critical issue of a reduced…
SAFETY LEARNING: VIDEO SERIES ON THE INSTALLATION OF FALL ARREST SYSTEMS.
Ready to be safe? Subscribe to this Video Series and receive the link to the videos. This Video Series from Rothoblaas details basic information regarding the installation, annual inspection and documentation procedures of fall arrest systems produced by Rothoblaas. Topics covered in this Video Series include: the risks related to falls from height and the relevant standards of reference; solutions for attaching the fall arrest systems on various surfaces; and, assembly…