New Passive House-certified projects in NYC include Gemma Gramercy, Lexe Passive House, and Charlotte of the Upper West Side
As Climate Week NYC approaches its closing day this Sunday, it marks the culmination of the largest annual climate event worldwide. In partnership with the United Nations General Assembly, the event brings over 400 gatherings across the city, all dedicated to combatting the greenhouse gas emissions that fuel climate change.
A top priority is to transition energy production away from fossil fuels, the combustion of which releases greenhouse gases that trap more of the sun's heat. In the United States, buildings are responsible for 39% of total energy consumption, with a significant 42% of that energy dedicated to space heating and cooling. This is precisely where the Passive House standard comes into play. Its primary objective is to substantially reduce energy use for heating and cooling, all while ensuring optimal comfort for occupants, reducing energy costs, and minimizing ecological impact.
Achieving Passive House certification requires meeting specific energy performance criteria established by the Passive House Institute or a similar organization. The key principles of a Passive House include super-insulation to reduce heat loss through the building envelope (walls, roof, and floor), airtight construction to maintain a consistent indoor temperature, high-performance windows and doors, heat recovery ventilation which provides a continuous supply of fresh air while recovering heat from the outgoing stale air, and energy-efficient appliances and lighting.
A top priority is to transition energy production away from fossil fuels, the combustion of which releases greenhouse gases that trap more of the sun's heat. In the United States, buildings are responsible for 39% of total energy consumption, with a significant 42% of that energy dedicated to space heating and cooling. This is precisely where the Passive House standard comes into play. Its primary objective is to substantially reduce energy use for heating and cooling, all while ensuring optimal comfort for occupants, reducing energy costs, and minimizing ecological impact.
Achieving Passive House certification requires meeting specific energy performance criteria established by the Passive House Institute or a similar organization. The key principles of a Passive House include super-insulation to reduce heat loss through the building envelope (walls, roof, and floor), airtight construction to maintain a consistent indoor temperature, high-performance windows and doors, heat recovery ventilation which provides a continuous supply of fresh air while recovering heat from the outgoing stale air, and energy-efficient appliances and lighting.
Mapping NYC's Passive House Projects
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The Passive House movement has gained momentum in New York City, with over 65 projects achieving Passive House certification and many more adopting its energy-saving principles. However, even as the urgency of climate change becomes increasingly apparent, only a small fraction of new buildings commit to this rigorous standard. Witnessing the alarming consequences of climate change, including more frequent and severe storms, prolonged droughts, and rising sea levels, the local NYC government has passed Local Law 97, also known as the New York City Climate Mobilization Act. This law, set to take effect soon, imposes strict emissions limits on large city buildings, aiming to significantly reduce their carbon emissions.
Rendering of a two-building Passive House condo to rise at 489 and 501 Ninth Avenue via The Real Deal (ZD Jasper)
As climate change's impact gains greater recognition, new Passive House projects continue to emerge in NYC. Most recently, 489 and 501 Ninth Avenue, whose construction financing was reported last week via The Real Deal, will be a "first-of-its-kind" Passive House condo at the junction of Hudson Yards, Hell's Kitchen, and the Garment District. While the "first-of-its-kind" designation raises some questions, as several certified Passive House condo buildings exist across the city (as listed below), this project, if realized, will be the largest of its kind in the city.
Steered by Long Island-based ZD Jasper Realty, the two-building project will rise 12 stories along the western side of Ninth Avenue between West 37th and West 38th streets. According to approved building permits, the two buildings will have a total of 122 apartments, and features will include a plethora of private and shared outdoor spaces. Foundation work on the 59-unit north building is already underway, while the site of the south building was cleared years ago and remains an overgrown lot of weeds and small trees.
501 Ninth Avenue excavation as of early September 2023
The block of 489-501 Ninth Avenue in 2005 when Manhattan had substantially less vehicular traffic before ride-share and west of Ninth Avenue was desolate.
A shelved plan that involved ZD Jasper's sites was called Hudson Mews. (credit: Andy Hicks/FXFowle Architects))
The block has been poised for redevelopment for nearly two decades. One of the more ambitious proposals included decking over the Dyer Avenue exit ramps of the Lincoln Tunnel between 36th and 38th streets and constructing a platform for a park and two 18-story rental apartment buildings containing 800 rental units.
This latest prospect for the site was designed by Archimaera Architecture, the envelope-pushing firm that brought Brooklyn the William Vale Hotel and has a planned Passive House office building in Long Island City. Renderings show a fluid design of curved corners, sinuous balconies, and cantilevering sections over an existing five-story tenement building that separates the project's two wings. There are relatively few condominium buildings in the area. The most recent introductions include The Westerly and 35 Hudson Yards. Upon completion, this will be both the developer's and the architect's first project in Manhattan.
The curving, balcony-laden design was drawn up by Archimaera Architecture Portions of the buildings will cantilever over a mid-block tenement whose air rights were transfered to the project. (via NYC DOB)
Passive House Condos
The Butler Collection, Park Slope
The Butler Collection at 350 Butler Street
The Butler Collection, #3C (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
The Butler Collection, #8A (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Lexe' Passive House, Crown Heights
Lexe Condominium - 669 St. Marks Avenue
Lexe Passive House, #5A (Compass)
298 East 2nd Street, East Village
Houston House, #4 (Compass)
60 White Street, Tribeca
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60 White Street's beautifully restored cast-iron facade (Elliman)
60 White Street, #PHW (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Charlotte of the Upper West Side
Charlotte of the Upper West Side, #PH
$16,995,000
Broadway Corridor | Condominium | 4 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths | 4,042 ft2
Charlotte of the Upper West Side, #PH (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Passive House Townhouses
96-98 Degraw Street, Columbia Waterfront District
96-98 Degraw Street, #Building (Compass)
25 West 88th Street, UWS
25 West 88th Street, #House
$17,995,000
Central Park West | Townhouse | 6+ Bedrooms, 6+ Baths | 8,068 ft2
25 West 88th Street, #House (Leslie J Garfield & Co Inc)
248 West 71st Street, UWS
248 West 71st Street, #NA
$23,900,000 (-8.1%)
Broadway Corridor | Townhouse | 6+ Bedrooms, 6+ Baths | 7,110 ft2
248 West 71st Street, #NA (Corcoran Group)
Passive House Rentals
Gemma Gramercy
Gemma Gramercy, #16E (Real New York)
255 Columbia Street, Carroll Gardens
255 Columbia Street, #4N (Compass)
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