Beauty at Low Cost & the Passive House Movement

In 2007, Brussels set out to build “Exemplary Buildings” that were very low-energy, economical, and beautiful. Eight years later, the market was transformed as a result of the growing number of Exemplary Buildings. The Passive House standard went from being a novelty to a building code mandate in 2015. Essential to this revolution were the efforts of architect Sebastian Moreno-Vacca and his firm A2M. His projects have proven that Passive House can be beautiful and need not cost more than other buildings. The talents and influence of A2M are not limited to Brussels. Among other Passive House projects, the company is working on the Belgian Embassy in Kinshasa Congo and New Yorkers will be able to experience an A2M Passive House with a new retrofit project, a design center in New York City’s Meatpacking District.

In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s policy to reduce city-wide carbon emissions 80% by 2050 in his plan One City: Built to Lasthas set the course for effective climate change mitigation and resilient adaptation. Passive House is the only building efficiency standard mentioned in the plan and the one standard that reliably and affordably delivers deep cuts in energy use proportionate to the climate challenge. Beyond creating net-zero and energy positive buildings, Passive House construction also provides increased comfort, indoor health, and climate resilience.

SPEAKER:
Sebastian Moreno-Vacca, Principal, A2M Architects

REGISTRATION
This event is organized by BEEx, AIANY Committee on the Environment, Urban Green Council, and New York Passive House. For more information including registration, visit AIANY’s event page here.