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…
International Passive House Open Days
PARTEL REVOLUTIONISES ECO MEMBRANES WITH A NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH
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
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…
ASHRAE 227 Passive Building Standard being out for public comment
Boston skyscraper named world’s biggest ‘Passive House’ office
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
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
“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
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…
THE NEW 475DAYLIGHT.COM
The House at Cornell Tech
An ultra high-performance dormitory and faculty residence built as part of the Cornell Tech Campus on the southern end of Roosevelt Island. This building is a 26 story reinforced concrete building with a prefabricated wall panel system, and centralized VRF and ERV mechanical systems. At the time it was completed, this building was the tallest and largest structure in the world to receive Passive House certification, with a superinsulated building…
Human Settlements – Climate Action Pathway
URBAN DESIGN THAT MAKES SUSTAINABLE LIVING SECOND NATURE It’s 2050 and urban life has never been better. Despite more people living in urban areas than ever before, the world’s towns and cities are now healthy, affordable and inclusive places to live. Many of the policies and investments driving these improvements also explain the radical decarbonisation of today’s human settlements. Indeed, the design of today’s cities makes living a 1.5oC-aligned life almost…






































