Retrofitting a roof can be challenging in New York City, especially when it comes to the city’s goals to reduce urban heat island effects. Each roof retrofit brings its own goals and challenges. Building owners may be presented with several ways to maintain their roof or go green with photovoltaic panels. The City of New York encourages building owners to
Passive House is a voluntary international building method with high standards for energy efficiency reducing its ecological footprint. Developed by Passive House Institute (PHI) in Darmstadt, Germany. It results in an highly energy efficient and exceedingly low energy building that requires little (at times no energy) for space heating and cooling. Passive house methodology make use of building orientation, massing,
The ability for architecture to use personification and express its function through form is what sets it apart it from mere buildings. Historic buildings use personification to allude to cultural ideas or historical references. They are built with human emotions, both positive and negative, by architects who have a story to tell. Preserving a historic building can be an important
The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) requires that historic buildings meet certain aesthetic criteria, while the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) requires that these buildings meet certain sustainable criteria. Historic landmarks are part of our cultural history and tell us a lot about the past through their characteristics. During the manufacturing boom in the 19th century, building materials such as brick,
