Passive House Buildings, Spring 2019 Climate-Conscious Building: Bringing the Future to Now

‘Having completed several LEED projects in the past, the nine-person firm is strongly grounded in energy-efficient and sustainable design. Once Parag Mehta was exposed to Passive House principles, he was inspired to take PHIUS’s consultant training. Other staff members are educated in environmental science and have attended Passive House seminars. Even so, the firm had never tackled a Passive House building. However, being able to act as architect, developer, and builder, PM Architecture could control costs. It decided to pursue PHIUS certification.’

See full article here.

Excerpt: The New Wave of sustainable housing

By Ricky Mehta

PM Architecture

PMA developed the Washington Heights Multi Family Passive House on 161st street with an emphasis on improving energy efficiency by adding insulation at the exterior walls (pictured below to the right) to help mitigate the need for an extensive heating system. The materials were carefully selected to provide function and style.

The key to a passive house is the materials used for the project. The Architects and interior designers at PMA kept this in mind, using special insulation techniques and custom windows. The super insulation (shown below) and airtight construction of the passive house technology provide unmatched comfort and superior indoor air quality even in extreme weather conditions. The energy-saving technology of Passive houses maximize energy and save residents money on utility costs.