A glass wall encloses the staircase for protection while keeping it bright.

As with any passive house, there was a ton of energy modeling and engineering done in order to ensure that heat and cold neither seep out nor creep in. To that end, Loadingdock5 even had to redesign the parapet on the roof with autoclave aerated concrete blocks to avoid thermal bridging to ensure that energy wasn’t escaping out the top. The envelope design includes 8″ concrete masonry units with 7″ EPS exterior insulation and triple paned windows.

Inside, the residence is white, bright and airy, with tons of daylight streaming in, an especially impressive feat for any New York building. The second story features a gorgeous, private deck with floor to ceiling windows on the south side that can be covered with shades when too much sun comes pouring in. Heating and cooling are provided via a small Mitsubishi Mini Split Heat Pump combined with a energy recovery ventilator. The infrared camera photo of the exterior of the home proves how tight it really is. Compared to its neighbors, the Passive House is barely letting any heat escape, as indicated by the orange and red.

+ Loadingdock5 Architecture