Three Sustainable Design Questions for MAP’s Sara Bayer

sustainable design

Article courtesy of MAP Architects While the work of sustainable development is a year-round pursuit, Earth Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on our progress and advocate for more. So, we asked our Director of Sustainability, Sara Bayer, three quick questions to talk about where we stand. In the last couple of years we’ve signed the AIA 2030 commitment and won 7 NYSERDA Buildings of Excellence awards, what are…


Faster Facade Installation with Dextall, Work Has Began NY – Queens Project Dwall

facade installation

We cant wait to see the building ready! And since its built with our DWall 2000, the building process will be fast. Here are the details: 80% Faster Installation No onsite scaffolding Better injury protection Fire-proof wall panel systems Plug-and-play panels 80%-plus faster to install Snap-fit precision eliminates wet-seal Repeatability and low variability First-time installation accuracy 10-15% less expensive than site-built exterior wall 5X-to-10X through-put capability increase Drastically reduced onsite…


Vancouver To Be Home To World’s Tallest Passive House Building

vancouver passive house

Canadian developer Brivia Group has selected downtown Vancouver as the location of its newest and most sustainable project yet. CURV, a 60-storey residential development between Burrard and Thurlow Streets, will be the world’s tallest passive house building – a modern, low carbon and energy efficient building that contributes to a healthier planet, mirroring the environmental ethos of the city of Vancouver. Passive House is the highest standard for energy efficiency in commercial…


Gov. Hochul Announces Federal Funding for Homes

NY State Governor

Awards Through New York’s Weatherization Stimulus Program Will Reduce Energy Costs for Low-Income Homeowners and Renters; Advance Governor's Target of Two Million Electrified or Electrification-Ready Homes by 2030 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $34 million in federal funding awards for over 1,000 homes to become more energy-efficient and climate-friendly. Awarded through the state’s Weatherization Stimulus Program, the funding will support electrification and electrification-ready upgrades that will lower energy costs and improve health…


Check out the New York Passive House Podcast!

New York Passive House has published its first episode of the NYPH Podcast on Spotify and RSS.com on Tuesday, April 5. The first episode of the pod features Sarah Bayer and Matt Scheer of MAP Architects discussing the role sustainable building plays in their role as architects. Click here to listen


Biden launches green buildings partnership with states, cities

president biden

The Biden administration is launching a new partnership with two states and several cities aimed at reducing planet-warming emissions from buildings. President Biden is expected to announce the new "Buildings Performance Standards Coalition" during remarks at the U.S. Conference of Mayors on Friday. According to a White House fact sheet first shared with The Hill, the partnership will include 33 state and local governments that encompass 20 percent of the country’s…


Biden Administration Launches Effort to Improve Ventilation and Reduce the Spread of COVID-⁠19 in Buildings

FACT SHEET: Earlier this month, the Biden-Harris Administration released the National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan, a roadmap to move the country forward safely and continue to fight COVID-19 as Americans get back to their more normal routines.  Today the Administration is launching the Clean Air in Buildings Challenge, a key component of the President’s Plan, that calls on all building owners and operators, schools, colleges and universities, and organizations of all kinds…



NYC Enacts Legislation to Promote All-Electric Buildings

NYC is now the largest city in the U.S. to enact legislation relating to the electrification of buildings. On December 15, 2021, the NY City Council voted in support of Int. 2317A-2021, which effectively mandates the electrification of most new buildings by prohibiting the on-site “combustion of a substance that emits 25 kilograms or more of carbon dioxide per million British thermal units of energy.” Former Mayor Bill de Blasio, a…


“Green Zones: Do Buyers Want Sustainable Buildings?” – Observer article

By Emily Nonko From the Observer:   [caption id="attachment_4922" align="alignright" width="300"] PHOTO CREDIT: Hayes Davidson[/caption] "Last winter, Carroll Gardens resident Laura Mackall didn’t turn the heat on in her home once. “We just didn’t need it,” she said, “And the house stayed between 68 and 70 degrees all winter.” Ms. Mackall lives in a four-story rowhouse that she retrofitted as a Passive House last year. She stumbled upon the notion,…