Closing the Gap in NYC: Sendero Verde Under Construction in an Evolving Industry

Presenters:
Ryan Lobello (Handel Architects)
Dylan Martello (Steven Winter Associates)
Louis Koehl (Handel Architects)

Program Overview:
In the four years since the start of the Sendero Verde development, the gap between a certified Passive House and a code-minimum building in NYC has narrowed significantly. With two of the development’s three buildings nearing the end of construction, design team members from Handel Architects and Steven Winter Associates will discuss how Sendero Verde is proving to be a transitional project for their practices and the wider construction industry in NYC.  We will discuss our successes, near misses, and other interesting revelations made by the design and construction teams. We will then have an open conversation with the audience to discuss insights into the design and construction of multi-family passive house  as we rapidly close the gap between Passive House and code-minimums.

Learning Objectives:

• We will provide a design overview and construction update of the Sendero Verde project, 100% affordable housing Passive House and mixed-use project in East Harlem.
• We will discuss materials, systems, and equipment explorations undertaken by the team, the hurdles to deploying these innovations, and what  made it into the project and why.
• We will discuss the practice of building contingency into the PHPP energy estimates, where these contingencies are needed, and how close is too close to the edge.
• You will learn about details, concepts, and construction practices developed on Sendero Verde that the team has begun deploying on non-Passive House projects.