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MICHAEL INGUI URGES ARCHITECTS TO JOIN PASSIVE HOUSE ACCELERATOR

Michael Ingui at AIA

Michael Ingui, Baxt Ingui and PHA

Passive House Accelerator logo

Baxt Ingui Architects Partner Issues Call to Climate Action

Passive House Accelerator's mission is to bring people together to share projects, collaborate on ideas and promote Passive House as part of the climate change solution and a call to climate action.”
— Michael Inqui, Baxt Ingui and Passive House Accelerator
NEW YORK, NY, USA, September 27, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIANY) held a panel discussion on historic preservation and carbon reduction yesterday evening at the Center for Architecture in Lower Manhattan. The event was organized by the AIANY Historic Buildings Committee and the AIANY Committee on the Environment. Panelists included Michael Ingui, a Partner at Baxt Ingui Architects P.C.; Jeff Murphy, a Partner at Murphy Burnham & Buttrick; Cory Trembath Rouillard, an Associate Partner at Jan Hird Pokorny Associates; and Paula Zimin, the Director for Sustainable Building Services at Steven Winter Associates. The discussion was moderated by Scott Henson, the Principal for Scott Henson Architect.

The goal of the event was to explore the intersection of sustainability and preservation, as it is often believed that the two are anathema. However, with the passage of the Climate Mobilization Act, owners of older buildings in New York City will need to find a way to comply with stricter efficiency standards or face steep fines.

While it is often believed that such retrofits are either prohibitively expensive or cannot be done without compromising the historical integrity of the structure, this is not the case when owners make improvements that utilize the Passive House methodology. Ingui was ardent about both points in his presentation, showing clear evidence that structures that comply with Passive House standards are indistinguishable from typical homes, even if these homes are designated or protected historic landmarks.

“Many of our projects, particularly in neighborhoods like Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope, are in historic districts,” Ingui said. “Passive House does not necessarily affect the aesthetic of building fenestration or facades. It’s also affordable. True, it increases retrofit costs by somewhere in the ballpark of five percent, but it ends up paying for itself in just a few years through energy savings.”

A home that is built to the Passive House standard is extremely well sealed and well insulated, thereby reducing homeowners’ cooling and heating needs by between 80 percent and 90 percent. Certified Passive House buildings oftentimes only use their heat for a few days in the winter, even in New York City.

Because it is Climate Week and because Passive House has the potential to significantly improve efficiency and reduce building emissions, Ingui asked those in attendance last night to take a pledge to be more supportive of Passive House. One way that architects can do so is to join Passive House Accelerator, a site Ingui launched earlier this year and for which he has written several articles.

“The goal with Passive House Accelerator is to bring people together and to use Passive House as one part of the solution to climate change,” Ingui said. “Passive House Accelerator is a way for architects, designers, and contractors to learn about events, share their projects, and collaborate on ideas that can promote the net zero and Passive House movements. We have the tools at our disposal—it’s time we start using them.”

To learn more about Passive House Accelerator, visit https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/

Kimberly Macleod
kmacconnect.com
+1 917-587-0069
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