Scale: Exploring the Extents of Passive House

Heather McKinstry (CPHC, LEED AP and Associate with Dattner Architects), joins us to present a look at how large buildings lower energy use, while overcoming the challenges presented by the density of urban housing. Heather discusses how Passive House has helped rapidly transform the market. As real world solutions have been developed to meet Passive House standards, new opportunities have been created to build more efficiently across all building types.

A leader in Dattner’s Sustainable Practice Group, Heather chairs the committee on building energy usage. She believes that architecture’s most important role is to create inclusive, healthy, and sustainable buildings for our communities, while minimizing their impact on the natural environment. Heather’s latest project at Dattner Architects is 425 Grand Concourse, the largest PHIUS certified Passive House building in North America. Located in the Bronx, this new mixed-use residential development provides 277 Passive House apartments for low-income New Yorkers, as well as a grocery store, a health care and dental clinic, a public bathroom for the adjacent park, and space for CUNY’s Hostos campus. 425 Grand Concourse won the NYSERDA Buildings of Excellence Award and the 2022 Phius Best Overall Project Award.

This is part of the Next Gen series of PHA Live!, which highlights the work of the next generation of practitioners and how their contributions are shaping the future of Passive House.