Cornell Tech's Trailblazing Passive-House Residential Tower Breaks Ground

Passive House—an energy efficiency standard with German roots—is tougher and more exact than LEED certifications. Very few other high-rise Passive House buildings exist, with one notable office in Vienna, where smaller Passive Houses abound.

Hudson Companies’ David Kramer, developer of the tower in New York City, told The Planning Report about visiting Vienna and undergoing the process to create this extremely sustainable building as part of Cornell Tech—a public-private partnership that survived a mayoral transition.

Where the city saw an opportunity for economic development on Roosevelt Island, Kramer saw a way to raise the standard for sustainable building in the US. He says Passive House design principles can reduce energy consumption by up to 70 percent—without sacrificing comfort or convenience.

He explains:

“In Vienna, I walked through a [Passive House] dorm and asked students what they thought of the building. They’d say, “The building is great!” I’d ask, “Why is that?” Typically, they’d say something like, “Because there are plenty of washers and dryers in the laundry room.” The success of a Passive House is that people don’t even realize they’re in one.”