Buildings and Beyond - Steven Winter Associates, Inc.: Recent Episodes
Steven Winter Associates
It’s been a while! Buildings + Beyond host Robb Aldrich is back with a quick update on a new (and free!) video series for anyone who wants to learn how to install an air-source heat pump. We hope to return with more full-length episodes soon, but in the meantime, say hello at podcast@swinter.com.
Air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) can work great, even in cold climates, but they have to be designed and installed correctly to be high-performance. At Steven Winter Associates, we recently worked with Jon Harrod (a previous guest on the pod) to create a video series for NYSERDA that demonstrates each step of a real-life ASHP installation including:
- Planning, locating, and setting equipment
- Connecting everything, preventing refrigerant leaks, and charging
- Setting you up for success – making sure everything works and facilitating good operation and maintenance
See below for how to access!
FeaturingHost: Robb Aldrich, Principal Mechanical Engineer at Steven Winter Associates
Episode ResourcesVIDEO SERIES: Cold-Climate Air Source Heat Pump – Installation Refreshers Guide
The series includes 15 videos, each 2-5 minutes, that can easily be viewed at your desk, on your phone, and while in the field. Here’s how to access:
- Watch and save the YouTube playlist: https://bit.ly/ashpplaylist
- Watch online on the New York Clean Heat Connect website: https://cleanheatconnect.ny.gov/installation-materials/
- Need CEUs? Enroll in the “Installing a Cold-Climate, Air-Source Heat Pump” course on SWA Academy: https://bets.swa-academy.com. This course is free to those who live or work in New York State.
- If you’re looking for more info on designing and selecting ASHP equipment, check out the longer “Air-Source Heat Pumps: Achieving Comfort & Efficiency in Cold Climates” course on SWA Academy: https://ashp.swa-academy.com
KEEP LISTENING: The Role of Heat Pumps in Low-Moderate Income Homes with Jon Harrod
Listen to our full episode with contractor, author, and electrification advocate Jon Harrod: https://www.swinter.com/podcast/the-role-of-heat-pumps-in-low-moderate-income-homes-with-jon-harrod/
About Buildings + BeyondBuildings + Beyond is the podcast that explores how we can create a more sustainable built environment by focusing on efficiency, accessibility, and health.
Buildings + Beyond is a production of Steven Winter Associates. We provide energy, green building, and accessibility consulting services to improve the built environment. For more information, visit swinter.com.
Hosts: Robb Aldrich | Kelly Westby
Production Team: Heather Breslin | Dylan Martello | Tricia Carr
The post Mini Episode – Listen Before You Install Your Next Heat Pump appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Many of us take good acoustics for granted. But it’s common for acoustic efforts to be the first thing cut from commercial projects—or not included in the design phase at all, according to Graham Waks, founder of Music City Acoustics. And when a space has bad acoustics, it can negatively impact the occupant experience.
Buildings + Beyond producer and audio guru Dylan Martello invited Graham on the podcast to talk about the science behind room acoustics, how they affect the occupants of a space, and the most effective ways to improve acoustics for several types of commercial spaces. Plus, we have a special introduction with Dylan and B+B host Robb Aldrich!
Episode GuestsGraham Waks
Graham Waks is the founder of Music City Acoustics, a company known for providing top-tier acoustic treatment solutions for musicians, producers, and audio professionals. With over a decade of experience, Graham is passionate about helping clients achieve the best possible sound environments, whether in studios, offices, restaurants, or churches. Music City Acoustics specializes in creating tailored acoustic designs that enhance not only recording spaces but also workspaces, dining areas, and worship centers. Graham’s commitment to quality and innovation has made his company a trusted name for clients looking to improve their acoustic performance and sound quality.
Host: Dylan Martello
Dylan Martello is a Senior Building Systems Consultant at Steven Winter Associates. He focuses primarily on advanced energy modeling, Passive House design consulting, and building performance analysis. Dylan brings a keen understanding of the economic, social, and environmental implications that come with energy efficiency measures in advanced building design. Dylan also serves as an integral part of the Buildings and Beyond podcast production team, providing sound engineering and editing for each episode.
Episode ResourcesFrom Music City Acoustics:
- 10 Common Questions About Room Acoustics, Answered
- Office and Workplace Acoustics 101
SponsorPassive House Accelerator
Thank you to our episode sponsor, Passive House Accelerator!
Passive House Accelerator is an online community and media company dedicated to accelerating the transition to clean, resilient, zero-carbon buildings.
Every week, Passive House Accelerator produces new original content, including Passive House Accelerator LIVE! online educational events, Passive House Podcast episodes, articles about low-carbon building, video content, and a newsletter. In addition, it also publishes a magazine twice a year and hosts the acclaimed Reimagine Buildings online conference series.
Visit passivehouseaccelerator.com to subscribe to the newsletter, register for an upcoming event, and browse the latest podcast episodes, articles, and videos.
We Want to Hear From You!Send your feedback and questions to podcast@swinter.com.
About Buildings and BeyondBuildings and Beyond is the podcast that explores how we can create a more sustainable built environment by focusing on efficiency, accessibility, and health.
Buildings and Beyond is a production of Steven Winter Associates. We provide energy, green building, and accessibility consulting services to improve the built environment. For more information, visit swinter.com.
Hosts: Robb Aldrich | Kelly Westby
Production Team: Heather Breslin | Dylan Martello | Tricia Carr | Ian Slakas
The post Room Acoustics – Are They the Missing Piece in the Occupant Experience? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Commercial kitchens are one of the most challenging spaces to electrify, but we need to take on this challenge in order to decarbonize restaurants, hotels, schools, hospitals, and other buildings with commercial kitchens. Is another green certification program the answer?
In this episode, Chefs Christopher Galarza and Duke Gastiger are back to dive into EcoChef—the first electric kitchen rating system and certification program with the goal to standardize how commercial kitchens are designed, built, and operated. They discuss the origin story of EcoChef, the structure of the program, the pilot project with Duke’s RE Farm Café, and why commercial kitchens need a dedicated certification program for electrification.
Keep listening: If you missed it, listen to part one of our conversation with Chefs Christopher and Duke, It’s Getting Hot in Here! – Why We Can’t Stop Talking About Electric Kitchens.
Episode GuestsChef Christopher Galarza
Christopher is a pioneering force in the culinary world, known for his unwavering commitment to sustainability and innovation in kitchen design. As the founder of Forward Dining Solutions LLC and co-founder of EcoChef, Chef Galarza has become a leading advocate for decarbonizing commercial kitchens and championing the Green Industrial Revolution within the foodservice industry. His work is driven by a deep passion for environmental stewardship, and he is widely recognized for his efforts in educating and empowering chefs, culinary professionals, and designers to adopt sustainable practices. Read more
Congratulations to Chef Christopher for becoming a Certified Executive Chef (CEC), making him the first chef in history to earn this certification in an all-electric kitchen! Read more
Learn more about EcoChef at ecochef.org.
Chef Duke Gastiger (pictured with Monica Gastiger)
Duke and Monica bring specialized talents and passion to RE Farm Café at Windswept (1000 S Fillmore Rd, State College, PA). Duke’s prior corporate life with Sheraton and Hyatt Hotels embraced training with master chefs from around the world, learning the essence and nuances of each of their cuisines. With a strong entrepreneurial drive, Duke returned to his college town in 1985 to acquire The All-American Rathskeller. In 1987, Duke opened Spats Café and Speakeasy, a themed “prohibition era” eatery. Read more
Host: Kelly Westby
Kelly leads the Building Operations, Decarbonization, and Efficiency (BODE) team at SWA. She has a wide range of experience in building science, commissioning, and energy efficiency retrofitting.Kelly’s commissioning, energy code, and efficiency projects cover millions of square feet of commercial buildings along the East Coast. She also speaks at events and conferences, sharing her expertise on industry best practices.
SponsorPassive House Accelerator
Thank you to our episode sponsor, Passive House Accelerator!
Passive House Accelerator is an online community and media company dedicated to accelerating the transition to clean, resilient, zero-carbon buildings.
Every week, Passive House Accelerator produces new original content, including Passive House Accelerator LIVE! online educational events, Passive House Podcast episodes, articles about low-carbon building, video content, and a newsletter. In addition, it also publishes a magazine twice a year and hosts the acclaimed Reimagine Buildings online conference series.
Visit passivehouseaccelerator.com to subscribe to the newsletter, register for an upcoming event, and browse the latest podcast episodes, articles, and videos.
We Want to Hear From You!Send your feedback and questions to podcast@swinter.com.
About Buildings and BeyondBuildings and Beyond is the podcast that explores how we can create a more sustainable built environment by focusing on efficiency, accessibility, and health.
Buildings and Beyond is a production of Steven Winter Associates. We provide energy, green building, and accessibility consulting services to improve the built environment. For more information, visit swinter.com.
Hosts: Robb Aldrich | Kelly Westby
Production Team: Heather Breslin | Dylan Martello | Tricia Carr | Ian Slakas
The post Do We Need a Green Certification Program Just for Commercial Kitchens? (Hint… Yes) appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Just last year, electric cooking became a political issue. But while all the public debate about gas stoves was happening, more chefs were adopting induction cooking behind the scenes and getting past the learning curve of working in an efficient, healthy, all-electric kitchen.
Though news coverage on gas stoves has dwindled, kitchen electrification will always be a hot topic here at Buildings + Beyond. In this episode, we invited Chef Christoper Galarza back to the podcast to talk about what progress has been made in making commercial kitchens inside restaurants, hotels, schools, and hospitals more efficient, safe, and climate-friendly. Chris brought Duke Gastiger, who built a net zero, all-electric commercial kitchen at his farm restaurant, to join the conversation.
Keep listening: Our previous episode with Chef Christopher Galarza, It’s Time to 86 Fossil Fuels in Commercial Kitchens, is available here.
Coming soon: Look out for part two of this episode all about the EcoChef electric kitchen rating system and certification.
Episode GuestsChef Christopher Galarza
Christopher is a pioneering force in the culinary world, known for his unwavering commitment to sustainability and innovation in kitchen design. As the founder of Forward Dining Solutions LLC and co-founder of EcoChef, Chef Galarza has become a leading advocate for decarbonizing commercial kitchens and championing the Green Industrial Revolution within the foodservice industry. His work is driven by a deep passion for environmental stewardship, and he is widely recognized for his efforts in educating and empowering chefs, culinary professionals, and designers to adopt sustainable practices. Read more
Chef Duke Gastiger (pictured with Monica Gastiger)
Duke and Monica bring specialized talents and passion to RE Farm Café at Windswept. Duke’s prior corporate life with Sheraton and Hyatt Hotels embraced training with master chefs from around the world, learning the essence and nuances of each of their cuisines. With a strong entrepreneurial drive, Duke returned to his college town in 1985 to acquire The All-American Rathskeller. In 1987, Duke opened Spats Café and Speakeasy, a themed “prohibition era” eatery. Read more
Host: Kelly Westby
Kelly leads the Building Operations, Decarbonization, and Efficiency (BODE) team at SWA. She has a wide range of experience in building science, commissioning, and energy efficiency retrofitting.Kelly’s commissioning, energy code, and efficiency projects cover millions of square feet of commercial buildings along the East Coast. She also speaks at events and conferences, sharing her expertise on industry best practices.
Episode ResourcesFrom Christopher’s Bio:
- Forward Dining Solutions
- EcoChef – the first electric kitchen rating system and certification
- American Culinary Federation Pittsburgh Chapter
- Understanding the Green Industrial Revolution: An Interdisciplinary Look at the Hospitality Industry
From Duke’s Bio:
- RE Farm Café at Windswept
- RElearn Cooking Class: Pepper Condiments – Sunday, Sep 22, 2024 at RE Farm Café
Induction Cooking:
- Martin Yan Talks Wok Induction Cooking – The Switch Is On YouTube Channel
Gas Stoves & Our Health:
- Population Attributable Fraction of Gas Stoves and Childhood Asthma in the United States – RMI
- Asthma in the Black Community – National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- Study finds combustion from gas stoves can raise indoor levels of chemical linked to a higher risk of blood cell cancers – Stanford Report
Pennsylvania CHECK Program:
- Sizzling News for Commercial Kitchens: Get Up to $8,500 to Learn About Sustainability and Electrify Your Cooking – Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
SponsorPassive House Accelerator
Thank you to our episode sponsor, Passive House Accelerator!
Passive House Accelerator is an online community and media company dedicated to accelerating the transition to clean, resilient, zero-carbon buildings.
Every week, Passive House Accelerator produces new original content, including Passive House Accelerator LIVE! online educational events, Passive House Podcast episodes, articles about low-carbon building, video content, and a newsletter. In addition, it also publishes a magazine twice a year and hosts the acclaimed Reimagine Buildings online conference series.
Visit passivehouseaccelerator.com to subscribe to the newsletter, register for an upcoming event, and browse the latest podcast episodes, articles, and videos.
We Want to Hear From You!Send your feedback and questions to podcast@swinter.com.
About Buildings and BeyondBuildings and Beyond is the podcast that explores how we can create a more sustainable built environment by focusing on efficiency, accessibility, and health.
Buildings and Beyond is a production of Steven Winter Associates. We provide energy, green building, and accessibility consulting services to improve the built environment. For more information, visit swinter.com.
Hosts: Robb Aldrich | Kelly Westby
Production Team: Heather Breslin | Dylan Martello | Tricia Carr | Ian Slakas
The post It’s Getting Hot in Here! – Why We Can’t Stop Talking About Electric Kitchens appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Maryland is implementing a state-wide Building Energy Performance Standard (BEPS) for buildings 35,000 square feet and over as a requirement under the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022. The proposed regulations have also established benchmarking and reporting deadlines for covered buildings. These regulations were first published in December 2023, followed by a new draft (PDF) in July 2024.
Let’s take a look at what we know so far about this new BEPS in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Maryland BEPS: What We Know TodayGoalsThe goal of Maryland’s BEPS is to reduce the direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve energy efficiency of the state’s building stock. To achieve that, the regulation requires covered buildings to meet both net direct emissions and energy use intensity (EUI) standards.
In December 2023, the Maryland Department of Energy (MDE) published the interim and final targets for net direct emissions and final site EUI targets for 2040 and beyond (PDF). Covered buildings under BEPS must meet or be below these specified standards in any given year starting in 2030.
TimelineThe baseline year for a building—the year of energy performance for which buildings will be measured under BEPS—will be the 2025 calendar year data, including the weather-normalized values of net direct emissions and site EUI of all covered buildings. The final, most stringent standard will be enacted in 2040 and beyond, while there are increasingly robust interim standards in the periods of 2030-2034 and 2035-2039.
Regarding benchmarking, building owners must submit an initial report for the calendar year 2024 by June 1, 2025. The baseline calendar year 2025 data must be submitted by June 1, 2026. In addition, the benchmarking data must be third-party verified every 5 years beginning on June 1, 2026, to ensure data quality and accuracy.
Maryland benchmarking and BEPS timeline
BenchmarkingThe draft regulations have established requirements for benchmarking and third-party verification along with the approved qualifications of the verifier. However, the definition of “third party”—i.e. the verifier’s relationship to the building owner—is not yet determined. MDE aims to publish a verification guide and host informational sessions on several BEPS topics in August 2024 to address some of these questions. Information on these sessions is available here (Google Forms).
EUI StandardsWhile the December 2023 draft regulations included both net direct emission and site EUI standards, the July 2024 updated draft was published with only net direct emissions standards. These interim and final emission standards for the periods of 2030-2034, 2035-2039, and 2040 and beyond are listed in the regulations based on the property type. The previously proposed final site EUI standards have been removed from the updated draft. However, MDE aims to reestablish site EUI standards in 2027 based on 2025 baseline energy data.
Alternative Compliance FeesThe covered buildings’ reporting will be evaluated each year for compliance with net direct emission standards. If a building exceeds its standards, the owner is subject to an alternative compliance fee for every excess metric ton of emissions. The compliance fee is initially $230 per metric ton of excess CO2e in 2030, and it will increase by $4 per metric ton each following year.
ExemptionsThere are some exemptions from benchmarking and BEPS. Conditions for exemptions include financial distress, no occupancy, or planned demolition during the reporting year. MDE may also determine to allow exemptions for reduced occupancy during baseline year and lower the compliance fines for affordable housing providers.
Planning for Maryland BEPSKey PointsBuilding owners should keep a few key points in mind when preparing for BEPS:
EUI StandardsWhile site EUI standards will be revisited in 2027, the proposed targets published in December 2023 should act as a likely guide. Building owners should continue with their planning for necessary improvements to reduce energy usage.
There will be 3 years between the release of those targets and the first interim compliance year in 2030; owners should start preparing sooner rather than later.
Net Direct Emission StandardsNet direct emission standards remain in the regulations with no changes to timeline. These are the most robust standards of the two, and regardless of the site EUI target status, building owners must begin work now to reduce direct emissions and likely identify opportunities for electrification.
Owners are also advised to avoid installation of electric resistance heating as a building improvement strategy due to its unknown relationship to site EUI targets and future regulatory requirements.
Recommended Next StepsMaryland building owners should aim to develop their short- and long-term goals now.
- The immediate next step is to start collecting all building data this year and prepare for the initial benchmarking reporting due in 2025.
- Building owners should plan to identify and make necessary improvements to comply with interim and final BEPS standards.
- It is not recommended to install new gas equipment or replace existing gas equipment with a similar make and model considering the net direct emission standards. A lower-carbon alternative should be explored if equipment is at or near the end of its useful life.
Maryland BEPS hits its first interim cycle in roughly 6 years. Building owners should start planning for improvements, consider electrical infrastructure upgrades, and communicate with their utility providers for BEPS compliance.
We’re ready to help Maryland building owners comply with BEPS. Contact us!
Written by:
Iffat Ridwana, Building Systems Engineer at Steven Winter Associates
Adam Szlachetka, Senior Building Systems Consultant at Steven Winter Associates
The post Maryland BEPS: Timeline and Recommendations for Building Owners [July 2024 Update] appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Accessibility consultants work at the intersection of architecture and social justice. It’s much more than checking the boxes on accessibility requirements of laws and codes; it takes precision, dedication, and creativity to solve problems and remove physical barriers to access that have historically marginalized people with disabilities.
To mark the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, we invited three members of the accessibility team at Steven Winter Associates (SWA) on the podcast who, combined, have almost 40 years of experience in this field. We hope you’re as inspired as we are by their wisdom (yes, wisdom; we talk a lot about this), lessons learned, and stories from the field.
Episode GuestsCarlos Sevillano
Carlos is a Senior Accessibility Consultant at SWA focusing primarily on residential projects. His key responsibilities include conducting plan reviews, field inspections, and providing technical guidance to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulatory and building code requirements for accessible design and construction.
Jeff Heitert
Jeff is an Accessibility Consulting Director and a 15+ year veteran of the team at SWA. He has specialized expertise in the complex scoping and technical requirements of federal, state, and local regulations and building codes that require accessible design and construction. Jeff oversees quality control and consulting services for large multifamily and mixed-use projects throughout the country.
Jennifer Low
Jennifer is a Senior Accessibility Consultant at SWA. She provides accessibility compliance and consulting services through plan reviews, field inspections, due diligence and barrier removal surveys, remediation development, litigation consulting, technical assistance, and training with focus on healthcare.
Host: Kelly Westby
Kelly leads the Building Operations, Decarbonization, and Efficiency (BODE) team at SWA. She has a wide range of experience in building science, commissioning, and energy efficiency retrofitting.
Kelly’s commissioning, energy code, and efficiency projects cover millions of square feet of commercial buildings along the East Coast. She also speaks at events and conferences, sharing her expertise on industry best practices.
Episode ResourcesMore podcast episodes about accessibility:
- (ENCORE) ‘All-Access’ with Peter Stratton
- The Devil’s in the Details: Common Accessibility Oversights
Blog posts about accessible design and construction:
- 5 Misconceptions About the Americans with Disabilities Act & 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design
- Trends in Healthcare: The State of Accessible Medical Diagnostic Equipment Standards
- 5 Misconceptions About Fair Housing Act (FHA) Design and Construction Compliance
- Top 10 Accessible Design Oversights: Hotels
- VIEW ALL
The book by Peter Stratton, Managing Director of Accessibility Services at SWA, discussed in this episode:
- “A Basic Guide to Fair Housing Accessibility – Everything Architects and Builders Need to Know about the Fair Housing Act Accessibility Guidelines”
Interested in joining our team?
- Careers at Steven Winter Associates
SponsorPassive House Accelerator
Thank you to our episode sponsor, Passive House Accelerator!
Passive House Accelerator is an online community and media company dedicated to accelerating the transition to clean, resilient, zero-carbon buildings.
Every week, Passive House Accelerator produces new original content, including Passive House Accelerator LIVE! online educational events, Passive House Podcast episodes, articles about low-carbon building, video content, and a newsletter. In addition, it also publishes a magazine twice a year and hosts the acclaimed Reimagine Buildings online conference series.
Visit passivehouseaccelerator.com to subscribe to the newsletter, register for an upcoming event, and browse the latest podcast episodes, articles, and videos.
We Want to Hear From You!Send your feedback and questions to podcast@swinter.com.
About Buildings and BeyondBuildings and Beyond is the podcast that explores how we can create a more sustainable built environment by focusing on efficiency, accessibility, and health.
Buildings and Beyond is a production of Steven Winter Associates. We provide energy, green building, and accessibility consulting services to improve the built environment. For more information, visit swinter.com.
Hosts: Robb Aldrich | Kelly Westby
Production Team: Heather Breslin | Dylan Martello | Tricia Carr | Ian Slakas
The post Career Diaries – What’s It Like Working as an Acessibility Consultant? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
We like to say that a building is not sustainable if it doesn’t sustain the physical and mental health of all its intended occupants. This includes every material, piece of technology, and building system and how it affects indoor air quality and occupants’ physical health as well as their comfort and mental health.
In our post-COVID world, it also includes how a building can protect its occupants from the virus and other airborne illnesses.
We’re sharing real-world examples of how SWA consultants have helped to mitigate potential negative impacts on occupant health in high-performance buildings. Keep reading to learn about:
- Commissioning Passive House Ventilation Systems
- Installing Heating and Cooling (HAC) Systems with a Fully Ducted Return
- Removing Barriers to Maintenance Access
RELATED POST: Sustainable Buildings Are Healthy Buildings: How to Design and Maintain a Healthy Built Environment
Prioritizing Occupant Health in High-Performance BuildingsWhen we work on projects with sustainability and efficiency goals, we encourage the developer, architect, and other members of the project team to consider how their choices will impact building occupants. If there are any potential negative impacts, these issues should be addressed as early as possible.
Commissioning Passive House Ventilation SystemsIn Passive House buildings, the envelope is designed to be airtight and mechanical ventilation systems introduce fresh air and exhaust stale or contaminated indoor air.
Without a correctly functioning ventilation system, energy performance of the building as well as indoor air quality and occupant comfort all suffer.
Commissioning engineers ensure that a building’s energy-related systems perform efficiently, reliably, and maintain occupant comfort. They advocate for building operators and incorporate lessons learned from other buildings so that a building maintains its performance over its lifetime.
The following are common issues that our commissioning engineers must address in Passive House ventilation systems.
Key ERV Setpoints: Airflow, Static Pressure, and Supply Air Temperature
If there are central energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) that run 24 hours a day or at a constant volume, it’s the installation that takes care of everything. They can easily be installed properly and run smoothly depending on what other interlocks they may have. But if they need to interlock with say, a heat pump, that adds another layer of complexity.
For variable air volume ERVs, at design phase, the engineer must include the key set points needed by the installer and the testing and balancing contractor such as the minimum and maximum airflow, the duct static pressure (and its sensor location), and the supply air temperature set point.
Other ERV Setpoints: CO2 Concentration and Schedules
If it’s a variable volume ERV, chances are it’s serving different variable air volume (VAV) boxes or ZRT boxes, for example, in amenity spaces within a residential building that are not supposed to have ventilation 24/7.
The sequence of how those VAVs modulate needs to be clearly communicated in the drawings and the specs and confirmed during the submittal review phase. If a VAV box is going to be controlled by a CO2 sensor, what’s the CO2 level that triggers it? What is the CFM level that the VAV is going to modulate to? And based on those changes, what’s the static pressure that the ERV needs to maintain?
If it’s a time clock that will control the VAV, that needs to be shown in the mechanical drawings and electrical drawings, and it’s critical to identify the responsible trade. Because it’s in the mechanical drawings, is the HVAC subcontractor responsible for installing that? Or is it the electrician? Or is it a split of both?
ERV Sensor and Controller
Another common issue with variable ERV systems is that if they are variable volume and they need to maintain a duct pressure set point, the sensor must be installed in the right location and wired to the controller. The controller must also be set up to maintain that duct pressure.
Prior to final testing of these units, we request the Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing (TAB) reports. When it’s a variable air volume ERV and there’s no static pressure set point noted in the TAB report, that’s a red flag. We can tell right away that it was not balanced correctly. The balancer and HVAC contractor need to return and make the adjustments prior to testing.
Other times, there is a static pressure set point noted on the TAB report, but when we show up on-site and the controller looks like the image below on the left, both supply and exhaust fans are working to maintain an airflow, but there is no duct static pressure sensor installed, whatsoever! And no one knows how that set point made it into the report.
Read more: What Can Go Wrong with Passive House Ventilation Systems—and How to Prevent It
Installing Heating and Cooling (HAC) Systems with a Fully Ducted ReturnNot only has the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) made significant progress with reducing carbon emissions, it also requires mechanical ventilation and air infiltration testing—which means that air coming in and out is quantified and controlled for optimal indoor air quality.
In most cases, building code sets the bar for new construction and renovation projects. The problem is that states can be slow to adopt progressive codes.
Industry professionals who embrace voluntary sustainable building programs, such as ENERGY STAR®, LEED, NGBS, and Passive House are ahead of the code curve. But how does the rest of the industry get there?
Step 1: Install a continuous air barrier that aligns with the thermal barrier (insulation). Pay attention to air sealing, including compartmentalization in multifamily buildings (i.e., unit to unit, unit to corridor, etc.). Engage an energy rater early in the design process and perform preliminary testing during construction to inform where air sealing needs to improve before things are closed-up.
Step 2: After choosing high-efficiency heating and cooling (HAC) equipment, focus on the delivery system. If ducted, keep the runs simple, short, and fully duct the return side to the air handler.
Squeezing a heat pump into a ceiling cavity almost always leads to construction sequencing issues and poor installation. For example, the return duct to this heat pump was designed to be fully ducted. Return air should pass through the return grill and filter, then directly to the equipment.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen here. The drywall was completed before the mechanical rough-in was done, so by the time the installer tried to finish the sheet metal return, the space was too tight. Instead of a nice clean return duct, the air path is through a cavity full of dust and debris.
This often also results in the drywaller becoming a duct installer too, as the drywall is used for much (or all) of the return air pathway. This almost always introduces additional duct leakage into the system, which is never a good thing.
Another issue with this design is that we commonly see the heat pump in the ceiling cavity of the bathroom. While this makes sense if the unit has any moisture leaks (the units are commonly installed above a bathtub, or at least a tiled floor), it means that every time an occupant takes a shower there is a considerable amount of humidity introduced to the HAC unit.
During the summer when cooler temperatures are desired, condensation can form on the units and the access panels during operation, which can be a nuisance at best or an on-going maintenance issue and resident complaint that can be very difficult to solve.
Installing non-ducted HAC systems is one way to avoid these issues. However, some options, such as mini-splits, lack good filtration. Better filters will only go so far in providing a healthy living environment. Non-ducted and partially ducted returns will continue to introduce contaminants (insects, rodents, and the air pollutants they produce, etc.) into HAC systems, decreasing indoor environmental quality, reducing efficiency, and potentially causing maintenance issues.
Removing Barriers to Maintenance AccessWhen it comes to healthy buildings, it is easy to get lost in overly technical solutions to providing clean air. However, one of the most overlooked issues when it comes to maintaining healthy buildings is also one of the simplest: maintenance access.
It may seem like a quick fix, but many of the access issues identified by our commissioning team remain unresolved by the end of the project. It is not uncommon for us to hear from teams, “Who cares if it’s difficult to access a filter if it can be accessed?” But it is not enough for access to just be possible; it needs to be easy. The more barriers a piece of equipment has to maintain, the less likely it is to be regularly serviced—and that can have significant impact on energy usage and overall air quality.
Good intentions to provide a healthy building can easily be thwarted by poor maintenance access. This was exactly the case with a large new construction senior housing development in SWA’s commissioning portfolio.
This project placed a high emphasis on providing a healthy building for their residents in design, including accessories for their HVAC equipment, such as air purifiers and steam generators to maintain healthy air quality and comfort levels throughout the year.
While the design team focused on technical healthy building solutions, they failed to recognize that there was limited rooftop space, making placement of the equipment on the roof difficult.
Several large rooftop units serving ventilation air, kitchen exhaust, and temperature control for shared spaces had to be placed on shared roof space. Each one of these units has an outdoor air filter that needs to be changed regularly by maintenance once the building turns over.
Access to these filters requires a door to be opened and maintenance staff be able to pull the dirty filter out completely, and then insert the new filter without bending or damaging it.
During testing, our team found around half of the units on this project had very limited to no access to the filter. Access issues ranged from mild obstructions, such as condensate drain piping limiting the door from opening completely, to more severe limitations due to ductwork routing.
In both scenarios pictured, the filter is technically accessible. In theory, the cabinet door could be taken off its hinges to replace the filter. This is often the solution that is posed to us by project teams in lieu of moving equipment or rerouting ductwork.
In practice, we know that it is much more likely that the filter will never get changed than it is for a building super to take 20 minutes to unscrew a door just to change a filter.
For this project in particular, the inability to change the outside air filters negates all the effort (and money) that went into acquiring the air purifier and humidifier accessories for these rooftop units.
We know from warranty walkthroughs and our experience in existing buildings that access issues in new construction turn into maintenance issues during building operations. It is crucial to stress maintenance access early on to prevent costly and sometimes impossible fixes.
Health is Not an AfterthoughtTo create a sustainable and healthy building, consider occupant health, wellbeing, comfort, and safety at every step of the design and construction process. Human health should never be an afterthought.
Click here to learn about 550 Madison Avenue, New York, NY—a project prioritizing health and pursuing WELL Gold certification. SWA is proud to be part of the project team as the WELL consultant.
Click here to contact SWA and connect with a healthy buildings expert.
Contributors:
Commissioning Passive House Ventilation Systems
Luis Aragon, Senior Building Systems Engineer on SWA’s Building Operations, Decarbonization, and Efficiency Team
Michael Schmidt, Senior Building Systems Consultant on SWA’s High-Performance Building Solutions Team
Installing Heating and Cooling (HAC) Systems with a Fully Ducted Return
Karla Butterfield, Sustainability Director on SWA’s Sustainable Building Services Team
Alex Guerrieri, Sustainability Consultant on SWA’s Sustainable Building Services Team
Removing Barriers to Maintenance Access
Rachel Harrington, Senior Building Systems Consultant on SWA’s Building Operations, Decarbonization, and Efficiency Team
The post Efficiency and Health: Prioritizing Occupant Health and Wellbeing in High-Performance Buildings appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
On the very first episode of Buildings + Beyond, industry leader Lois Arena answered the most frequently asked questions at the time about high-performance Passive House buildings.
You loved the episode—it’s one of our most popular of all time—and we loved recording with Lois. So, 6 years later, we decided to record a part two.
Listen as host Robb Aldrich poses the same 10 questions from the original episode, plus a few new ones, to Lois and our producer Dylan Martello—who both work on first-of-their-kind largescale Passive House projects at Steven Winter Associates. What questions have the same answer, and what has changed the most in the last 6 years?
Click here to listen to the original episode, Your Top 10 Passive House Questions, Answered.
Episode GuestsLois Arena, Director of High-Performance Building Solutions at Steven Winter Associates
Lois possesses over 25 years of experience in the building science field and has extensive experience with new and existing buildings. Lois holds both US and International Passive House consultant certifications and is currently consulting on some of the largest and most difficult Passive House projects in the world.
She has co-authored and presented training programs about energy efficient building practices to professionals in all sectors of the building industry and is regularly invited to present at conferences and private firms around the world to discuss the benefits of and road blocks to Passive House adoption.
Dylan Martello, Senior Building Systems Consultant at Steven Winter Associates
Dylan focuses primarily on advanced energy modeling, Passive House design consulting, and building performance analysis. Dylan brings a keen understanding of the economic, social, and environmental implications that come with energy efficiency measures in advanced building design.
Dylan also serves as an integral part of the Buildings and Beyond podcast production team, providing sound engineering and editing for each episode.
Episode Resources* Passive House Institute * PHIUS * Passive House Accelerator * Passive House Accelerator YouTube Channel – Offers a wide range of useful technical and non-technical videos * Sendero Verde – Tour the Construction of This NYC Affordable Housing Development – One of the largest certified multifamily Passive House developments in the country
SponsorPassive House Accelerator
Thank you to our episode sponsor, Passive House Accelerator!
Passive House Accelerator is an online community and media company dedicated to accelerating the transition to clean, resilient, zero-carbon buildings.
Every week, Passive House Accelerator produces new original content, including Passive House Accelerator LIVE! online educational events, Passive House Podcast episodes, articles about low-carbon building, video content, and a newsletter. In addition, it also publishes a magazine twice a year and hosts the acclaimed Reimagine Buildings online conference series.
Visit passivehouseaccelerator.com to subscribe to the newsletter, register for an upcoming event, and browse the latest podcast episodes, articles, and videos.
We Want to Hear From You!Send your feedback and questions to podcast@swinter.com.
About Buildings and BeyondBuildings and Beyond is the podcast that explores how we can create a more sustainable built environment by focusing on efficiency, accessibility, and health.
Buildings and Beyond is a production of Steven Winter Associates. We provide energy, green building, and accessibility consulting services to improve the built environment. For more information, visit swinter.com.
Hosts: Robb Aldrich | Kelly Westby
Production Team: Heather Breslin | Dylan Martello | Tricia Carr | Ian Slakas
The post Your Top 10 Passive House Questions, Answered – The Long-Awaited Part 2 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
In case you missed it, emergency legislation has extended the DC third-party data verification deadline to July 1, 2024.
In the past few months, SWA has helped Washington, DC, building owners complete mandatory third-party benchmarking data verification for 2023 calendar year data. With the deadline extended, now is a good time to talk about the recurring issues we’ve seen and the lessons we’ve learned.
Third Party Verification Timeline (Source: Building Innovation Hub)
5 Notable Data Verification CorrectionsSWA has come across several challenges and learned a lot through our benchmarking data verification efforts. While some of the data corrections may be unique to the buildings, some are more general. Here are five of the issues we’ve seen so far.
-
Should the property be benchmarked as one building?If you have one large property with a few buildings, you may expect that it would be benchmarked as one. It is not quite so simple! The correct benchmarking depends on several factors including equipment and utility metering configuration of the property. We have seen a few instances where buildings should be benchmarked separately but are reporting as one.
-
Are your building’s GFA and property use correctly reported?Your building’s gross floor area (GFA) and space use types are the key factors for benchmarking reporting, yet we have seen over or under reported GFA in buildings along with inaccurate or missing space use types.
-
Are meter numbers accurate?Unfortunately, we have seen misalignment between the meter list building owners have provided to Pepco and the list Pepco returns. There may be transposing errors, missing meters, or extra meters in the Pepco list. Correcting this adds time to the verification process. Ultimately, DOEE puts it on the owner to ensure the two lists align, so give yourself time for revisions if possible.
-
Is there a ground-floor retail space?If your building has ground floor retail spaces, there are several things you need to consider to report those correctly. Retail spaces may even be eligible for exclusion from the benchmarking report if they meet certain criteria. Updating or excluding these retail spaces requires a benchmarking data correction before verification can be completed.
-
Does your building have on-site renewables?Your building may have solar panels, and if so, there should be a solar meter reporting the total generation on site. The benchmarking report is incorrect without solar meter information, and verifiers cannot complete the verification checklist without on-site renewables where applicable. The only exception is if you have community solar; this does not need to be entered in Portfolio Manager.
Playing Catch-upIf you haven’t started third-party verification for your building, contact us! We can discuss your building and help you meet the extended July 1 deadline.
SWA helped the Building Innovation Hub develop a sample scope of work (SOW) for DC’s third-party benchmarking data verification requirements along with a companion how-to blog post. You can also catch up on DOEE’s third-party verification webinar and a combination Hub/SWA webinar that were delivered before the emergency legislation extended the reporting deadline.
Written by Iffat Ridwana, Building Systems Analyst on SWA’s Building Operations, Decarbonization, Efficiency (BODE) team
The post Benchmarking Data Verification in DC – What We’ve Learned (So Far) appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) or “model code” establishes the minimum requirements for building energy efficiency. The code is updated every three years, and for 2024, a new consensus-driven development process brought together diverse stakeholders to determine those requirements.
However, the International Code Council’s Board of Directors recently voted to go against consensus and remove mandatory provisions relating to building decarbonization from the 2024 draft.
In this episode, host Robb Aldrich interviews Gayathri Vijayakumar, Principal Mechanical Engineer at Steven Winter Associates and a voting member of the 2024 IECC Residential Consensus Committee, to find out… what happened?
Episode GuestGayathri Vijayakumar
Gayathri is a Principal Mechanical Engineer at Steven Winter Associates. For over 18 years, she has specialized in evaluating residential and multifamily buildings with an emphasis on high-performance construction and renewable energy systems.
Early in her career, Gayathri provided technical assistance to sustainability projects by performing energy modeling and conducting cost-benefit analyses of energy efficient measures in both new and existing residential construction. She leveraged that experience for her current role: providing consulting to federal, state, and local agencies, codes, and programs to develop emerging standards and procedures that involve energy efficiency and indoor air quality requirements. This includes the EPA’s ENERGY STAR® Multifamily New Construction Programs, where she has provided technical support since 2008, and more recently, their Indoor airPLUS program.
Gayathri is also an active contributor to various technical committees that share a goal of improving codes and standards. She currently is a voting member of the 2024 IECC Residential Consensus Committee and Chair of RESNET’s Standards Development Committee, SDC300.
Episode Information & ResourcesPrevious episodes on energy code:
- How Codes Get Made with Gayathri Vijayakumar (Apple Podcasts | Spotify)
- Answering the Tough Questions About Energy Codes (Apple Podcasts | Spotify)
IECC resources:
- 2021 IECC intent statement
- 2024 IECC intent statement: Find on pages 3-4 of Leading the Way to Energy Efficiency (PDF)
- Code Council’s response (PDF) when asked for clarification on the 2024 IECC intent statement
- 2024 IECC appeals
- Submitted appeals
- Results from the Appeals Board (PDF)
- Results from the Board of Directors
- DOE graph showing improvement in residential and commercial energy codes (1975-2021)
We Want to Hear From You!Send your feedback and questions to podcast@swinter.com.
About Buildings and BeyondBuildings and Beyond is the podcast that explores how we can create a more sustainable built environment by focusing on efficiency, accessibility, and health.
Buildings and Beyond is a production of Steven Winter Associates. We provide energy, green building, and accessibility consulting services to improve the built environment. For more information, visit swinter.com.
Hosts: Robb Aldrich | Kelly Westby
Production Team: Heather Breslin | Dylan Martello | Tricia Carr | Ian Slakas | Lucy Koch
The post 2024 IECC – What Happened? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
When is it the right call to improve the energy efficiency of existing building systems, or upgrade and electrify them?
Though electrification is important to reduce carbon emissions, electrifying buildings is not straightforward. Factors like cost, existing infrastructure, compliance needs (and we’ll say it again: cost!) can keep building owners from going all-electric.
In this episode, Buildings + Beyond co-host Robb Aldrich catches up with Ryan Merkin, Vice President of Business Development at BlocPower (and a SWA alum). They discuss the eight areas Ryan considers when deciding to focus on efficiency vs. electrification:
- Building height
- Planned capital expenditures (CapEx)
- Current system condition and remaining useful life
- Heating energy source: oil and electrical resistance
- Existing systems: Individual/unitized vs. central
- Packaged terminal ACs (PTACs) and through-wall sleeve ACs
- Regulatory drivers (LL97, ESG, etc.) and incentives
- Metering: who pays what now; who would pay in the future
Note: This episode was recorded in December 2023. Mentions of “next year” are referring to the year 2024.
Episode GuestRyan Merkin
Ryan Merkin is Vice President of Business Development with BlocPower. He is an experienced leader with over 20 years in the building science and energy consulting industry. Ryan has a demonstrated history developing decarbonization projects for new builds and retrofits. He is skilled in the delivery of consulting services for low energy building design, electrification, engineering and retrofit studies, energy code adoption and compliance, DER strategies, solar design, smart building system integration, utility and incentive programs, and professional training.
Prior to joining BlocPower, Ryan was a Vice President and Director of Multifamily Energy Services for 13 years with Steven Winter Associates. Ryan is active in the New York metropolitan area engineering community as board member and former President of Association of Energy Engineers New York City Chapter.
Ryan received a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from University at Albany, State University of New York and Master of Science in Geosystems from MIT.
Episode Information & ResourcesBlocPower projects:
- Clean Heating for a Beloved Preservation Organization
- Multifamily, Low-Rise Home With Heating System at the End of its Cycle
- A Solar & HVAC Retrofit for a Multifamily Building
We Want to Hear From You!Send your feedback and questions to podcast@swinter.com.
About Buildings and BeyondBuildings and Beyond is the podcast that explores how we can create a more sustainable built environment by focusing on efficiency, accessibility, and health.
Buildings and Beyond is a production of Steven Winter Associates. We provide energy, green building, and accessibility consulting services to improve the built environment. For more information, visit swinter.com.
Hosts: Robb Aldrich | Kelly Westby
Production Team: Heather Breslin | Dylan Martello | Tricia Carr | Ian Slakas
The post Choosing Electrification or Efficiency (When Both Aren’t Possible) appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Buildings are complicated. There’s a bigger learning curve than ever for the people who construct, operate, and manage high-performance buildings—and there’s more demand than ever for skilled workers across the sustainable building industry.
In this episode, Ellen Honigstock, Senior Director of Education at Urban Green Council, sits down with Kelly Westby, Managing Director of the Building Operations, Decarbonization, and Efficiency (BODE) team at Steven Winter Associates. They chat about what it takes to effectively educate the workforce to ensure occupant comfort, energy and carbon reductions, sustainability, and the overall performance of a building.
This is a crossover episode! Go to the Building Tomorrow: Conversations with Climate Solvers podcast feed to hear Ellen interview Kelly about all-things building commissioning.
Episode GuestEllen Honigstock
Ellen is the Senior Director of Education at Urban Green Council. She oversees the development of Urban Green’s Public Programs and develops the curriculum for its signature programs, including Green Professional Training (GPRO) and Crushing the Energy Code.
Ellen has 28 years of experience as an architect and volunteered for Urban Green for several years before joining the staff. She previously served as the first Residential Green Building Advocate, working to increase green building and LEED for Homes certification in the New York residential marketplace, and as a committee chair of the Green Codes Task Force. Ellen is a co-founder of Solarize Brooklyn and Sustainable Kensington Windsor Terrace.
Episode Information & ResourcesCrossover EpisodeListen to our crossover episode featuring Kelly Westby on Urban Green Council’s Building Tomorrow podcast:
- Building Tomorrow: Conversations with Climate Solvers (website)
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- And on all major podcast platforms
Urban Green Council TrainingsExplore these trainings mentioned in the episode:
- Green Professional Training (GPRO)
- GPRO Operations & Maintenance Essentials
- GPRO Construction Management
- GPRO@Work
We Want to Hear From You!Send your feedback and questions to podcast@swinter.com.
About Buildings and BeyondBuildings and Beyond is the podcast that explores how we can create a more sustainable built environment by focusing on efficiency, accessibility, and health.
Buildings and Beyond is a production of Steven Winter Associates. We provide energy, green building, and accessibility consulting services to improve the built environment. For more information, visit swinter.com.
Hosts: Robb Aldrich | Kelly Westby
Production Team: Heather Breslin | Dylan Martello | Tricia Carr | Ian Slakas | Lucy Koch
The post Mind the Gap – Addressing the Skills Gap in the Sustainable Building Industry appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
There’s more to a healthy meal than what’s on your plate. Cooking inside a home or apartment produces contaminants—those of primary concern are PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2)—and without an exhaust strategy, these pollutants will remain inside and diminish indoor air quality.
In addition, one of the biggest news stories of 2023 was the Canadian wildfires. These events had many on the East Coast thinking about outdoor air quality and how to keep their indoor air as healthy as possible. The primary pollutant of concern from smoke is PM2.5.
There are numerous ways to keep polluted outdoor air outside, but what about the additional exposure to PM2.5 that can happen indoors?
Homeowners and renters can create a ventilation strategy to maintain safe levels of PM2.5 in their living space—whether there are outdoor air quality warnings or not. Keep reading to find out how.
PM2.5: Exposure Levels and Health ImpactFirst, it’s important to understand what PM2.5 particles are and how they impact our health. PM2.5 are tiny particles that are an EPA National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) pollutant of concern:
“Exposure to inhalable particles can affect both your lungs and your heart. Small particles (less than 10 micrometers in diameter) can get deep into your lungs, and some may even get into your bloodstream. People with heart or lung diseases such as coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); children; and older adults may be at greater risk from PM exposure.”
Studies have found adverse health effects to exposure levels of 24 hours or longer, which is why EPA has an action level based on average exposure over 24 hours.
Therefore, while reducing your exposure to 1-hour levels is advised, the primary focus is on reducing longer term exposure.
EPA action levels:
- 9-10 µg/m3 – annual
- 35 µg/m3 – 24-hour; not to be exceeded more than 1 time a year
The California Energy Commission used a 24-hour average of 25 µg/m3 as their threshold when looking at exposure levels, which is based on World Health Organization (WHO) intermediate action levels.
The gist is that exposure to PM2.5 in the 25-35 range for up to 24 hours should be limited to a few times a year (or less), and that average daily exposure should be below 10. The lower the better.
PM2.5 Ventilation StrategyHere is a case study that demonstrates how a robust strategy of filtering indoor air was effective at keeping indoor PM2.5 levels to less than 25% of the outdoor levels during the June 2023 wildfire event in Washington, DC.
Filtering Outdoor AirThose living in homes and apartments that are effectively air-sealed had an easier time during the Canadian wildfires, because there were fewer gaps and cracks for polluted outdoor air to get inside.
But regardless, all homes and apartments needed to use MERV 13 or HEPA filters to get the PM2.5 out of their indoor air. If central air conditioners/heat pumps have a MERV 13 filter, that’s typically the best way to filter the air. Portable air purifiers do a good job on a room-by-room basis, too.
This same strategy of filtering indoor air can also keep PM2.5 levels down during more typical days. (See good and bad normal day images). However, you’ll notice that there is one everyday action that dramatically increases indoor PM2.5 levels: cooking.
Exhausting Indoor AirEven in a kitchen with a range hood that exhausts directly to the outdoors and has been tested to function (many exhaust fans are installed improperly and don’t pull anywhere close to their rated air), PM2.5 levels spike when you’re cooking. However, the kitchen ventilation is effective at getting the PM2.5 levels back down to normal after about an hour or so.
DOE’s Lawrence Berkely National Lab (LBNL) did a simulation study of PM2.5 levels based on the type of and effectiveness of kitchen exhaust. They found that for a 900-square-foot apartment, average exposure to PM2.5 based on cooking three meals was 37 µg/m3 if there was no kitchen ventilation in the apartment.
With only a moderately effective kitchen range hood, the predicted 24-hour average PM2.5 concentration is reduced by half to 17 µg/m3. You’ll notice that it took about 3 hours for PM2.5 levels to reduce without ventilation, while ventilation brought the levels down to normal in about 2 hours. In the case study, indoor levels came down within 1 hour.
An example of PM2.5 simulation runs showing predicted concentrations at 0, 50%, and 70% capture efficiency (CE). Included in the plot are two additional cases to illustrate the effect of continuously operating the range hood for 10 more minutes after cooking.
And of course, as we saw in the smoke case study in Washington, DC, using filters and/or air purifiers will substantially reduce this number as well. So, while kitchen ventilation is clearly helpful, for existing buildings that don’t have ducted kitchen ventilation, there’s likely an approach where most occupants can be protected from PM2.5 when sufficient air filtration is provided. This will be cheaper and more viable than putting in place a ducted kitchen ventilation strategy.
Health Impacts of Cooking with GasGas ovens and ranges also produce combustion byproducts, including NO2, carbon monoxide, and benzene.
Scientific studies point to NO2 as the primary pollutant of concern when using gas for cooking. Unlike PM2.5, where exposure levels of 24 hours or greater are tracked, EPA has a 1-hour exposure limit to NO2 of 100ppb, not to be exceeded more than once a year.
The LBNL simulation study estimates that average 1-hour exposure levels for the 900-square-foot apartment would be 144 ppb when cooking a pasta dinner without a range hood. This same meal had a predicted NO2 concentration of 62 ppb when a moderately effective ducted range hood was used. (Read more about nitrogen dioxide’s impact on indoor air quality from the EPA.)
The point is that if a home or apartment uses gas for cooking, there must be an effective kitchen ventilation strategy in place in order protect occupants from the combustion pollutants.
For existing apartments that have gas cooking and no kitchen ventilation, it’s likely easier to replace the gas range with an electric option and provide a good MERV 13/HEPA filtration strategy than it is to add ducted kitchen ventilation. And the MERV 13/HEPA filtration strategy will serve double duty, protecting the occupants not just from PM2.5 from cooking, but also PM2.5 from polluted outdoor air.
Tips: Cooking and Indoor Air QualityIn my own home with a gas range, here’s my cooking strategy:
- Use an electric induction hotplate when making single dishes (boiling water, scrambling eggs, etc.) instead of the gas range.
- Use the kitchen exhaust every time the gas burners are on. My exhaust is ducted directly to the outdoors and was tested, so I know it is actually pulling pollutants out.
- Use the back burners as much as possible; they are more effective.
- Measure indoor air pollutant levels with an air quality monitor. When pollutants spike, open windows if possible. If it’s during an outdoor air quality event, turn on additional HEPA filtration.
Want to get in touch with SWA’s ventilation and indoor air quality experts? Contact us here.
Written by Andrea Foss, Sustainability Director at SWA
The post To Your Health – What to Know About Cooking and Indoor Air Quality appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
At the baseline, “healthy” materials should not have a negative impact on people living or working inside of a building. Beyond that, there are materials that have a low impact on people and the planet throughout their entire lifespan—and then there are materials that can have a net-positive impact, such as those that absorb carbon from our atmosphere.
Jonsara Ruth, Co-founder and Design Director of the Healthy Materials Lab at Parsons School of Design, joins this episode of the Buildings + Beyond podcast to discuss the spectrum of materials and resources available. Jonsara chats with guest host Sarah Nugent about how to phase out toxic ingredients and select materials that are healthy and affordable.
Episode GuestsJonsara Ruth
Jonsara Ruth is Co-founder and Design Director of Healthy Materials Lab (HML) at Parsons School of Design, where she is an Associate Professor and Founding Director of the MFA Interior Design program.
At HML, Jonsara brings creative leadership to the goal of improving the health of underserved communities through the transformation of design and material practices. At Parsons, Jonsara cultivates new understandings of design through her teaching, research, and convening experts from a wide variety of fields to explore and debate intertwined, cross-disciplinary topics at large-scale symposia and public events. Material curiosities drive her research.
Jonsara is a designer, artist, and founder of Salty Labs, a collaborative studio improving human and environmental health through imaginative design. She has led creative and production teams to achieve award-winning designs and mass-produce the healthiest, environmentally friendly children’s furniture available in America to improve indoor air quality and overall health. Elevating everyday human experience is her underlying pursuit. Her designs have been published widely.
She serves on the board of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, Mount Sinai’s Stakeholder Advisory Board for Community Engagement Core, and regularly participates as a guest lecturer at design industry and academic events. Jonsara was recently awarded, with Alison Mears, the 2022 Women in Architecture Innovation Award from Architectural Record, and together co-edited Material Health: Design Frontiers, released in February 2023.
Guest Host: Sarah Nugent
Sarah Nugent is a Sustainability Director at SWA’s New York City office, within the Sustainable Building Services (SBS) group. She oversees building certifications for high-rise residential and a variety of commercial building project typologies.
Sarah’s professional knowledge helps guide architects, owners, developers, and building management staff on green and high-performance building and site design strategies, healthy design strategies, cost-effective building system operations, and energy-saving maintenance practices.
She has project experience with LEED® Building Design + Construction Rating System (including New Construction, Core + Shell, and LEED for Schools), Fitwel for Communities, Multifamily Residential, the WELL Building Standard, the Collaborative for High Performance Schools guidelines, and the NYC SCA’s Green School Guidelines. Sarah was integral in SWA’s pursuit and receipt of LEED Proven Provider status, awarded in September 2016. She has served as a subject matter expert for GBCI and USGBC as an exam writer and course reviewer for LEED BD+C v4 exam materials.
Sarah provides documentation, research assistance and consulting in the following areas: sustainable building materials planning and procurement; sustainable site location/planning; water conservation; environmental and healthy material specifications and procurement; green education; and indoor environmental health and safety.
Episode Information & ResourcesSarah’s Buildings + Beyond podcast debut:
- Healthy Buildings, Healthy Humans with Sarah Nugent
Healthy Materials Lab:
- Healthy Materials Lab at Parsons School of Design
- Healthy Materials Lab | Material Collections
- Healthy Materials Lab | Education
Affordable, healthy housing:
- Health Product Declaration (HPD) Collaborative
- Healthy Materials Lab | Affordable Housing
Robin Guenther:
- The New York Times: Robin Guenther, Architect of Healthy Hospitals, Dies at 68
- Perkins Will: Robin Guenther (1954-2023)
- Building Green: Materials Rules for Going Beyond the Red List
Microplastics from paint:
- Architizer: What do Plastic and Paint have in Common? Everything.
- Earth Action: Plastic Paints the Environment
PFAS:
- EPA: Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFOA and PFOS
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: Stricter federal guidelines on ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water pose challenges
- PBS News Hour: Minnesota poised to ban non-essential uses of PFAS, or ‘forever chemicals’
Board insulation alternative made with wood cellulose:
- Gutex
- TimberHP
HomeFree:
- HomeFree from Healthy Building Network (HBN)
We Want to Hear From You!Send your feedback and questions to podcast@swinter.com.
About Buildings and BeyondBuildings and Beyond is the podcast that explores how we can create a more sustainable built environment by focusing on efficiency, accessibility, and health.
Buildings and Beyond is a production of Steven Winter Associates. We provide energy, green building, and accessibility consulting services to improve the built environment. For more information, visit swinter.com.
Hosts: Robb Aldrich | Kelly Westby
Production Team: Heather Breslin | Dylan Martello | Tricia Carr | Ian Slakas
The post Healthy Materials 101 – A Realistic Approach to Creating Healthier Buildings with Jonsara Ruth appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The envelope of a Passive House building is designed to be significantly airtight. Mechanical ventilation systems introduce fresh, filtered air and exhaust stale, contaminated air 24 hours a day—which is extremely important in maintaining optimal indoor air quality and occupant comfort.
As the saying goes, build tight and ventilate right.
When ventilation systems are designed correctly, but installed, commissioned, or operated incorrectly, the system ends up being leaky and inefficient and uses more energy than expected.
Project teams for Passive House buildings must find solutions for these implementation and commissioning hurdles, or the potential energy penalty can adversely effect the building’s high-performance design intent.
What happens when a Passive House construction expert and a commissioning engineer collaborate to find a solution to common ventilation system issues that cause excess energy use? We, the authors of this blog post, did just that!
Keep reading to learn about common construction issues with Passive House ventilation systems and five lessons learned based on our experiences in the field.
Passive House Ventilation Systems: High Filtration, High PerformancePassive House requirements do a great job of reducing space conditioning demands. Heating and cooling are drastically reduced because of the continuous airtight and well-insulated envelope of these buildings.
As our buildings become increasingly airtight, it becomes ever more critical to introduce fresh air and exhaust stale or contaminated indoor air. Passive House energy recovery ventilator (ERV) units are required to have high filtration with MERV 8 filters on the air supply stream and MERV 13 on the exhaust air stream. (At SWA, we typically see and recommend MERV 13 filters on both.)
We don’t have to look far for evidence supporting the need for high filtration in our buildings. The orange skies of New York City in June 2023 due to the smoke and particulates from the Canadian wildfires demonstrate why supply air is filtered.
Further, the COVID-19 pandemic brought to light the need for high filtration to reduce the respiratory spread of the virus. MERV 13 filters have demonstrated effectiveness in removing airborne respiratory droplets known to spread the virus.
Removing moisture, mold, bacteria, dander, allergens, odors and emissions from cooking, and other pollutants from the exhaust enables the improved indoor air quality benefits touted by the Passive House standard.
Without a correctly functioning ventilation system, the indoor air quality and energy performance of the building will suffer.
Preventing Ventilation System LeakageTypical new-construction buildings can have duct leakage upwards of 25-40%. In our view, this is unacceptable for our high-performance Passive House buildings, especially when the technology to seal ducts down to <3% leakage is readily available and cost-effective.
The chart below shows the projected energy modeling results for a small residential building with about 30 units. The design and construction models were exactly the same; the only inputs that changed were on the ventilation side.
This project had excessive duct leakage due to poorly constructed ductwork, leading to an increase in ventilation flow rates and fan power on the energy recovery ventilator (ERV) unit—thus driving up the ventilation energy and space heating demand to condition the incoming air during heating season. This contributed to about a 2.5 energy use intensity (EUI) increase.
System Leakage Impacts on PHIUS WUFI Energy Model Predictions:
In a Passive House building, the largest pieces of the energy usage pie are typically domestic hot water and miscellaneous loads (think: plug loads and occupant loads). But in this case, the commissioned ventilation flow rates and fan power have a greater impact on building energy usage than expected.
This impacted the building owner’s bottom line. They pay about $3,000 more per year to ventilate this building.
Causes of Ventilation System LeakageThere are three different forms of leakage found in typical mechanical ventilation systems:
- Equipment leakage
- Accessory leakage
- Duct leakage
All of these contribute to the system’s overall leakage.
Systems thinking is essential when approaching this commissioning issue. Leakage can be attributed to various facets of a project’s implementation, including unresolved design issues, lack of clarity in the integration of the components, and constructability.
It may also cross the scope of work of numerous subcontractors. Oftentimes, it is not solely the mechanical contractor’s responsibility to mitigate system leakage but requires a team effort and clear scope of work.
How to Limit Ventilation System LeakageOur approach at SWA is to include clarity in the design and submittal review, reinforce the design during contractor training and site inspections, and hold subcontractors accountable for meeting the project’s design intent typically demonstrated with duct tightness testing data.
“My ducts can hold water” or “duct leakage has never been an issue on any of my jobs” are common phrases when discussing leakage with mechanical contractors. But high-performance buildings, including Passive Houses, should limit duct leakage to very small fractions of the system’s air volume.
Ordinarily, traditional hand-applied sealants and mastic are not capable of reaching very low duct leakage targets. Instead, hand-applied sealants are used to reduce large leaks; then aerosolized sealant technology is used to reduce leakage to 3% of the system’s volume. This effort leads to a very energy-efficient system and allows for a straightforward air-balancing process.
Our Passive House consultants recommend an aerosol duct sealing technology that uses pressurized aerosolized sealant particles introduced into the duct system that are deposited and collected at the ductwork leakage sites. This is a highly effective process when implemented correctly utilizing the Fractional Leakage Specification provided by the manufacturer. This specification limits duct leakage to no more than 3% of the total volume of the system tested at the operating static pressure of the system.
Commissioning Ventilation SystemsCommissioning ventilation systems is necessary to ensure that ventilation rates are delivered and properly controlled within the spaces of the building. It’s important for the developer to bring on a commissioning engineer for Passive House projects (and every project!) as early as possible to prevent design flaws during system installation and prevent common issues early on.
Commissioning engineers ensure that a building’s energy-related systems perform efficiently, reliably, and maintain occupant comfort. They advocate for building operators and incorporate lessons learned from other buildings so that a building maintains its performance over its lifetime.
The following are the common issues that our commissioning engineers see in Passive House ventilation systems.
Key ERV Setpoints: Airflow, Static Pressure, and Supply Air TemperatureIf there are central ERVs that run 24 hours a day or at a constant volume, it’s the installation that takes care of everything. They can easily be installed properly and run smoothly depending on what other interlocks they may have. (If they need to interlock with say, a heat pump, that adds a layer of complexity.)
But many times, there are variable air volume ERVs. Starting in the design phase, the design engineer must include the key set points needed by the installer and the testing and balancing contractor such as the minimum and maximum airflow, the duct static pressure (and its sensor location), and the supply air temperature set point.
Other ERV Setpoints: CO2 Concentration and SchedulesIf it’s a variable volume ERV, chances are it’s serving different variable air volume (VAV) boxes or ZRT boxes, for example, in amenity spaces in a residential building that are not supposed to have ventilation 24/7.
The sequence of how those VAVs modulate needs to be clear in the drawings and the specs and confirmed during the submittal review phase. If a VAV box is going to be controlled by a CO2 sensor, what’s the CO2 level that triggers that? What is the CFM level that the VAV is going to modulate to? And based on those changes, what’s the static pressure that the ERV needs to maintain?
If it’s a time clock that will control the VAV, that needs to be shown in the mechanical drawings and electrical drawings, and it’s crucial to indicate which trade is responsible for it. Because it’s in the mechanical drawings, is the HVAC subcontractor responsible for installing that? Or is it the electrician? Or is it a split of both?
ERV Sensor and ControllerAnother common issue with variable ERV systems is that if they are variable volume and they need to maintain a duct pressure set point, the sensor must be installed in the right location and wired to the controller. And the controller needs to be set up to maintain that duct pressure.
Prior to testing on these units, one of the things we will request to receive is the testing and balancing report. When it’s a variable air volume ERV and there’s no static pressure set point noted in the TAB report, that’s a red flag. We can tell right away that it was not balanced correctly. The balancer and HVAC contractor need to return and make the adjustments prior to testing.
Other times, there is a static pressure set point noted on the TAB report, but we show up on-site and the controller looks like the image below on the left: Both supply and extract fans are working to maintain an airflow, and there is no duct static pressure sensor installed whatsoever. No one knows how that set point made it into the report.
How to Prevent Common Issues with Passive House Ventilation SystemsIn conclusion, here are the five most important lessons we’ve learned about Passive House certification, ventilation, and air leakage:
Lesson #1: Traditional and typical specifications for duct leakage may not be enough for high-performance buildings.We have seen that the typical specifications engineers are using to assess duct leakage are not reaching the levels of performance we need to see in a low-energy building.
Lesson #2: Approach leakage holistically from a systems perspective.The process of reducing air leakage often crosses various trades, and there can be a lot of finger-pointing when this comes up on site—so project teams must approach leakage from a holistic standpoint.
Lesson #3: Communicate project nuances and Passive House requirements early and often.Design and construction teams should understand project nuances from the start.
Lesson #4: Engage commissioning agents early in the design phase.For developers with high-performance buildings, engaging a commissioning agent as early as possible will save time and money down the line.
Lesson #5: Push for clear and realistic sequences of operation.Establish a good line of communication with the design engineer so there are clear sequences of operations at the installation, the testing phase, and in the future operation of the building. It’s crucial to provide training to O&M staff and have a clean transition so that the O&M team can operate the building as efficiently as possible.
This blog post is based on Tales from the Trenches— Passive House Ventilation Strategies, Common Construction Issues and How to Curb Them, March 2023, ASHRAE Cold Climate Conference.
Have a question about commissioning ventilation systems? Leave a comment below and one of the authors will respond as soon as they can!
Have questions for a Passive House consultant or commissioning engineers? Click here to contact us.
Written by:
Luis Aragon, Senior Building Systems Engineer on SWA’s Building Operations, Decarbonization, and Efficiency Team
Michael Schmidt, Senior Building Systems Consultant on SWA’s Passive House Team
The post What Can Go Wrong with Passive House Ventilation Systems—and How to Prevent It appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Over the lifespan of a building, operations and maintenance staff arguably have the biggest impact on system performance and energy efficiency. With the right training,...
The post The Real Secret to Energy-Efficient Buildings? Operations & Maintenance Training appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The post The Real Secret to Energy-Efficient Buildings? Operations & Maintenance Training appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Access to sustainable and healthy buildings should be a universal right. Unfortunately, underserved communities and low-income families often face significant barriers to living in buildings...
The post 5 Strategies to Create Sustainable and Affordable Housing with Enterprise Green Communities (EGC) appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The post 5 Strategies to Create Sustainable and Affordable Housing with Enterprise Green Communities (EGC) appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
What happens when you put four sustainable building experts involved in energy code development in a room and ask them to bring their favorite—and sometimes,...
The post Answering the Tough Questions About Energy Codes appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The post Answering the Tough Questions About Energy Codes appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Building industry professionals have made great strides in reducing operational carbon, but without losing ground, we need to shift our efforts toward building materials and...
The post How to Tackle Embodied Carbon Now: Low-Carbon Building Materials and Assessment Tools appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The post How to Tackle Embodied Carbon Now: Low-Carbon Building Materials and Assessment Tools appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is adding a second level to its Indoor airPLUS specification for homes and residential buildings. What does this mean...
The post Indoor airPLUS Version 2 – What Changes Are Coming? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The post Indoor airPLUS Version 2 – What Changes Are Coming? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Our accessibility consultants work with design and construction teams to ensure that facilities are compliant with the architectural accessibility requirements of applicable laws and codes. But once the building is operational, and management and maintenance is turned over to an entity not involved in the design and construction process, unintentional violations of accessibility requirements often crop up post occupancy.
It’s not uncommon for litigation to result from observations of violations made by testers that are caused by unknowing operations and maintenance staff.
Once a facility is complaint with accessible design and construction requirements, it must remain so for its life, so it’s important for everyone to understand how to maintain compliance.
Here are some of the more common violations of accessibility requirements that occur post occupancy:
- Keep spaces below sinks free of storage itemsOpen space below a bathroom sink (or other common-use sinks, such as one located in an employee breakroom) is necessary for a person using a wheelchair to be able to use the fixture. The person rolls the wheelchair forward into the open space and has easy access to the faucet and sink basin.
Too often we see the open space filled with storage items, thereby preventing use by people who use wheelchairs and creating a violation of accessibility requirements. Store items in closets, shelves, or in storage rooms and not in the required knee/toe clearance below sinks.
Avoid using the open space below sinks for storage.
- Keep small trash rooms clear of bins that obstruct clearanceCommon-use trash/recycle rooms are subject to requirements for turning space and maneuvering clearance at doors, among others. When bins within these typically small rooms prevent turning within the room or maneuvering at the door, a violation of the architectural accessibility requirements is created.
Where possible, avoid adding bins or shelves that obstruct use of trash rooms for people who use mobility devices, such as wheelchairs or walkers, who must be able to enter the room, turn around, and exit without obstruction.
-
Maintain clutter-free accessible counter spaceUsing the required lowered accessible counter space at hotel check-in areas, bars, etc., to position bric-a-brac renders the lowered counter useless. When lowered counters are obstructed, use by a person with a disability who might require a lowered counter to fill out paperwork, enjoy a meal or drink at a bar, etc., is compromised and a violation of architectural accessibility requirements. Keep lowered accessible work counters clear.
-
Avoid installing dispensers above grab bars in bathroomsThe space above grab bars must be kept clear of wall-mounted items such as paper towel dispensers. Wall-mounted items installed too close to grab bars obstruct their use and must be avoided. And wall mounted items that project beyond 4 inches are hazardous to people with low vision or those who are blind.
Whenever possible, install recessed dispensers so they are not hazardous protruding objects and don’t obstruct use of the grab bars.
- Maintain pipe protection below sinksBecause the open space below sinks is necessary for those who use wheelchairs, exposed plumbing must be properly covered to prevent people who have heat sensitivity from encountering warm/hot pipes. Pipe protection also prevents sharp or abrasive elements from cutting sensitive skin.
Common methods for pipe protection include flexible pipe guards or panels. Whatever method is used, ensure that it does not encroach into required knee/toe space.
The panel below the sink protects users from coming into contact with plumbing below.
- Keep exterior pathways clear of snow and iceEnsuring that everyone has a clear and safe path to negotiate outdoor routes is critical in areas prone to snow and ice. Maintain wide and clear paths along exterior routes to building entrance, parking, the public right-of-way, etc.
Pay particular attention to curb cuts where it is common for water to pool and ice to form. Slip-and-falls is one of the most common causes of injury so maintaining safe pathways is helpful for everyone.
- Place fitness equipment properlyArchitectural accessibility requirements that apply to fitness centers are designed to ensure easy access and safe use of fitness equipment. Place equipment so that it is easily reachable by an accessible route that is no less than 36 inches wide.
Consider how a person using a wheelchair might transfer from a wheelchair onto the equipment and provide a clear floor space that is no less than 30 inches x 48 inches at an intuitive transfer point. Access to and ample clearance at each type of equipment is essential so that all options for fitness can be enjoyed.
Properly placed fitness equipment allows easy approach and transfer.
- Ensure easy access to and use of pool liftsArchitectural accessibility requirements specify access into pools. There are a number of ways to accommodate access into pools; installing a lift is the most common method.
When the pool is open, independent lift access must be available so that a person who requires the lift to access the pool is not required to call someone to operate the lift. Independence is key.
Pool lifts provide easy access into pools.
- Select furniture with access in mindAccessible furniture is required in all types of facilities, including restaurants, community centers, theaters, bars, residential amenity areas, parks, etc. Provide options for accessible furniture that can be comfortably used by everyone.
Tables with pedestal legs are not easily used by a person who uses a wheelchair because the pedestal obstructs how far the person can pull under the table. Instead, opt for tables with four legs with ample clearance between them (no less than 30 inches).
Consider table height (no more than 34 inches AFF) and the height of the clearance below (no less than 27 inches from the floor to the bottom of the table/apron). If high-top tables are available for patrons, then install lowered tables to provide options for everyone.
An accessible computer desk provides ample space between legs in which to position a wheelchair.
- Use people-first languageIt is common courtesy to refer to someone by putting the person before the disability. Instead of ‘a disabled person,” use “a person with a disability.” Instead of “wheelchair user” opt for “a person who uses a wheelchair.”
Using people-first language goes a long way to make us all feel a sense of respect and belonging. When posting signs and/or announcements or when sending electronic (or other) communication, consider people-first language.
Have questions about what accessible design and construction requirements apply to your project? Get in touch with a member of our accessibility team.
Written by Peter A. Stratton, Managing Director, Accessibility Services
The post Top 10 Violations of Accessibility Requirements Post Occupancy Caused by Untrained O&M Staff appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..The post Top 10 Violations of Accessibility Requirements Post Occupancy Caused by Untrained O&M Staff appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The ideal building is cost-efficient, energy-efficient, and comfortable for its occupants. But executing all three of these elements to perfection can be complex and costly. Can there ever be a win-win-win across all three?
In part two of our roundtable episode with Michelle DeCarlo, Saeideh Kirby, Erin McElwee, and Buildings + Beyond host Kelly Westby, our guests discuss how to find a balance between meeting project objectives and creating sustainable and healthy buildings. They also share how they’ve seen the COVID-19 pandemic change project priorities and building operations.
Did you miss part one of this roundtable? Go to the previous episode to hear our guests’ moving discussion on gender equity in the building industry.
Episode GuestsMichelle DeCarlo
Michelle M. DeCarlo, PE, LEED AP BD+C, serves as an Associate Partner at Jaros, Baum & Bolles (JB&B). Since joining the firm in 2007, she has led the HVAC design for JB&B on a variety of projects, including the new core and shell office design for 30 Hudson Yards, the commercial office redevelopment of the landmarked Moynihan Train Hall, and The New Terminal One at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Michelle is also committed to the advancement of women in the industry. In 2018, she launched the JB&B Women’s Initiative, an in-house membership group whose mission is the empowerment of women to position them as leaders inside and outside the firm, and to promote the retention of women through leadership and professional development. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Commercial Real Estate for Women (CREW) of New York, currently serving as the President. She recently completed four years of service on the ASHRAE New York Board of Governors, serving as chairperson of its Women in ASHRAE Committee.
Saeideh Kirby
Saeideh Kirby is the Senior Director leading Energy and Sustainability Services for multiple industry verticals within the Americas at JLL. In this role, she is responsible for the service delivery in the region and assisting more than 50 sustainability professionals in executing energy and sustainability programs for various clients to meet their sustainability goals. These programs include support in providing roadmaps and implementation towards carbon, energy, water, and waste goals through carbon and energy forecasting, benchmarking, energy conservation projects, energy procurement, alternative energy evaluation, investigation into new technologies, sustainable supply chain, and incorporating sustainability into the full lifecycle of facility management. Prior to joining JLL, Saeideh was senior energy project engineer at SourceOne and was responsible for conducting Cogen feasibility studies and design reviews for multiple clients based in New York.
Erin McElwee
As a Building Systems Consultant at SWA, Erin McElwee provides commissioning (Cx) services for NYC ECC code compliance, LEED Fundamental and Enhanced Cx, and Passive House projects. Erin assists teams with reviews of design drawings and project submittals, conducts commissioning tests on-site, verifies equipment specifications, and provides recommended corrective actions.
Host: Kelly Westby
Kelly Westby leads the Building Operations, Decarbonization, and Efficiency (BODE) team at SWA. She has a wide range of experience in building science, commissioning, and energy efficiency retrofitting. The BODE team is focused on optimizing performance and reducing energy use and carbon emissions of building systems for new construction and existing buildings across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. The team offers benchmarking, capital planning, energy management, implementation, commissioning, research, program management, and policy advisory services. Kelly’s commissioning, energy code, and efficiency projects cover millions of square feet of commercial buildings along the East Coast. She also speaks at events and conferences, sharing her expertise on industry best practices.
Episode Information & Resources* Your building might be making you sick. Joe Allen can help. – The Harvard Gazette * JLL acquires Envio Systems to accelerate smart and sustainable building capabilities
We Want to Hear From You!Send your feedback and questions to podcast@swinter.com
About Buildings and BeyondBuildings and Beyond is a production of Steven Winter Associates. We provide energy, green building, and accessibility consulting services to improve the built environment. For more information, visit swinter.com.
Hosts: Robb Aldrich | Kelly Westby
Production Team: Heather Breslin | Alex Mirabile | Dylan Martello | Tricia Carr
The post Cost vs. Conservation vs. Comfort – Roundtable, Part 2 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..The post Cost vs. Conservation vs. Comfort – Roundtable, Part 2 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
To mark Women’s History Month, we wanted to get firsthand perspectives from women in the building industry. We invited Michelle DeCarlo of JB&B and Saeideh Kirby of JLL to join SWA’s Erin McElwee and Kelly Westby for a two-part episode tackling different topics—starting with gender equity.
In part one of their discussion, the group explores gender equity in male-dominated fields such as construction, HVAC, and engineering. They cover a range of topics, including microaggressions, implicit bias, authenticity in the workplace, and mentorship and sponsorship, and offer actionable takeaways for people of all gender identities to help advance gender equity across our industry.
We thank our guests for sharing their personal experiences!
Look out for part two of their discussion on balancing cost, conservation, and comfort in sustainable buildings.
Episode GuestsMichelle DeCarlo
Michelle M. DeCarlo, PE, LEED AP BD+C, serves as an Associate Partner at Jaros, Baum & Bolles (JB&B). Since joining the firm in 2007, she has led the HVAC design for JB&B on a variety of projects, including the new core and shell office design for 30 Hudson Yards, the commercial office redevelopment of the landmarked Moynihan Train Hall, and The New Terminal One at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Michelle is also committed to the advancement of women in the industry. In 2018, she launched the JB&B Women’s Initiative, an in-house membership group whose mission is the empowerment of women to position them as leaders inside and outside the firm, and to promote the retention of women through leadership and professional development. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Commercial Real Estate for Women (CREW) of New York, currently serving as the President. She recently completed four years of service on the ASHRAE New York Board of Governors, serving as chairperson of its Women in ASHRAE Committee.
Saeideh Kirby
Saeideh Kirby is the Senior Director leading Energy and Sustainability Services for multiple industry verticals within the Americas at JLL. In this role, she is responsible for the service delivery in the region and assisting more than 50 sustainability professionals in executing energy and sustainability programs for various clients to meet their sustainability goals. These programs include support in providing roadmaps and implementation towards carbon, energy, water, and waste goals through carbon and energy forecasting, benchmarking, energy conservation projects, energy procurement, alternative energy evaluation, investigation into new technologies, sustainable supply chain, and incorporating sustainability into the full lifecycle of facility management. Prior to joining JLL, Saeideh was senior energy project engineer at SourceOne and was responsible for conducting Cogen feasibility studies and design reviews for multiple clients based in New York.
Erin McElwee
As a Building Systems Consultant at SWA, Erin provides commissioning (Cx) services for NYC ECC code compliance, LEED Fundamental and Enhanced Cx, and Passive House projects. Erin assists teams with reviews of design drawings and project submittals, conducts commissioning tests on-site, verifies equipment specifications, and provides recommended corrective actions.
Host: Kelly Westby
Kelly Westby leads the Building Operations, Decarbonization, and Efficiency (BODE) team at SWA. She has a wide range of experience in building science, commissioning, and energy efficiency retrofitting. The BODE team is focused on optimizing performance and reducing energy use and carbon emissions of building systems for new construction and existing buildings across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. The team offers benchmarking, capital planning, energy management, implementation, commissioning, research, program management, and policy advisory services. Kelly’s commissioning, energy code, and efficiency projects cover millions of square feet of commercial buildings along the East Coast. She also speaks at events and conferences, sharing her expertise on industry best practices.
Episode Information & Resources* CREW Network
We Want to Hear From You!Send your feedback and questions to podcast@swinter.com
About Buildings and BeyondBuildings and Beyond is a production of Steven Winter Associates. We provide energy, green building, and accessibility consulting services to improve the built environment. For more information, visit swinter.com.
Hosts: Robb Aldrich | Kelly Westby
Production Team: Heather Breslin | Alex Mirabile | Dylan Martello | Tricia Carr
The post Take Action: How Everyone Can Help Advance Gender Equity in the Building Industry – Roundtable, Part 1 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..The post Take Action: How Everyone Can Help Advance Gender Equity in the Building Industry – Roundtable, Part 1 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The rise in remote and hybrid work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has created a demand for spaces in multifamily buildings where residents can work from home. Developers are seeking to meet this demand by providing office and coworking areas as an additional amenity in residential buildings. In these coworking spaces, what accessible design requirements apply?
Accessible Coworking SpacesCoworking spaces are a valuable amenity for building residents who prefer to work from home, but want separate environments for their professional and personal lives. Designing communal areas that are accessible to all individuals ensures that these spaces can be used to their fullest potential.
As an amenity provided to residents, coworking spaces in multifamily buildings must be designed to provide equitable access for people with disabilities, many of whom have seen a pronounced benefit because of the ability to work remotely.
Coworking spaces vary in design but share many of the same features, including private offices—sometimes called pods or phone booths—and open or communal seating.
Here are some key requirements that designers need to know when creating coworking spaces as a resident amenity:
Private Offices, Pods, or Phone BoothsWhere private offices, pods, or phone booths are provided, at least one of each type must be accessible:
- Maneuvering clearance must be provided on both sides of the door. The clearance cannot be obstructed by desks or other built-in furnishings within the room.
- A 60 inch turning circle or T-shaped turn must be provided within the room. The knee and toe clearance underneath desks or tables can be utilized as a part of the turning space.
- All electrical outlets provided in the room must be mounted within accessible reach range, including outlets mounted over a built-in desk. Outlets below the desk are permitted, but additional outlet(s) to serve the same purpose must be provided within accessible range.
- Note that outlets mounted over desks are subject to requirements for reach over an obstruction. Where a front approach with knee and toe clearance is provided, the reach to the outlet can be no more than 25 inches.
- Most rooms include a desk or a table within the room to serve as a work surface. All work surfaces must be able to accommodate a clear floor space positioned for a front approach with knee and toe clearance below. The top of the work surface must be no more than 34 inches AFF.
Coworking SeatingAt least 5% of seating spaces provided must be accessible. Accessible seating spaces must be dispersed among all types of tables provided (e.g., communal table, banquette seating, counter seating) with no less than one of each type provided.
- Accessible tables must be no more than 34 inches in height with knee and toe clearance below. High-top tables are common and permitted as long as an accessible table of the same type is provided.
- Designers often favor tables with pedestal bases, which obstruct knee and toe clearance and cannot be used to meet the required number of accessible seating spaces. Tables with corner posts/legs at least 30 inches apart are the best option for achieving compliance.
Our accessibility team can help with your next project! Contact us here.
Written by Noelle Piontek, Accessibility Consultant at SWA
The post Accessibility Tech Notes: Coworking Spaces in Multifamily Buildings appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..The post Accessibility Tech Notes: Coworking Spaces in Multifamily Buildings appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Building on the 25-year foundation of the ENERGY STAR Residential New Construction program, the EPA is gearing up to launch a new certification program for efficient single-family and multifamily homes: ENERGY STAR NextGen Certified Homes and Apartments. Based on initial energy and emissions modeling, ENERGY STAR NextGen certified homes will achieve an average of 47% greater carbon savings than homes built according to 2021 residential energy code.
In this episode, Robb chats with two members of EPA’s ENERGY STAR Residential Branch, Asa Foss and Elliot Seibert, about what home builders, raters, and buyers can expect from ENERGY STAR NextGen and its electric-forward—not all-electric—focus. They discuss each of the program’s requirements and the rationale and goals behind them.
Episode GuestsAsa Foss
Asa Foss joined EPA’s ENERGY STAR Residential Branch in 2020, where he’s managing ENERGY STAR NextGen, an operational decarbonization-focused new construction specification. He’s been in the residential efficiency industry since the early 2000s, including a decade at the U.S. Green Building Council where he was responsible for the development of the LEED for Homes rating systems. He renovated and lives in a designated-historic ENERGY STAR and LEED Platinum certified rowhouse in Washington, DC.
Elliot Seibert
Bio coming soon!
Episode Information & ResourcesThe 5 NextGen Requirements for Climate-Friendly Homes:
Note: time stamps below in brackets
- Highly energy-efficient construction [12:17]
- ENERGY STAR certified heat pumps for space heating [16:47]
- ENERGY STAR certified heat pump water heaters [22:38]
- Induction cooktops and electric ovens (Yes, we address the elephant in the room—the gas stove.) [29:38]
- EV charging infrastructure [37:30]
NextGen Resources:
ENERGY STAR NextGen Certified Homes and Apartments
ENERGY STAR NextGen National Rater Field Checklist (PDF)
We Want to Hear From You!Send your feedback and questions to podcast@swinter.com
About Buildings and BeyondBuildings and Beyond is a production of Steven Winter Associates. We provide energy, green building, and accessibility consulting services to improve the built environment. For more information, visit swinter.com.
Hosts: Robb Aldrich | Kelly Westby
Production Team: Heather Breslin | Alex Mirabile | Dylan Martello | Tricia Carr
The post ENERGY STAR NextGen: 5 Requirements for Climate-Friendly Homes appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..The post ENERGY STAR NextGen: 5 Requirements for Climate-Friendly Homes appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As architects, building designers, and members of project teams, it is our responsibility to create places where people can thrive and feel like they belong. We are in a unique position to advance equity and inclusion in our world by designing buildings that support and give opportunities to historically underserved groups.
As we embark on a new year, concepts of equity and inclusion are prominent throughout the field of architecture. The U.S. Green Building Council recently affirmed that equity will remain a key focus at this year’s Greenbuild International Conference, and the WELL Equity Rating continues to gain traction across our industry.
At SWA, we prioritize equity and inclusion in both our company values and strategic vision as well as in our Inclusive Design discipline. We made an announcement not long ago that our Accessibility team is shifting away from Universal Design towards Inclusive Design to more effectively drive equity in the built environment. In our work with Inclusive Design strategies, we have examined how they must evolve to prioritize all building occupants and the surrounding community at each stage in the design process.
Today we are thrilled to have a clearer vision for how we aim to accomplish this goal.
Inclusive Design Needs Community EngagementTo reshape our Inclusive Design services, we started with shifting from a prescriptive approach (i.e., we tell you what works) to a community-engaged approach (i.e., you tell us what works).
Community-engaged design—sometimes called co-design or participatory design—is a process used across disciplines to gather feedback from users on products, services, or buildings. We also believe it is a critical tool for providing tailored Inclusive Design recommendations that reflect the true diversity of building occupants.
Our new set of Inclusive Design services includes the following:
Community and Stakeholder SurveysSWA will distribute surveys to end-users, community members, and other key stakeholders featuring questions that aim to identify project-related needs and priorities. Data gathered through community and stakeholder surveys represent diverse perspectives to capture a wide range of goals for the project.
Community and Stakeholder WorkshopsSWA will conduct a customized workshop with end-users, community members, and other key stakeholders to introduce foundational concepts of Inclusive Design and solicit feedback on concept and future design strategies for the project. Community and stakeholder workshops aim to elevate all voices in the design process.
Inclusive Design RecommendationsSWA will conduct plan reviews to provide Inclusive Design recommendations that address strategies to promote usability, inclusion, safety, ergonomics, quality lighting, and mental and physical wellness. Inclusive Design recommendations may also address inclusion across race, culture, gender, age, disability, neurodiversity, LGBTQIA+ identity, and other aspects of human diversity as applicable to the project.
Post-Occupancy EvaluationsSWA will support post-occupancy efforts for measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of the adopted Inclusive Design strategies. Post-occupancy research can be conducted through surveys, personal interviews, and/or focus group discussions.
The Future of Building PerformanceBuilding performance is on the cusp of a paradigm shift. While aspects of building functionality and usage to support health, sustainability, and efficiency continue to remain critical to the success of buildings, our team at SWA is equally excited to expand upon building performance through our new Inclusive Design services.
We envision that when measuring building performance, owners will give equal value to building data, such as water and energy usage, and to aspects of human experiences, such as occupants’ feelings of belonging, pride, and joy.
To learn more, listen to our Buildings + Beyond podcast episode on equity, health, and Inclusive Design.
Feel free to reach out to me or Peter Stratton, Managing Director, Accessibility Services through our contact form for more information about our Inclusive Design services.
Written by Victoria Lanteigne, Principal, Research
The post The Future of Inclusive Design: How We Can Advance Equity Through Building Design appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Project teams may set out to design and construct a building that supports the needs of its occupants and the community. But the design process does not typically involve examining the lived experiences of future occupants or the surrounding community.
This missing piece is called co-design, and it’s a crucial practice for creating healthy, safe, and equitable buildings.
Co-design is gaining traction as more project teams prioritize social equity and inclusion as part of their project goals. When community members and future occupants that represent diverse perspectives and lived experiences are part of the design process, the finished building is more likely to support the needs of building occupants.
Read on to learn how project teams are successfully implementing co-design to advance equity through building design.
What is Co-Design?Many believe that design is a human activity that all people are capable of informing based on their own lived experiences and interpretations of the world.[1] This ideology lies at the heart of co-design, a collaborative process in which professional designers consult with end-users as subject matter experts of products, environments, and systems.
Co-design originated in Scandinavia in the 1970s and has since been adopted across different disciplines, including healthcare, government, public policy, business, and education.[2]
Co-design has recently burgeoned in the field of architecture as a pathway to diversify design systems across a profession that is lacking in diversity.[3] Through co-design, architects seek to collaborate with community members, key stakeholders, and end-users of projects to elevate voices that are often underrepresented in the design process.
Co-Design for EquityCo-design—also referred to as integrative design, participatory design, stakeholder-engaged design, etc.—is an emerging trend for bringing greater equity to the design of buildings and communities. Feature C02 Integrative Design in WELLv2, for example, encourages project teams to consult stakeholders during the planning and development processes to ensure health and wellbeing needs are represented across all populations.
But the implementation of co-design can be fraught with challenges. Co-design and similar efforts are often criticized for failing to truly reflect a diverse range of perspectives and lived experiences.[4]
Research also suggests that power imbalances often exist between designers—who are typically seen as “leaders” of the process—and community members, who often must relent to preconceived ideas driven from a top-down approach.[5]
Co-Design Recommendations from the FieldTo explore these challenges, we conducted interviews with practitioners and community members leading co-design efforts in the field. Three key recommendations emerged for ensuring an equitable approach to co-design:
Recommendation #1: Establish Genuine PartnershipsCo-design has philosophical underpinnings in democracy, empowerment, and inclusion, yet power imbalances often exist between designers and end-users. To address this challenge, Nicola Springer, Executive Vice President, Director of PK-12 Projects at Kirksey Architecture, draws on her experience leading the co-design process for Norman-Sims Elementary School in East Austin Texas to underscore the importance of building genuine partnerships:
“You should actually want to befriend your client. Especially when working with communities, you have to be willing to connect at a real human level to build that trust. That might mean, as an architect, being more vulnerable than some people might want to be to engage the client.”
Wendy Mills, Principal of Norman-Sims Elementary and participant in the co-design process echoes this sentiment:
“During the design process of Norman-Sims, our students, staff, and community brought a wealth of expertise and knowledge to the table to inform the environment we have today. Throughout the process we felt valued, heard, and respected. This type of partnership ensured our school was designed both with us and for us.”
Recommendation #2: Elevate the Role of Community MembersParticipation alone is not enough to address power imbalances that may occur in co-design processes. Rather, research suggests a “bottom-up” approach in which community members and end-users assume the bulk of the decision-making power.[6] Ben Horn, Associate with RATIO Architects shares his experience supporting the community during the co-design process of an elementary school in Southeast Raleigh:
“I think it’s important for architects to understand the community they are designing for. Our job is to talk to people and be open to listening and asking the right questions to help the community realize their vision.”
Recommendation #3: Bring an Inclusive Lens to the ProcessPrinciples of Inclusive Design can enrich co-design processes, both by ensuring a wide representation of voices and by leveraging all forms of human diversity to inform design. Alexa Vaughn-Brainard, a landscape designer and accessibility specialist at MIG and founder of Design with Disabled People Now sheds light on the importance of inclusion in co-design:
“I see co-design as absolutely necessary for us to create a more accessible public realm. If we don’t include the disabled community, we won’t really be making the world a more accessible and inclusive place. When it comes to co-designing with the disabled community, there are many misconceptions and ’fears’ due to ableist perspectives, stigmas, and just general discomfort reaching out to folks different from themselves. I think non-disabled designers need to step into the responsibility of including disabled community members—in addition to BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and other minority groups—in the design process.”
Co-Design ResourcesBefore embarking on your next co-design effort, be sure to educate yourself and team members on ways to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion to the process. Initiatives such as Design Justice Principles, Spatial Justice, Queering Public Space, and Universal and Inclusive Design can help to bring an additional equity lens to your practice.
These resources, coupled with the recommendations outlined here by practitioners and community leaders, will help to inform effective co-design processes to create more equitable spaces truly designed with and for all.
Authors: Victoria A. Lanteigne, WELL AP, Principal, Research, Steven Winter Associates; Alexa Vaughn-Brainard, Landscape Architect, MIG; and Nicola Springer, Executive Vice President, Kirksey Architecture
Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank Wendy Mills, Principal at Norman-Sims Elementary School, and Ben Horn, Associate with RATIO Architects for sharing their insights and experiences on Co-Design processes.
[1] Banathy, B.H. (1996). Designing social systems in a changing world. Plenum Press.
[2] Gregory, J. (2003). Scandinavian approaches to participatory design. International Journal of Engineering Education, 19(1), 62-74.
[3] Equity by Design. (2018). Equity by design: Voices, values, vision: 2018 equity in architecture survey
[4] Costanza-Chock, S. (2020). Design justice: Community-led practices to build the worlds we need. MIT Press.
[5] Pallesen, K. S., Rogers, L., Anjara, S., De Brún, A., McAuliffe, E. (2020). A qualitative evaluation of participants’ experiences of using co-design to develop a collective leadership educational intervention for health-care teams. Health Expectations, 2020(23), 358– 367.
[6] Arboleda, G. (2020). Beyond participation. Journal of Architectural Education, 74(1), 15-25.
The post What is Co-Design, and How Does it Help Advance Equity Through Building Design? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Description:
The average homeowner is aware that energy efficiency is important in the fight against climate change. The people who are most passionate about energy conservation are making upgrades to their homes and setting a good example for their neighbors. But how can we get more homeowners excited about doing the work (and navigating the cost) to improve their home’s performance?
On this episode, Robb chats with Adam Stenftenagel and Christine Liaukus (a SWA alum!), two experts on improving existing buildings, about what it’ll take to reduce the energy consumption and carbon emissions of single-family homes on a much larger scale than we are today. They discuss data, strategies, technologies, and of course, financing that can help get millions of homeowners on the path to net zero energy.
Episode Guests:
Christine Liaukus, RA, CPHC
Christine Liaukus, RA, CPHC, is the Housing and Community Development Program Manager for the Center for Building Knowledge at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. At the Center, Christine’s research is focused on improving the energy performance of existing buildings during typical retrofit projects, most recently with Re-Side Right. Christine has developed training for various New Jersey Clean Energy programs through the NJ Clean Energy Learning Center and has taught high-performance building enclosure coursework at the Hillier College of Architecture and Design at NJIT. Prior to joining NJIT, Christine was a Project Architect with the New York firm Chris Benedict R.A. creating environmentally responsible affordable housing. Christine is a member of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association and was the first Certified Passive House Consultant in New Jersey.
Adam Stenftenagel
Adam Stenftenagel has been working in the green building industry since 2004. He co-owns four Boulder, Colorado-based businesses that focus on helping new and existing homes use net-zero energy, including Snugg Home and Radiant Labs. He is also co-founder and CEO at both of these companies. Adam focuses on keeping the businesses running efficiently as well as business development and sales. He specializes in building science, energy modeling, and cost-benefit analysis. Adam’s passion is helping to prevent runaway climate change. He also enjoys live music, gardening, and hiking.
Episode Resources:* Re-Side Right * Renew-Wall * BlocPower * Sealed * Radiant Labs carbon savings infographic Click to enlarge
Episode Sponsors:SWA Academy is the user-paced learning platform that gives organizations and project teams the technical knowledge they need to create energy efficient, sustainable, and accessible buildings.
Organizations enrolled in SWA Academy can build custom training programs with accredited courses on topics from building design and construction to operations and maintenance.
Watch the SWA Academy demo.
Sign up for new course announcements and more SWA Academy updates.
We Want to Hear From You!Send your feedback and questions to podcast@swinter.com
About Buildings and BeyondBuildings and Beyond is a production of Steven Winter Associates. We provide energy, green building, and accessibility consulting services to improve the built environment. For more information, visit www.swinter.com.
HostsRobb Aldrich | Kelly Westby
Production TeamHeather Breslin | Alex Mirabile | Dylan Martello
Interested in a career at Steven Winter Associates? View our open positions here.
Episode TranscriptTranscript coming soon!
The post How Can We Convince More Homeowners to Make Energy-Efficiency Upgrades? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As of November 7, 2022, the 2022 edition of the New York City Building Code is now in effect. As designers begin to work with the updated code, our accessibility consultants have been getting a lot of questions about what has changed from the requirements in the 2014 edition of the code.
While it is important to read through the new code in its entirety to ensure compliance with all updated criteria, we have compiled a list of some changes related to accessibility that designers should be aware of, below.
SECTION BC 1106: Parking and Passenger Loading Facilities8 Electric Vehicle Charging StationsWhile the 2014 edition of the code was silent on specific requirements for electric vehicle parking, the 2022 edition provides scoping and technical criteria for charging stations and the parking spaces serving those stations. Where EV charging is provided for common use, at least 5%, but no less than one of each type of EV station must be accessible.
8.2 Electric Vehicle Charging SpaceAt each accessible electrical vehicle charging station, the parking space is required to comply with the criteria for van accessible parking spaces in ICC A117.1-2009 Sections 502.2 through 502.5.
SECTION BC 1107: Dwelling Units and Sleeping Units2.1, Exception 1.2 Type B+NYC Unit Doors and DoorwaysAt balconies, patios, and/or terraces greater than 24 inches in clear depth, maneuvering clearance is required on both the interior and exterior side of the door. Previously, where the dimensions of the balcony were less than the required maneuvering clearance, the exterior side of the door was exempted from clearance requirements.
2.1, Exception 6.2 Bathroom and Toilet Room DoorsManeuvering clearance is required on both sides of bathroom and toilet room doors. Unless a Type A toilet and bathing room is provided in a Type B+NYC unit, all doors to toilet and bathing rooms are required to provide maneuvering clearance on both the exterior and interior side of the door. Previously, maneuvering clearance on the interior side of an Appendix P bathroom door was not required.
2.2 Type B+NYC Unit Toilet and Bathing RoomsOne of the most notable changes is the elimination of Appendix P, which previously contained the bathroom criteria for Type B+NYC dwelling units. The 2022 edition of the code has relocated the criteria previously contained in Appendix P within Chapter 11.
2.7, Exception 1 Type B+NYC Unit StorageA 60 inch turning space is now required where dwelling unit closets are more than 48 inches in depth.
SECTION BC 1109: Other Features and Facilities7.2 Destination-oriented ElevatorsScoping and technical criteria for destination-oriented elevators can now be found within Chapter 11. Requirements for accessibility function buttons, audio output, display screens, and other elements of destination-oriented elevators are provided.
9.3 Cycle StorageWhere cycle storage is provided, 10% of the total number, but not less than one, shall be a minimum of 86 inches long and 42 inches wide to accommodate the storage of an accessible cycle. Previously, 5% of storage spaces were required to be accessible, but no specific technical criteria for accessible bicycle storage spaces was provided.
11 Seating at Tables and Counters and Work SurfacesWhere seating or standing spaces are provided at fixed or built-in tables, counters, or work surfaces, at least 10% of the total number of spaces, but not less than one of each type, shall be accessible. Previously, 5% of seating or standing spaces were required to be accessible.
17 Refuse Disposal, Refuse Recyclable, and Refuse Storage RoomsSpecific technical criteria for trash rooms are now provided. Trash rooms must provide turning space, a clear floor space beyond the door swing, maneuvering clearance at the door, and accessible operable parts.
Exception: The alternative trash room design previously detailed in a DOB memo has been incorporated into the exception to trash room criteria. Trash rooms that have an automatic door with a 36 inch minimum clear opening width, an occupancy sensor, and all controls, chutes, and recycling bins within reach are not required to provide turning space or maneuvering clearance within the trash room.
SECTION BC 1111: Signage1 SignsAt locations listed at this section, the dynamic accessibility symbol replaces the International Symbol of Accessibility (ISA).
Note that the dynamic accessibility symbol is required at refuse/trash rooms. The ISA was not previously required at trash rooms.
Written by:
Camilo Vasquez, Senior Accessibility Consultant at SWA
Theresa D’Andrea, Senior Accessibility Consultant at SWA
The post Understanding Accessibility: Notable Changes in the 2022 New York City Building Code appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Each state in the U.S. can adopt its own residential building code. States tend to use a specific edition of the IECC as their residential...
The post Getting Ready for the 2024 IECC: The Requirements Proposed for Residential Buildings appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
There is a lot of work ahead of us to advance equity in the built environment. As more project teams aim to impact equity, there...
The post Designing for Equity in the Built Environment with Victoria Lanteigne appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
What is a sustainable building? We know it must be an energy-efficient, high-performance building and emit as little carbon as possible to protect the environment....
The post Sustainable Buildings Are Healthy Buildings: How to Design and Maintain a Healthy Built Environment appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As a continuation of our last episode, Construction Diaries: Lessons Learned From SWA’s Inspection & Verification Experts, Dylan gears his questions toward young professionals –...
The post Construction Diaries Part 2: Tips for Young Professionals appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Montgomery County, MD, passed Bill 16-21, which creates a Building Energy Performance Standard (BEPS) for buildings within the county. The law also expands benchmarking requirements...
The post Montgomery County Has a BEPS. What Do You Need to Do Now? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
One of the main drivers behind a successful building project is third-party inspection and verification. This critical, yet often overlooked, step in the construction process...
The post Construction Diaries: Lessons Learned From SWA’s Inspection & Verification Experts appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
One of the main drivers behind a successful building project is third-party inspection and verification. This critical, yet often overlooked, step in the construction process...
The post Construction Diaries: Lessons Learned From SWA’s Inspection & Verification Experts appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
“Trends in Healthcare” is a recurring series that focuses on exciting new designs and technologies we’re seeing in healthcare projects and provides best practices on...
The post Trends in Healthcare: Accessible Controls for Window Treatments appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
“Trends in Healthcare” is a recurring series that focuses on exciting new designs and technologies we’re seeing in healthcare projects and provides best practices on...
The post Trends in Healthcare: Accessible Controls for Window Treatments appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
We talk a lot about sustainability at a large scale; this typically includes large building projects or grid-level issues, like energy affordability and access to...
The post Practicing What We Preach: Everyday Solutions for Living a Sustainable Lifestyle appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
We talk a lot about sustainability at a large scale; this typically includes large building projects or grid-level issues, like energy affordability and access to...
The post Practicing What We Preach: Everyday Solutions for Living a Sustainable Lifestyle appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
It’s not every day we get to interview someone with such a diverse background of project experiences. Whether it was working for an architect, developer,...
The post Charlotte’s Web of Building Electrification Strategies …with Charlotte Matthews appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
It’s not every day we get to interview someone with such a diverse background of project experiences. Whether it was working for an architect, developer,...
The post Charlotte’s Web of Building Electrification Strategies …with Charlotte Matthews appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Work equipment is exempt under Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but it is important to find opportunities to make...
The post Accessibility Tech Notes: Emergency Eyewash Stations appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Work equipment is exempt under Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but it is important to find opportunities to make...
The post Accessibility Tech Notes: Emergency Eyewash Stations appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
First released in 2018, ‘All-Access’ is the perfect episode for those interested in learning more about accessibility compliance, especially as it pertains to building design,...
The post (ENCORE) ‘All-Access’ with Peter Stratton appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
On May 1, 2022, Steven Winter Associates, Inc. turns 50! Each day leading up to our 50th anniversary, we’re celebrating a year of our history...
The post Timeline: Celebrating 50 Years of Improving the Built Environment appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
This blog post was originally published on March 23, 2020. It was updated on April 24, 2022 to provide the latest, most accurate information on...
The post Fair Housing – What’s Your Safe Harbor? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Each day, SWA collaborates to create more sustainable, efficient, healthy, and accessible buildings. This holistic approach to the built environment necessitates talented teams with a...
The post Profile: Thomas Moore – Passive House Consultant in Toronto appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Ever wonder who is responsible for ensuring the performance of a building? Yes, designers and contractors can have a significant impact during construction, but once...
The post Building Operations and Training with Jonathan Rodnite and Adam Romano appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The 2017 edition of the A117.1 Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities comes with the most significant spatial changes that we have seen...
The post Understanding Accessibility: 5 Significant Spatial Changes in ICC A117.1-2017 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
If you’re like us, you want to hear from someone who not only talks the talk but walks the walk. Our guest for this episode...
The post The Economics of Developing Sustainable Buildings with Christina McPike appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
New York City: the city that never sleeps—and where buildings account for approximately two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2019, New York City Council passed...
The post What Would a Passive House New York City Look Like? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Laws and codes governing accessibility ensure that the built environment is designed and constructed to serve its current and future occupants. The first step in...
The post Understanding Accessibility: Section 504 & Its Impact on Residential Development appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Sometimes it’s good to vent. Well, if you ask a Passive House expert, it’s always good to vent. So, that’s exactly what we did for...
The post Venting About Ventilation, Heat Pumps, and Net Zero with the Buildings+Beyond Team appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
A degree in sustainability can mean many things. Sure, you can develop a focus, but how does an undergraduate program truly prepare you to become...
The post What Should a Degree in Sustainability Look Like? with Patrick Hossay appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As an amenity provided to building occupants, hoppers—otherwise known as trash chutes—are required to be accessible. Most commonly, hoppers are included in conventional trash rooms...
The post Accessibility Tech Notes: Trash Chute Closet Design appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
This blog post was originally published on September 11, 2019. It was updated on November 18, 2021 with new guidance in response to the DOEE’s...
The post The DC Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) Compliance Rules Are Here. Are You Ready? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The District Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) recently updated their Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP), which is required by the IRS for issuance of...
The post DC’s Green Building Requirements for Tax Credits and Funding, Explained appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Each day, SWA employees collaborate to create more sustainable, efficient, healthy, and accessible buildings. This holistic approach to the built environment necessitates talented teams with...
The post Staff Profile: Michael Schmidt – Building Systems Consultant appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The Passive House standard has been applied to some extraordinary building projects to date. From single family and high-rise residential to industrial and commercial buildings, building professionals have adopted the Passive...
The post Designing the World’s First Passive House Car Dealership with Andrew Peel appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Human beings spend most of their time in or around the built environment. As we live, work, and play, the design of the spaces we...
The post Inclusive Design and Building Performance: An Inclusive Approach to Improving the Built Environment appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The electrification of buildings is considered to be a primary strategy for reducing carbon emissions and kicking fossil fuels. Luckily, due to advancements in technology...
The post The Role of Heat Pumps in Low-Moderate Income Homes with Jon Harrod appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Operable parts designed to be used by building occupants, including but not limited to, thermostats, dispensers, light switches, fire alarm pull stations, etc., must be...
The post Accessibility Tech Notes: Obstructed Forward Reach appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As building professionals and policymakers, it is our responsibility to integrate equity into our work. But how do we ensure equity is being addressed in...
The post A Framework for Equity and Buildings with Kathryn Wright appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
This is part of a series; see the first post here. This shouldn’t be news to anyone: In most homes, insulation and air sealing are the...
The post Air-Source Heat Pumps in Homes: Step #2 – Pay Attention to the Envelope appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
To meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, we must make decisions that will result in the greatest near-term carbon savings. This means taking...
The post Choose Your Adventure: Constructing New vs. Adapting Old appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
We first released this episode in April 2019. Since then, our topic of discussion with Iain has only become more relevant. We recently caught up...
The post (ENCORE) Why is Kitchen Ventilation So Important? With Dr. Iain Walker from LBNL appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Is Sustainability only for the wealthy? While staring at the double-digit price of organic tomatoes at the local farmers’ market I am inclined to think...
The post Utilizing Enterprise Green Communities to Drive Equity in Affordable Housing appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Each day, SWA employees collaborate to create more sustainable, efficient, healthy, and accessible buildings. This holistic approach to the built environment necessitates talented teams with...
The post Staff Profile: Minaiel Shoaib – Building Systems Analyst appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
This is part of a series; see the first post here. Building new homes that are all electric makes TONS of sense. I’ve written about...
The post Air-Source Heat Pumps in Homes: Step #1 – Be clear about goals appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
“Trends in Healthcare” is a recurring series that focuses on exciting new designs and technologies we’re seeing in healthcare projects and provides best practices on...
The post Trends in Healthcare: Hospital Gardens appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
With LL97 fines around the corner, building owners and managers are looking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To do so, building systems will need to...
The post Best Practices for Designing & Installing VRF Systems in Commercial and Multifamily Applications (Part 1) appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
With all of the moving parts during the design and construction of a building project, one wrong move can compromise accessibility compliance. Unintentional oversights are...
The post The Devil’s in the Details: Common Accessibility Oversights with Peter Stratton appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
We think a lot about high-performance buildings – but what about the high-performance humans in those buildings? As the future of office-dwelling is on everyone’s...
The post Healthy Buildings, Healthy Humans with Sarah Nugent appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As I’ve written in several posts [1], electrification is all the rage. Modern air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) are fantastic technologies, and they can provide reliable,...
The post Air-Source Heat Pumps in Homes: Soup to Nuts appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Our accessibility consultants are constantly on the lookout for new products that will make it easier for our clients to comply with accessibility criteria while...
The post Innovations in Accessible Products 2021 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Each day, SWA employees collaborate to create more sustainable, efficient, healthy, and accessible buildings. This holistic approach to the built environment necessitates talented teams with...
The post Staff Profile: Joe Andracchio – Senior Sustainability Consultant appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
What role do designers, providers, and policymakers play in making senior living communities more vibrant and supportive for older adult residents? How do these spaces...
The post Incorporating Home and Community in Senior Housing with Valerie Mutterperl appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Comradery [käm-ˌra-d(ə-)rē] noun 1 A feeling of friendliness, goodwill, and familiarity among the people in a group. At SWA, comradery is etched into our company...
The post Building Comradery with Steven Winter appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Now that HUD has adopted the 2009 edition of the ICC A117.1 Standard and the 2009, 2012, 2015, and 2018 editions of the IBC as...
The post The New FHA Safe Harbors: FAQs appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The need for sustainably designed buildings and infrastructure is critical as extreme weather patterns and natural disasters resulting from climate change persist. One of the...
The post Passive + Adaptive Resiliency: A Recipe for Sustainability appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Passive House design for large multi-family buildings aligns with and builds upon industry guidance for mitigating the spread of infectious diseases. As the world continues...
The post Designing for a Post-COVID World with Passive House appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Even though the Fair Housing Act (FHA) has been in effect for more than 30 years, owners, developers, architects and others are still cited for...
The post The New HUD-approved FHA Safe Harbors appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Cities across North America are paving the way for wide-spread building electrification. Although there are many benefits associated with going all-electric, there are also many...
The post Electrification Nation with Laura Tajima appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Most people who have lived or worked in a steam-heated building are familiar with the typical occurrences of uneven heat (underheating/overheating), banging pipes, and having...
The post Comprehensive Heating Upgrades for Two-Pipe Steam Systems appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Imagine this: you’re a chef or cook in a high-stress commercial kitchen setting. You’re making split second decisions with little breathing room, and each quick...
The post It’s Time to 86 Fossil Fuels in Commercial Kitchens with Chris Galarza appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
In part one of this blog series, we established that buildings are only sustainable if they are equitable and accessible for all occupants. In part...
The post Integrating Social Equity Into Green Building – Part 3: Design, Construction, and Operations appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
We’ve all heard of “farm-to-table” in the context of our food, but what about “farm-to-shelter” in the context of our homes? As we try to...
The post Farm-to-Shelter Building with Andrew Linn appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Imagine it’s Christmas morning. You wake up from a nice sleep eager to spend time with family and open presents. You can’t wait to get...
The post It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like …. Cold Season appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Disability inclusion in the built environment is extremely important. But, it shouldn’t end there. How do we ensure that we are being truly inclusive of...
The post Designing for Inclusion with Victoria Lanteigne appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Falling costs and rising demand for clean energy have increased the specification and installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems worldwide. In NYC, Local Laws 92...
The post Why Commission Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Systems? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
This past summer, the country celebrated the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Despite the progress of the past few...
The post Five Misconceptions about The Americans with Disabilities Act appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Social equity is key to the work that we do in the built environment. Far too often, marginalized communities receive more of the burdens and...
The post Solar Panels or Asthma? Equity and the Built Environment with Jeremy Hays appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Over the last several months, experts in sustainable design related to human health and interior wellness have developed guidelines, protocols, and toolkits to adapt existing...
The post Finding Your Way: Third-Party Assurances for Your Properties appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Building energy efficiency labels are now available for property owners of large NYC buildings to download and post in their lobbies. Each year, the labels...
The post NYC Building Energy Letter Grades: What Property Managers Need to Know appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
*Click here to read Part 1 of this blog! The social and environmental context can vary greatly from one project to the next. To achieve...
The post Integrating Social Equity into Green Building – Part 2: Pre-Design Phase appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
In a city as crowded and expensive as New York City, there is a growing need for access to safe and affordable housing. With this...
The post ‘Back to the Basics’ of Affordable Housing with Les Bluestone appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The causes of social inequity and injustice are deeply rooted within the systems that shape our society, including the built environment. The built environment represents...
The post Integrating Social Equity into Green Building – Part 1: “Just Sustainability” appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Private outdoor space is a desirable amenity for apartment dwellers, especially as COVID-19 restrictions have led to more time spent at home. Balconies and terraces...
The post Accessibility Tech Notes: Sliding Doors at Dwelling Units appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
A common strategy to provide ventilation in multifamily buildings is to design a central roof-top air handler that distributes outdoor air to each unit. The...
The post Electrifying Central Ventilation Systems in Multifamily Buildings appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Standard construction (both in America and Australia) is sometimes a “race to the bottom” of who can satisfy the building code at the lowest cost....
The post Air-Tightness Testing and Building Codes in Australia with Sean Maxwell appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
One of the most important drivers in achieving Passive House certification (or achieving any goal!) is getting the project team involved from the start....
The post Pirelli Historic Retrofit: Part 1 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
AeroBarrier is touted as the best route to never fail another blower door test. The technology, which involves pressurizing a space with a blower door...
The post AeroBarrier: A New Tool for Gut Rehabs? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
In a collaborative effort that merged financing and energy use analysis, the New York City Passive House industry finally has performance data. Working together with...
The post The Numbers Are In! NYC Passive House Performance Data appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The transportation sector poses significant opportunities for and challenges to reducing US greenhouse gas emissions as the Country’s highest-emissions sector. As a result of stay-at-home...
The post Transportation in Cities with Zak Accuardi appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
“Trends in Healthcare” is a recurring series that focuses on exciting new designs and technologies we’re seeing in healthcare projects and provides best practices on...
The post Trends in Healthcare: Charging Stations appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
LEED: Toolkit for a Healthy and Resilient Post-COVID Built Environment At SWA, we have used LEED across a wide range of projects and contexts. We...
The post Leveraging LEED for New Construction Post-COVID Part 2 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As the country continues to confront the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, the way we navigate spaces is changing. One of these changes is the...
The post Accessibility Tech Notes: Automatic Doors appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
In the post-COVID world, there needs to be a greater awareness that the built environment can protect and promote human and environmental health. Buildings can,...
The post Leveraging LEED for New Construction Post-COVID Part 1 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As technology in the built environment increases, the workforce demand for those who can properly operate these buildings also grows. On today’s episode, Kelly talks...
The post Training a Young Workforce to Operate Smart Buildings with Jonathan Spooner from Stacks + Joules appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
I recently performed some net zero energy modeling on a single-family home for work. Around the same time, I got to chatting with my neighbor...
The post Interesting Elements: A Modeling View on Net Zero Homes appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
April was Fair Housing Month – a time to recognize the importance of equal access to housing. As we celebrate the milestones we have made,...
The post Universal Design and Accessibility in Mexico City with Luis Quintana appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Commonly known Modafinil brand names include Provigil, Modalert and Waklert. Modafinil tablets are considered a smart-drugs due to their cognitive enhancing effects. Smart drugs are...
The post Buy Modafinil Without Prescription – Cheap and Best Reseller appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As humans, we spend a lot of time indoors. Studies by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency indicate that under normal circumstances the average American spends...
The post The Great Indoors: Creating a Healthier and Safer Built Environment appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Curious about how building performance standards are decided upon? The IECC, or “model code”, establishes the minimum requirements for building energy efficiency by specifying the...
The post How Codes Get Made with Gayathri Vijayakumar appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Before we get into this topic, please take a few seconds to consider the following questions: Do you plan to work, or have you ever...
The post How to Talk Windows with a Passive House Nerd appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
We often address large-scale sustainability issues by focusing on improving building energy use, material use, and accessibility. But what about waste? According to the EPA, the...
The post A Path to Zero Waste with Celeste McMickle appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Last year, a young New Zealand lawmaker shut down a fellow member of parliament who was heckling her climate change speech with two words: “OK,...
The post The 3 Most Important Design and Construction Considerations for Senior Living Facilities appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
“Net zero” can mean a lot of different things depending on what you choose to measure – zero energy usage, zero carbon emitted, zero lifecycle...
The post Net Zero and Electrification appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
For the past 30 years or more, when we’ve been talking about the carbon emissions of buildings, we’ve usually been talking about operational emissions –...
The post Mission Critical: Embodied Carbon in Sustainable Design with Kai Starn and Catherine Paplin appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
In Part 1 of this blog post, we highlighted two of the most commonly used insulations in the U.S.– XPS board and closed-cell polyurethane spray...
The post Choosing Insulation for Carbon Value – Why More is Not Always Better Part 2 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The 2010 ADA Standards and the A117.1 Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities require the bottom 10 inches on the push side of...
The post Accessibility Tech Notes: Door Surface appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
It is clear to see that the Passive House (PH) standard is here to stay! Across North America, more States, Provinces, and Municipalities are integrating...
The post Passive House: An Alternative Compliance Path to Toronto Green Standard Tier 3 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
We took some common New Year resolutions and put our SWA spin on them. This year, make resolutions to improve the built environment in 2020!...
The post 5 New Year’s Resolutions for a High-Performance Year appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As members of the HERS Rating community, we are very excited about the recent study conducted by Freddie Mac determining that homes rated under RESNET’s Home Energy Rating System (HERS) between 2013...
The post Higher Rated Homes = Higher Selling Value for Owners appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Between gift shopping and trying to keep up the holiday spirit with decorations at home, it can be frustrating to try to remain sustainable. It...
The post 10 Ways to Enjoy a Festive AND Sustainable Holiday Season appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As code requirements become more stringent around the country, the process of commissioning is more valuable now than ever before. Acting as third-party quality assurance...
The post The Keys to Commissioning with Kelly Westby appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
ICYMI: The code change proposals for the 2021 IECC are open for voting by Governmental Member Voting Representatives (GMVR) from Monday, November 18th through Friday,...
The post Call to Action: Voting Open Until December 6th on the Changes Proposed to the 2021 IECC appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
When I first started working at Steven Winter Associates, I didn’t know that one day I’d find myself involved in the development of codes and...
The post The Making of the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The residential energy efficiency industry has been using blower door testing since the mid 1980’s to measure the air tightness of homes. Since then, we’ve...
The post Whole Building Blower Door Testing – Big Buildings Passing the Test appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Did you know that New York City is home to approximately one million people with disabilities? As we often discuss strategies for improving the built...
The post NYC: A Melting Pot for People of All Abilities with MOPD Commissioner, Victor Calise appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As part of the Climate Mobilization Act, and in accordance with the its greater carbon emissions reduction goals, New York City passed Local Laws 92...
The post New York City LL92 and LL94: Sustainable Rooftops appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
In a world where everything seems to be packaged in two layers of plastic, where we are encouraged to constantly discard items to make room...
The post Zero(ish) – Waste Living appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
SWA’s Enclosure Group is acutely aware that insulation is the most important single material choice to maximize the enclosure’s thermal resistance over its operational life. Many...
The post Choosing Insulation for Carbon Value – Why More is Not Always Better Part 1 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As building professionals, we often ask ourselves, “what are the most critical components to a high-performance building?” Portland, Maine based architect and building science expert,...
The post Passively Built with Jesse Thompson – A Look at Air-Sealing and Ventilation appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
From “If I comply with the building code, then I comply with the Fair Housing Act” to “Everything is adaptable, so it doesn’t need to...
The post Five Misconceptions about Fair Housing Act Design and Construction Compliance appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Last week, I read a blog post from Connecticut Fund for the Environment President Curt Johnson, and he reaffirmed what I already expected: my next...
The post Electric Cars: Are They Better for Your Pocket and the Climate Right NOW? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Before you can really dig deep into the advanced design concepts of embodied carbon analysis and whole building energy modeling, you must first perform some...
The post Become a Carbon Hero with Five Easy Tactics appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Last week, as I was writing this blog, I came across a New York Times article: “The Amazon, Siberia, Indonesia: a World of Fire.”...
The post Climate Week NYC: Seven Days of Climate Action and Discussion appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Overview There have been several local and global developments recently with regards to off-shore wind turbines. Advancements in energy storage from both wind and solar...
The post Recent Developments in Off-Shore Wind Energy Production and Renewable Energy Storage appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Our Accessibility Team works on a wide variety of project types across the country, and each comes with its own unique set of challenges. It...
The post Top 10 Accessible Design Oversights: Hotels appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The construction industry has been increasingly focused on meeting ever-tightening codes and achieving higher ratings in sustainability certification programs (e.g., LEED, Passive House, etc.)....
The post What the Climate Mobilization Act Means for Developers, Designers, and Construction Teams appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Heat Pump Water Heaters in Multifamily Buildings In Electrify Everything? Part 1 that I wrote several months ago, I mentioned that integrated tank heat pump water...
The post Electrify Everything? Part 2. appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
If you are a parent like me, I am sure you cherish your kids and seek to offer them the best opportunities in life. I...
The post It’s Time to Focus on Our Schools appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
When all is said and done, buildings are intended for people. So, why do some buildings lack the components critical to human health and happiness?...
The post Human Psychology and the Built Environment with Kristof Irwin appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Net zero buildings are becoming increasingly mainstream, with many jurisdictions adopting policies to move towards net zero new construction codes. A good overview of advanced...
The post Five Steps to Get Started with Net Zero Energy Buildings appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
A lot has happened since the start of the WinterGreen newsletter, which was first distributed 20 years ago via fax machine. From the inception of...
The post 20 Years of Wintergreen! appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The Livonia Apartments is Phase II of an affordable sustainable housing development in the rapidly changing neighborhood of East New York, Brooklyn. Through a partnership...
The post Rapidly Changing Brooklyn Neighborhood Welcomes Affordable and Sustainable Housing Development appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The residential building industry has made incredible progress toward sustainability and energy efficiency goals. At the same time, Senior Sustainability Consultant and Registered Architect Steve...
The post We Should Know Better: Top 10 Multifamily Design Mistakes with Steve Klocke, Part 2 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Letter grades are coming! NYC’s building owners and real estate management firms now have one more thing on their plate to consider: Local Law 33...
The post The Impact of Energy Star’s Portfolio Manager August 2018 Updates on NYC’s Local Law 33 Grades appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The residential building industry has made incredible progress toward sustainability and energy efficiency goals. At the same time, Senior Sustainability Consultant and Registered Architect Steve...
The post We Should Know Better: Top 10 Multifamily Design Mistakes with Steve Klocke, Part 1 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
When designing accessible parking spaces, it is important to remember that the slope of the ground surface for the entire parking space and adjacent access...
The post Tech Notes: Accessible Parking in Precast Garages appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The advancement of building materials has allowed professionals to achieve new heights when designing and constructing high-performance buildings. But, the topic of building materials is not...
The post Healthy & Sustainable Building Materials with Charley Stevenson, Part 2 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The advancement of building materials has allowed professionals to achieve new heights when designing and constructing high-performance buildings. But, the topic of building materials is not...
The post Healthy & Sustainable Building Materials with Charley Stevenson, Part 1 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Following up on our blog post in August 2018 – Just Your Typical Blower Door Test… in Sri Lanka – Star Garment Innovation Center –...
The post The First Certified Passive House in Southeast Asia – Star Garments Innovation Center appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As we enter a new era of climate policy, we wanted to evaluate some of the efforts major cities have made along the way. How...
The post The Importance of Climate Policy in Cities with Laurie Kerr appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As we continue our discussions around high-performance buildings, we would be remiss if we did not discuss the laudable endeavor that is MP Boston’s Winthrop...
The post Developing Boston’s Tallest Passive House with Brad Mahoney appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Last month, I had the opportunity to attend the Environments for Aging conference in Salt Lake City. Hundreds of professionals involved in the complex world...
The post Environments for Aging: Designing Better Senior Housing appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Before there was a Green New Deal in New York City, there was Local Law 87, which requires an energy audit and retro-commissioning report to...
The post Is It Too Late to Start On My Local Law 87 Compliance for 2019? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
On April 18th, Introduction 1253-2018 was approved by the New York City Council along with several other major pieces of legislation as part of a...
The post What Does NYC’s Climate Mobilization Act Mean for Building Owners? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Considered one of the most ambitious and innovative legislative initiatives of any major U.S. city, New York City’s Climate Mobilization Act has significant implications for...
The post NYC’s Green New Deal? Diving into the Climate Mobilization Act with Marc Zuluaga appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Universal Design recognizes that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to design and construction. By incorporating Universal Design features into the built environment, we can accommodate...
The post Universal Design with Mary Jo Peterson appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), viewed as the most credible source of climate change research, issued an alarming report on October 2018 removing...
The post Buildings to Cool the Climate appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Air quality, acoustics, and thermal comfort are just some of the critical elements to consider when assessing the indoor environmental quality of a building. But...
The post High-Performance Schools with John Balfe from NEEP appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
When you fire on a stove-top burner, whether it is electric, gas, or convection, many byproducts are released. This increase in moisture, gas, and other...
The post Why is Kitchen Ventilation So Important? With Dr. Iain Walker from LBNL appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
“Trends in Healthcare” is a recurring series that focuses on exciting new designs and technologies we’re seeing in healthcare projects and provides best practices on...
The post Trends in Healthcare: Nurse Call Devices appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Critical to the make-up of a high-performance building, is a well-designed, carefully construction building enclosure. Thanks to advancements in building-science knowledge, building materials, and construction...
The post High-Performance Building Enclosures with Bill Zoeller appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The electrification of buildings has become a growing trend in both residential and commercial sectors. Consumers that combine energy efficiency measures with newer heat-pump technologies...
The post Electrifying Buildings with Richard Faesy appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Water monitoring can quickly become a building owner’s best friend. The high cost of water bills can often overshadow the cost of fuel and electricity...
The post Benefits of Water Metering and Water Monitoring appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Did you know that in the U.S., 48% of energy consumption and 45% of greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to buildings (EIA 2012)? As designers,...
The post The True Cost of Building Better Homes with Tim McDonald appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Season 2 of Buildings and Beyond kicks-off on Tuesday, March 12! This season, we are interviewing industry professionals from various backgrounds as we continue our...
The post Season 2 is Almost Here! appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Most of us are familiar with the feeling of a humid apartment after taking a hot shower. Some of us kick on an exhaust fan,...
The post Establishing Moisture Control in Multifamily Buildings appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Everyone pretty much gets that continuous (or very frequent) ventilation is necessary in high-performance homes. And – at least in theory – most people get...
The post ERV + AHU? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
If you recall from Part 1 of this article written back in September, we discussed why exhaust fans often don’t operate as they are intended....
The post Does Your Exhaust Fan Suck? Part 2 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
District of Columbia Mayor, Muriel Bowser, signed a landmark piece of legislation known as the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act this past Friday. With...
The post Here’s What the Clean Energy DC Act Means for Existing Buildings in the District appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Quick pulse survey: in the last three months, since we published our Part I blog on tips for healthier indoor environments, how many of you...
The post Here’s to Our Buildings, Our Health! SWA’s Top 10 Tips for a Healthier Indoor Environment – Part 2 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
2018 has been a year to remember for SWA’s Party Walls blog. Our consultants have shared their passion for high performance buildings by recounting stories from the...
The post The Top 10 Party Walls Posts of 2018! appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Have you ever wondered about the carbon footprint of your shopping habits? Is online shopping better for the environment than brick and mortar shopping? There...
The post What is the Carbon Footprint of Your Holiday Shopping? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Installing a dedicated domestic hot water (DHW) plant is a common energy conservation measure (ECM) in the New York City multifamily market. According to Local...
The post Looking for a Fast Payback by Installing a Dedicated Domestic Hot Water System? You May Want to Look Elsewhere appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Going Beyond Carburetor Technology in the NYS Market Fun Fact #1: Space heating and domestic hot water generation represent two of the greatest energy end...
The post Linkageless Burner Retrofits for Steam Boilers appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Being visionary is one of the things we do best here at SWA, and we strive to lead the industry forward by sharing our expertise....
The post SWA’s Accessibility Services – Leading the Industry Forward appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Welcome back! In Part One we talked about how steam pressure gets too much attention. Controlling pressure for its own sake should never be the end...
The post Over Pressure (Part Two) appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
A big “thank you” for listening to the first season of Buildings + Beyond! Podcasting has been a very exciting challenge and we are looking...
The post We Need Your Feedback! Take Our Short Survey! appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
How many of you out there would say you are happy at your place of work? Are you having a hard time concentrating? Now, take...
The post Here’s to Our Buildings, Our Health! SWA’s Top 10 Tips for a Healthier Indoor Environment – Part 1 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
So in utility and policy circles, electrification is all the rage. Grid electricity is getting cleaner (i.e. resulting in lower CO2 emissions), on-site renewables are...
The post Electrify Everything? Part 1 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Walking the aisle of your favorite home improvement store, you’ll notice the wide array of options for very efficient light fixtures. Don’t be fooled –...
The post How to Implement an Efficient Lighting Strategy in a Multifamily Passive House appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Getting out of a building during a smoke or fire event can be traumatic for anyone. But, just imagine how traumatic it can be for...
The post Tech Notes: Meeting the Accessibility Criteria for Horizontal Exit Doors appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The buildings where we live, work, and play are getting smarter. Even our refrigerators can tell us if we need to buy more cheese while...
The post Smart Buildings appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Buying a home can be overwhelming. There are many factors that need to be considered and decisions that need to be made. For many Americans,...
The post Improving the Efficiency of Your Single-Family Home appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
You most likely don’t even think about it when using the bathroom. Flip the switch, hear the exhaust fan, and everything is working as it...
The post Does Your Exhaust Fan Suck? Part 1 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Mainstream demand for highly efficient, resilient, and cost-effective buildings is greater than ever before. More people are looking to integrate zero energy design and construction...
The post Zero Energy Buildings – The Equation is Easier Than You Think! appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
If you’re designing and constructing multifamily buildings, chances are you’ve run into one of the many green building certification programs. Whether mandated by code, tax...
The post Multifamily Green Building Certification Program Comparison appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) are a booming business. In the Northeast, manufacturers report that sales of residential systems have increased by 25-35% per year over...
The post Getting The Most From Heat Pumps appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
There are approximately 57 million Americans living with disabilities in the United States; worldwide, people with disabilities make up 15% of our population. Given this...
The post ‘All-Access’ with Peter Stratton appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
“Trends in Healthcare” is a recurring series that focuses on exciting new designs and technologies we’re seeing in healthcare projects and provides best practices on...
The post Trends in Healthcare: Patient Check-in Kiosks appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
By the end of 2050, solar energy is projected to be the world’s largest source of electricity. While utility-scale solar will comprise much of this...
The post Solar PV – The Revolution Continues appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As the number of projects pursuing Passive House certification increases, so does the demand for whole building blower door tests. And so, performance of recent...
The post Just Your Typical Blower Door Test… in Sri Lanka – Star Garment Innovation Center appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As we continue to uncover the human health impacts associated with buildings – a space in which we spend 87% of our lives – it...
The post Our Buildings, Our Health appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Extreme energy efficiency, superior thermal comfort, and ensured durability: these are the three major concepts behind the Passive House standard. First developed in Germany in...
The post Your Top 10 Passive House Questions, Answered appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
It is safe to say we are in a climate crisis. Of the last 17 years, 16 have been the hottest on record.[1] Sea level...
The post Low-Carbon Concrete: Reducing the Embodied Energy of a Notorious Emitter appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
A team of SWA consultants recently had the opportunity to tour the newly constructed Delos Office Headquarters, located in the Meatpacking District of New York...
The post Delos Headquarters Raises the Bar for Healthy Buildings appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
We are excited to introduce our new podcast, Buildings and Beyond! Join us as we explore how we can create a more sustainable built environment...
The post Buildings and Beyond Trailer! appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
SWA’s Accessibility Consulting Team recently had the opportunity to tour the Cooper Hewitt Museum’s Access+Ability exhibition, where the theme of inclusive and accessible design is...
The post Designing for All: What the Cooper Hewitt’s Access+Ability Exhibition can teach us about Accessible Design appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As mentioned in Foundation Waterproofing 101, water damage to a foundation can be very costly and difficult to repair. By paying close attention to how...
The post Foundation Waterproofing – Proper Installation and What NOT to do! appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Designing buildings with water protection in mind is critical to protecting buildings from future damage, difficult/costly repairs, and potential litigation. Foundations are by necessity in...
The post Foundation Waterproofing 101 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
On April 21, 2018, two blocks of ice weighing exactly one ton each were placed into what appeared to be identical sheds in Times Square....
The post The Results Are in from the NYC Ice Box Challenge! appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
If there was ever a silver bullet when it comes to best practices in multifamily buildings, air sealing would be it. Compartmentalization – or air...
The post Reducing Air Leaks in Multifamily Buildings (and why you should care) appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
On May 1st, 2018, Steven Winter, founder and chairman of Steven Winter Associates (SWA), and Harold Bravo, Accessibility Consulting Director at SWA, moderated an event...
The post Sustainable Spaces for Seniors appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Think about the last time you went looking for a new car. What did you look for? I am guessing you started with your needs...
The post Trying to Be Rational in an Irrational World appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Did you know that there are two pathways for earning Passive House certification? There’s Passive House International (PHI) and Passive House Institute US (PHIUS). Using...
The post Pathways to Passive House Certification appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The pattern along the water’s edge in Bridgeport, Connecticut presents a familiar scene to New Englanders: active harbors and historic homes interspersed with blighted buildings...
The post Bridgeport, CT – A Model for Resiliency appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Last year, we wrote about New York State’s plans for replacing the 2,000 megawatts of electricity provided by Indian Point. As of March 2018, Indian...
The post Replacing Indian Point – An Update appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Are you in? The US Green Building Council (USGBC) wants you to be. The “All-in” campaign has just officially expanded to include the new and...
The post LEED v4.1 O+M is All-In! appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
When most people think about accessible design, the first thing that comes to mind is designing for people in wheelchairs. However, there’s a lot more...
The post Tech Notes: Accessible Design Solutions for Protruding Objects appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
National Public Health Week is this week and Today’s theme is “Environmental Health”, which includes protecting and maintaining a healthy indoor environment. While National Radon...
The post The Second Leading Cause of Lung Cancer May Not be What You Expect appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Currently, to receive ENERGY STAR® certification for multifamily new construction, you would get your certification through the ENERGY STAR Certified Homes program or the ENERGY...
The post ENERGY STAR New Construction Certification Programs for Multifamily to be Combined appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
ANSI/RESNET/ICC 301-2014 is the Standard for the Calculation and Labeling of the Energy Performance of Low-Rise Residential Buildings using an Energy Rating Index. It is...
The post Can you do a HERS Rating on an apartment in a 30-story building? Not now, but maybe in 2019! appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
*click here to read Part 1 of this blog In climates with significant heating and/or cooling seasons, Passive House projects must have a balanced heat...
The post Multifamily Passive House Ventilation Design Part 2: HRV or ERV? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
It has been clear for some time that energy codes are on course to require carbon-free buildings by 2030. Adoption at the local level will...
The post The Energy Code of the Future: Modeling and Performance-Based? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As part of Cooper Hewitt Lab | Access Design Teen Program and the museum’s ongoing ‘Access+Ability’ exhibition (on view through September 3, 2018), the Design...
The post Access+Ability: An Evening at the Cooper Hewitt Museum appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Montgomery County, Maryland recently passed new green building requirements, including adoption of the 2012 International Green Construction Code. Montgomery County was one of the first...
The post Montgomery County Green Building Requirements appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
*click here to read Part 2 of this blog Project teams pursuing Passive House frequently ask, “Where do we locate the HRV/ERV?” The answer is...
The post Multifamily Passive House Ventilation Design Part 1: Unitized or Centralized HRV/ERV? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Steam pressure gets a disproportionate amount of attention. That’s partially due to the common, but not necessarily true idea that higher pressure equals more fuel...
The post Over Pressure (Part One) appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Over the past several years, as the desire for more sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation has increased significantly, we have been seeing a corresponding increase...
The post Tech Notes: Accessible Electric Vehicle Charging Stations appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Residential ventilation is really a tricky topic. But if you’re looking for a practical, cost-effective, holistic solution, go somewhere else. This post offers none. Hopefully...
The post Ventilation Idyll appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Here’s a question that we’re often asked by our clients: “I’m building a new residential building, should I use LEED for New Construction (NC) or...
The post Which LEED Rating System Do I Use? NC versus Midrise (Part 2) appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Whether you’re a Clark Griswold or an Ebenezer Scrooge, it’s that time of year again: the holiday season is upon us. Even those of us...
The post Wishing You a Sustainable-ish Holiday Season appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Our accessibility consultants are constantly on the lookout for improvements in product design that will make it easier for our clients to comply with accessibility...
The post Innovations in Accessible Products appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) has a number of requirements involving energy recovery on ventilation systems. Requirements vary based on climate zone, building type and...
The post Recovering from Heat Recovery Woes appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As the Passive House standard continues to make waves across New York City and the U.S., an entirely new design process has evolved to...
The post When the Rubber Meets the Road appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The number of multifamily residential projects targeting Passive House certification has been rising steadily over the past several years, bringing along many exciting challenges. This...
The post It’s all in the Details: Designing for Passive House & Accessibility Compliance appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Many green building programs put a heavy emphasis on not only the sustainability of a building once it is built, but increasingly so on the...
The post From Cradle to Cradle: Understanding Sustainable Supply Chain appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As the development of luxury multifamily housing in primarily urban areas continues to rise, SWA’s team of accessibility consultants has been encountering more and more...
The post Tech Notes: Accessibility of Luxury Amenities appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Sometimes a significant source of energy inefficiency in a building can be hiding in a place difficult to detect. In some buildings, a single transformer...
The post Transformers: Problems in Disguise appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As seen in: Spring 2018 edition of BuildingEnergy Magazine (NESEA) August 2017 edition of Green Energy Times Humans have been trying to harness the power...
The post Designing Solar for High Density Areas appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
They call it hurricane season. That time of year when tropical depressions form off the west coast of Africa somewhere north of the equator. The...
The post Harvey and Irma: Hurricanes, Floods, and the Days After appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Healthy Building Materials as Contributors to Overall Human Health What do you think of when you hear the term “healthy living?” A balanced diet? Physical...
The post HomeFree – A Healthy Material Resource for Affordable Housing Leaders appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The sunset date for LEED 2009 project registration has come and gone and all new LEED registrations (or existing registrations that will not submit for...
The post What’s new in LEED V4 – Commissioning Changes appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Distributed Energy Resources Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) are a growing part of the energy landscape in the United States, and they are becoming an ever...
The post Nanogrids: A Whole Building Approach to Distributed Energy Resources appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
I can get worked up about units, and this can really annoy people. It especially annoyed students I taught in grad school. I was pretty...
The post Power vs. Energy appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Written by Katie Chevalier, Accessibility Specialist Last month, I had the opportunity to attend a training session entitled “Shifting Your Perspective: Experience and Plan for...
The post Shifting Perspectives: Experiencing Accessibility Challenges appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
About a year ago, I worked along with other HERS raters and the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA, a.k.a. Insulation Institute) to conduct a...
The post Technically Speaking: Not All Insulation is Graded Equally appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
https://www.health-e-child.org/ https://modafiniladviser.com/buy-modafinil-online/ http://www.eoi.es/blogs/fernandobayon/2017/03/06/buy-modafinil-online/ http://www.eoi.es/blogs/fernandobayon/2017/03/06/levitra-generico-online/ http://paymentweek.com/buy-kamagra-online/ Buy Kamagra Online Variable refrigerant flow (VRF), also known as variable refrigerant volume, was a concept developed by Daikin Industries...
The post VRF Systems vs. Electrical Resistance Heaters – A Case Study appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
“Isn’t Universal Design just a different term for Accessible Design?” We hear this from architects and designers a lot. While similarities exist, Accessible Design and...
The post Tech Notes: Universal Design vs. Accessible Design appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
On Tuesday, June 6, 2017, leaders of Pennsylvania’s clean energy movement took to the steps of the State Capitol Building. The cause? To demonstrate just...
The post #UnfreezePA: SWA at the Helm of the PA Icehouse Demonstration appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Written by Camilo Vasquez, Accessibility Specialist There are cities around the world with the potential to conjure up negative images the moment you mention the name....
The post Medellin: A New Approach to Access and Inclusion appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
“What gets measured, gets managed” – Peter Drucker. This old management adage couldn’t ring more true in the world of sustainability. The green building industry...
The post Arc – A Performance Approach appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Here’s a question our clients often ask: “I’m building a new residential building, should I use LEED for New Construction (NC) or LEED for Multifamily...
The post Which LEED Rating System Do I Use? Part 1: NC versus Midrise appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Every April during National Fair Housing Month, those of us on SWA’s Accessibility Team like to partake in activities that remind us why accessible...
The post Accessible Products of the Future…are Here! appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Under an agreement reached earlier this year between New York state officials and Entergy, the Indian Point Energy Center could be shut down as...
The post Replacing Indian Point appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
New York City has established high goals for CO2 reductions as part of the 80 x 50 plan enacted under Mayor de Blasio’s administration. In...
The post Moderate Rehabs in Pre-War Buildings: Practical Limits to Hydronic Building Energy Savings appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Common laundry rooms are typically provided in market rate and affordable multifamily buildings. Because there are no ventless clothes dryers available for commercial use...
The post Laundry Rooms are Complicated: Integrating Vented Clothes Dryers in Multifamily Passive House Projects appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
By Victoria Lanteigne, Senior Accessibility Consultant The United States Access Board recently issued new standards under Section 510 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 for...
The post Accessibility Tech Notes: Medical Diagnostic Equipment appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Industry Trends Over the past decade, the story of solar photovoltaic (PV) power has been one of both accelerating deployment and consistent, significant reductions in...
The post Solar Photovoltaics and New York Energy Code appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
At Steven Winter Associates, Inc., we support the whole building approach to design and construction by doing our best to ensure that projects meet sustainability,...
The post Why the Whole Building Approach Matters appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Written by Gayathri Vijayakumar, VP – Senior Building Systems Engineer Over the last 10 years, we’ve seen great strides in the solar PV market in...
The post Five Year Solar Performance on Connecticut Home appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Written by Jenny Powell, Energy Engineer What is Commissioning? Many energy and sustainability programs, standards, and codes require commissioning, including LEED, ASHRAE 90.1, NGBS, IECC,...
The post The Value of Commissioning appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Written by Sunitha Sarveswaran, Energy Engineer Welcome to part three of the air sealing blog post series! In previous posts, we have reviewed the substantive...
The post 2016 New York Energy Code Blower Door Testing – How Does it Measure Up? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Written by Joanna Grab, Senior Sustainability Consultant Groggy and sleepy-eyed, I swung my feet out of bed this morning. Still waking up, I began the...
The post High Performance Walls appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Where the 2010 ADA Standards apply, 100% of drinking fountains must comply with criteria for accessible drinking fountains found at Section 602. Of those, 50%...
The post Accessibility Tech Notes: Drinking Fountain Height appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
We recently sat down for a conversation with Matt McCann, CEO and Founder of Access Earth – a new app that aims to promote accessibility...
The post Access Earth: An Interview with Matt McCann appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
60 Minutes recently aired a story on what it referred to as “drive-by lawsuits” filed against businesses for failing to comply with the design and...
The post 60 Minutes on ‘Drive-by’ ADA Lawsuits: On Point or Missed Opportunity? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Winter in the City Wintertime in New York City: cold wind whips down the avenue and seems to follow you as you leave the frozen...
The post Oh, the Weather Inside is Frightful! appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The newly constructed five-story mixed-use building located at 1115 H Street, NE is raising the bar with a LEED for Homes Platinum certification in the...
The post Project Spotlight: 1115 H Street – Transforming the Neighborhood with LEED Platinum appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
It is the time of year that we splurge, whether it is food, decorations, or gifts. And that’s the way it should be, but why...
The post Green Your Holidays appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
By Sunitha Sarveswaran, Energy Engineer It has now officially been over one month since the 2016 NYS energy code went into effect. In a recent...
The post 2016 New York Energy Codes: Commercial Edition appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Is Voting Accessible? Having lived in Washington, DC for over a decade, I’ve cultivated what some may call a geeky sense of pride in upholding...
The post Vote for Access 2016! appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Written by Marina Dimitriadis, Sustainability Consultant LEED v4 Changes and Updates We all knew the time was creeping up on us when LEED v2009, known...
The post Don’t Be Scared of LEED v4 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Written by Karla Butterfield, Senior Sustainability Consultant In a new and exciting opportunity, we’re partnering with Energize CT, the Connecticut Technical High School System, The...
The post SWA Helps Implement STEP, the Sustainable Technical Education Program appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
By Steve Klocke, Senior Sustainability Consultant A week has passed since the new energy code went into effect in New York State and New York...
The post 2016 New York Energy Codes: Residential Section appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Katie Osborn, Principal and Chief Designer of Via Collective and expert wayfinding strategist, took some time out of her busy schedule to connect with SWA’s Victoria...
The post Wayfinding: An Interview with Katie Osborn appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Next time you are cooking, take a look at your kitchen hood. You are likely cooking on the front two burners, but your kitchen hood...
The post How Effective is that Range Hood? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
By Pablo Muñoz, Sustainability Consultant In recent years, the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions have seen a tremendous increase in interest in Passive House buildings. It’s...
The post Passive House is Here to Stay and This is Why appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
By Gayathri Vijayakumar, VP Senior Building Systems Engineer New Energy Code on the Horizon? We’re already more than halfway through 2016, and many states are...
The post It’s 2016. Do You Know What’s Going Into the 2018 IECC? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Post written by Chelsea Wales, SWA Intern in Washington, DC “Human centered design is a creative approach to design solutions that are tailored to individual users....
The post What is Human Centered Design? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
By Chris Kramer, Sustainability Consultant What Homebuyers are Looking For A report published recently by Shelton Group has found that current and potential homeowners prioritize...
The post Green Homes: Consumers Follow the Money appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
I’ve talked a little bit about new, air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) in older posts (I, II). There are some newer products that can work really...
The post Air-Source Heat Pumps in Cold Climates (Part III): Outdoor Units appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
With a New York City Council vote on July 14, 2016 NYC adopted amendments to the new New York State (NYS) energy code, which go...
The post The Future is Here: NYC Adopts New Energy Code appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
I always thought the phrase ‘about as interesting as watching grass grow’ conjured a vision of ultimate boredom. That was before I attempted to grow...
The post The Adventures of Mo and Her No Mow Lawn appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Written by Theresa D’Andrea, Accessibility Specialist This month, several members of the Accessibility Team had the unique opportunity to experience navigating architectural barriers commonly faced...
The post The Reasons Behind the Requirements appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
A few months ago I wrote about air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) in cold climates, and I promised more info on how to select the right...
The post Air-Source Heat Pumps in Cold Climates (Part II) appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
In SWA’s second contribution to Green Energy Times, we examine the certification programs, operational strategies, and occupant behavior trends that contribute to enhanced indoor air quality (IAQ)....
The post Green Building Targets the Indoor Environment, as Health Becomes Top Priority appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] Written by Carmel Pratt, Sustainability Consultant If you live in Connecticut and are as obsessed with energy-related news as we are,...
The post Connecticut Proposes Budget Cuts on Clean Energy Funding appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
In the first two entries of this series (Part One | Part Two), we explored advanced controls for electrically heated buildings; combined heat and power...
The post Popular Multifamily Retrofits, Pt III appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] Announcing the Winners of the 2016 HUD Innovation in Affordable Housing (IAH) Competition First Place: University of Texas at Austin Runner-Up:...
The post HUD Innovation in Affordable Housing (IAH) Final Event Results & Gallery appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] 2016 is the 46th year of the Earth Day movement! At Steven Winter Associates, it’s a year-round celebration of our planet. Take...
The post Celebrate Earth Day 2016 – SWAstainable Lifestyles appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Author: Celeste McMickle, Senior Sustainability Consultant Waste reduction is an important topic these days in New York, as the city is currently targeting sending “zero...
The post Does your business qualify as “Zero Waste Certified”? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Green Energy Times is a bi-monthly publication chronicling the latest sustainability news in New England and New York (and beyond!). In 2016, SWA will be contributing a...
The post Passive House: At the Crossroads of Sustainability and Affordability appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Sorry we prank’d you, but while you’re here, check out some of SWA’s great – and real – blog posts. We recommend: Examining Green...
The post Happy April Fools’ Day! appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Earlier this year, at the AHR Expo in Orlando, the biggest trade show for HVAC professionals, Aeroseal’s duct sealing technology was declared the Product of...
The post It Can Take Years – A Market Adoption Story appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
[av_slideshow size=’large’ animation=’slide’ autoplay=’false’ interval=’5′ control_layout=”] [av_slide id=’1413′ slide_type=” video=’http://’ mobile_image=” video_ratio=’16:9′ video_controls=” video_mute=” video_loop=” video_autoplay=” title=” link_apply=” link=” link_target=”][/av_slide] [av_slide id=’1411′ slide_type=” video=’http://’ mobile_image=”...
The post HUD Innovation in Affordable Housing (IAH) Update – Santa Barbara Site Visit appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
In our first entry of this three-part series, we described advanced controls for electrically heated buildings, combined heat and power systems, and upgraded atmospheric boilers....
The post Popular Multifamily Retrofits, Part II appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
If you’re unfamiliar with Home Innovation Research Labs’ National Green Building Standard™ (NGBS), the program is designed primarily to rate the performance of single-family homes...
The post Unique Certification Options with National Green Building Standard™ (NGBS) appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
I’ll save the long-winded introduction and get straight to the facts. Based on New York City’s publicly available Local Law 84 (LL84) benchmarking data for...
The post Hotels, Motels, Reining Emissions In appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Using gamification to incentivize consumer-level sustainable behavior is a relatively new strategy. It applies classic principals of game playing to encourage green living, offering a...
The post Gamifying Sustainability: Play to Save, Save to Win appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
There is no single retrofit that is a panacea for all multifamily buildings. There are myriad options and permutations for upgrades, the efficacy of which...
The post Popular Multifamily Retrofits, Part I appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The post Happy Holidays from the Team at SWA! appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As we wrap up another successful year here at SWA, the Accessibility Compliance and Consulting Group would like to take a moment to reflect on...
The post Accessibility’s Top Five from 2015 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
In partnership with the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) and the Institute for Better Communities (IFBC), SWA is implementing DC’s first...
The post The POWER of Partnership! appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Greenbuild 2015 has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep celebrating its “monumental” success. Having a booth in the expo hall allowed...
The post Greenbuild 2015 Takeaways appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth last week at Greenbuild 2015 in Washington, D.C.! By all accounts, this year’s event was a...
The post Game Changers in Building Science appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
High-quality design, engineering, and construction; the guiding principles used to assemble a team of building experts tasked with creating a demonstration project embodying cutting edge...
The post SWA’s Preview of the 2015 Greenbuild Unity Home appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The Stamford 2030 District is an interdisciplinary collaborative of high-performance buildings in downtown Stamford committed to ambitious efficiency goals. Stamford 2030 District’s strategic plan outlines...
The post Stamford 2030 District Commits to a Sustainable Future appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Air-source heat pumps are a booming business. In the Northeast, manufacturers report that sales of residential systems have increased by 25-35% per year over the...
The post Heat Pumps Are Taking Over appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
By Kai Starn, Sustainability Consultant Autumn has arrived again in the Northeast and the foliage is in full splendor. Over the Canadian Thanksgiving / Columbus...
The post SWA Lifestyles: A Simple Weekend Cabin appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
This October, Governor Cuomo announced with former Vice President Gore that New York will join the Under 2 MOU effort to join states and cities...
The post New York Keeps It Clean with a Global Commitment to Emissions Reduction appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
It’s October and a burgeoning category 3 hurricane is forecasted to make its way up the East Coast within the coming week. Somehow this all...
The post NYC Walks the Line Toward Hurricane Joaquin appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
If nothing else, people are adaptable. While something might be an annoyance at first, we often figure out a way to manage it and move...
The post When Did Building Science Become Energy Efficiency? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
A recent SWA Accessibility project, City Market at O, was featured as a local case study on health in design during a recent event held by...
The post SWA Keeps it Healthy in DC appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As a native Californian, I often marvel at my home state’s progressive attitude towards environmental conservation. In 1988, we were the first state to adopt...
The post California: Three Hours Behind the East Coast, but Years Ahead in Sustainability?! appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Earning a green building certification is a significant achievement for a project as it represents a strong commitment to sustainability principles. When pursuing certification, it is essential...
The post Examining Green Building Rating Systems appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Do you live in DC? Do you own, manage or reside in a multifamily building? If so, we would love to get your feedback! The...
The post Energy and Water Use Study in DC Multifamily Buildings appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Last week, I had the opportunity to visit the DURAhome, New York City College of Technology’s entry for the 2015 Solar Decathlon. This project is...
The post A Tour of DURA, New York City College of Technology’s Urban and Resilient Solar Decathlon Home appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
I love to cook. And like most cooks, I love to cook on my gas range. But I am also a building science researcher, and...
The post Please Turn on the Fan appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
SWA Senior Mechanical Engineer Lois Arena discusses the recently announced community microgrid project based in the Village of Mamaroneck. The Westchester County village is among 83 New...
The post Community Microgrid: Resiliency via Energy Independence appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
When close to 90% of our lives are spent inside, you would expect extensive measures would be taken to ensure our buildings provide healthy environments...
The post Creating a Healthier Indoor Environment appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Home Energy magazine debuted a new interview series on their blog this month titled “The Real Women of Home Performance,” aimed at showcasing the work...
The post Home Energy Magazine – The Real Women of Home Performance appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
SWA’s Senior Mechanical Engineer, Lois Arena, P.E., is one of the leading Passive House (PH) specialists in the country. She is regularly asked to speak...
The post Passive House Activist: An Interview with Lois Arena appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
This week, SWA Senior Accessibility Consultant Victoria Lanteigne joined the program “Business Matters” on WPFW 89.3 FM in Washington, DC. Victoria’s on-air segment, led by...
The post Victoria Lanteigne Talks Accessibility on DC Radio appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
What is the relationship between accessible design and designing for health and wellness? As Lead on Accessibility for the AIA Committee on Design + Wellbeing...
The post Accessible Design and Designing for Health and Wellness appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
According to the Institute for Market Transformation, fourteen cities, two states, and one county in the U.S. now have energy benchmarking and transparency policies in...
The post What Are We Learning from Energy Benchmarking Programs? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
With the adoption of the innovative Green Construction Code in 2013, there has been quite the learning curve for those looking to build in Washington...
The post Tackling the DC Green Building Code: Resources for Code Compliance appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Part 2: Dwelling Units As promised, we’re back with Part 2 of the most common mistakes that our accessibility group encounters when assessing for compliance...
The post Accessible Design: Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them: Part Two appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Written by Anna Speed, SWA Sustainability Consultant After 61% of those surveyed at Greenbuild 2014 replied that that they were not prepared, or were unsure if...
The post Transitioning to LEEDv4 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
On April 21st the four finalist teams from the 2015 HUD Innovation in Affordable Housing (IAH) Student Design and Planning Competition gathered at the HUD...
The post Innovation in Affordable Housing Competition Results in Bicoastal Winners appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Step 1: Understand the LEED for Homes process The U.S. Green Building Council developed the LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Homes™ and...
The post How to Get Started with LEED for Homes and Multifamily Midrise Certification appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As the latest versions (2012 and 2015) of the International Energy Conservation Codes (IECC) push for more efficient homes, we are getting more questions from...
The post Air Sealing with Open Cell Spray Foam Insulation – Know the Risks appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
At SWA we do A LOT to improve the sustainability of the built environment. Sustainability is at the heart of what we do. Culturally, SWA...
The post Beyond Earth Day appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Happy Fair Housing Month! This April marks the 47th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act. On April 11, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the...
The post The Future of Accessible Housing appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Earlier this week, we posted a video about the CT Zero Energy Challenge’s first-place winner, the Benker/Wegner Residence. Today we bring you the story of the...
The post CT Zero Energy Challenge (Part 2) – An Alphabet Soup of Certifications appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
There were 11 projects entered into this year’s CT Zero Energy Challenge, sponsored by EnergizeCT. The single- and multi-family homes taking part in this competition are designed and...
The post CT Zero Energy Challenge (Part 1) – How Low Can You Go? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
The post SWA 2014: “By the Numbers” Infographic appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
As a resident of Washington, D.C. for nearly ten years, I’ve spent a fair amount of time frequenting the city’s burgeoning restaurant scene. Much like...
The post An Insider’s Guide to Restaurant Accessibility appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Three-pronged approach to sustainability?.. How about a three-leafed approach? In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we’re serving up a shamrock’s worth of green facts on...
The post Greening the Emerald Isle: A Three-Leafed Approach to Sustainability? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Ten years ago, seeing a solar electric system on a building was noteworthy. Now they’re popping up everywhere. Lower cost is obviously a big driver...
The post Recalculating Solar Savings appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Fannie Mae recently reinforced their commitment to growing the green multifamily sector with the announcement of a reduction in interest rates for mortgage loans used...
The post Fannie Mae Favors Green Multifamily appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
BACKGROUND The multifamily building industry has adopted a best practice long touted by the building science community: continuous insulation at the exterior of the building....
The post SWA High Performance Design Best Practice: Limiting Shelf Angles in Masonry Buildings appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Boston has been making national headlines a lot this winter, mainly due to the #snowpocalypse that they’ve been enduring. Never fear, the first sign of spring...
The post What We’re Looking Forward to at Building Energy Boston ’15 appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Written by Katie Schwamb The Lantern Organization’s Lindenguild Hall is a 104-unit multifamily residential project that provides permanent shelter for under-served populations in the Bronx....
The post Lindenguild Hall: A Contemporary Approach to PV in Green Affordable Housing appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Part 1: Public and Common-use Areas After years of inspecting multifamily housing developments across the country for compliance with regulatory requirements for accessible design and...
The post Accessible Design: Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them: Part One appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Whether code built or energy efficient, if your new home has a poured concrete foundation and floor slab, please pay particular attention to the following....
The post The $300 Investment Every New Construction Home Should Make appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Calendar year 2015 marks the start of the third year of mandatory Local Law 87 compliance in NYC. The Law—which requires buildings over 50,000...
The post Local Law 87 – What’s Happening and What’s Ahead appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
We are thrilled to welcome Everyday Green to the SWA team! While working on green building projects in the Mid-Atlantic region over the past decade,...
The post New Year, New Beginnings: SWA Welcomes the Staff of Everyday Green! appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
HUD’s 2015 Innovation in Affordable Housing student design and planning competition has hit full stride. Building on its successful inaugural run in 2014, this year’s...
The post HUD’s 2015 IAH Graduate Student Design Competition: SWA Supported appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Happy Holidays from the team at SWA!
SWA’s 2014 Holiday Video Message was created using a FLIR Exx-Series thermal imaging infrared (IR) camera.
The post SWA’s Holiday Video: Engineering Style! appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! We asked a few of our green living gurus if they could share some tips on how we can reduce our environmental impact this holiday season:
Decorating:
- Turn off your Christmas tree during the day. – Celeste M.
- Use LED lights, and put them on timers. – Gayathri V.
Feasting:
- Compost your leftovers from dinner. – Celeste M.
- Shop locally and bring your own tote bags to reduce packaging waste. I highly recommend local breweries and local farms. – Karla D.
Powering:
- Make sure to unplug chargers, lamps, and other miscellaneous appliances when not in use. Always unplug electronics as soon as they are fully charged; never leave rechargeable electronics plugged into power when they are fully charged. Your brand new holiday gadgets as well as your electricity bill will thank you! – Carmel P.
- Use rechargeable batteries in new toys. – Jordana V.
Giving:
- Use recycled paper for wrapping. – Celeste M.
- Recycle gift wrapping. – Jordana V.
- Buy gifts without much packaging. – Jordana V.
How are you going to make your holidays green? Do you have the ultimate green gift?
The post SWA’s Tips for Giving the Gift of Green appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Measurement enables Management; Transparency enables Accountability… The quintessential concepts driving adaptation of mandatory energy benchmarking legislation.
Mandatory energy benchmarking represents a pivotal step towards reforming energy usage in American cities, as it galvanizes populations through collective reduction. Like any immature “innovation”, the practice faces barriers and static hindering widespread adaptation and dissemination into the mainstream.
What factors influence proliferation?
Unique building stock and varied regulatory needs necessitate city-specific reporting plans. Until there is a scaleable model of best-practices, development will continue to be resource and time intensive for administration.
Complexity in execution threatens data integrity and program usefulness. Unintentional errors, difficulty in obtaining information, and unfamiliarity with ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager all weaken database strength. The remedy lies in educating elected reporters. Program handlers must be well versed with the operations and techniques necessary to perform their role effectively.
Stakeholder push-back during implementation deters participation and damages program reputation. Greater visibility of post-retrofit results will dispel doubts of program usefulness, while increased availability of financial incentives will quiet claims of marginalization [under-performers stigmatized as poor living options] and unfair penalization [fining of historic buildings or financially underserved properties].
The post Mandatory Energy Benchmarking.. Coming to a City Near You? appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
Peter Stratton, SWA’s Director of Accessibility Compliance and Consulting
SWA Access is the quarterly publication created by SWA’s Accessibility Compliance and Consulting Group to convey the importance of, and help demystify the often complex world of accessible design, construction, and compliance. After all, as the group’s director, Peter Stratton, often says, “Sustainable Design is Accessible Design.”
Each edition of the newsletter features a section that answers specific questions asked during project work or public seminars. We will periodically post these items to Party Walls, but if there’s something you would like answered now, you can post your question in the comment section below and someone from SWA’s accessibility team will answer them (and in a timely manner!)
Q: Under the Fair Housing Amendments Act, are multifamily housing developments that utilize valet parking still required to provide a total of 2% accessible parking spaces serving covered dwelling units?
A: Yes. the guidelines require that accessible parking be provided for residents with disabilities on the same terms and with the full range of choices that are provided to all residents. Providing valet parking in lieu of self parking does not change this requirement. A minimum of 2% of the parking spaces that serve covered dwelling units must be accessible. Local code requirements may be more stringent when it comes to requirements for accessible parking. Find more information by visiting:
Supplement to Notice of Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines: Questions and Answers about the Guidelines.
Q: Is it true that HUD now accepts the 2010 ADA Standards (2010 Standards) as an alternative to the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) for compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504)?
A: Yes. HUD issued a Notice, effective May 23, 2014, that permits recipients of Federal funding to use the 2010 Standards as an alternative to UFAS on projects subject to Section 504. However, HUD has deemed certain provisions of the 2010 Standards to provide less accessibility than is currently required by UFAS. So, be sure to learn about the exceptions if you choose to apply the 2010 Standards to your next project. HUD’s Notice remains in effect until the agency formally adopts an updated accessibility standard for compliance with Section 504.
The post The Access Files – The Truth is Out There appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
In October, NESEA awarded SWA’s Heather Nolen with a travel scholarship through the Kate Goldstein Fund for Emerging Professionals (you can read the announcement here). Heather joined four other scholarship recipients for a two week journey to Denmark and Sweden to explore innovative sustainability methods being used in their buildings. The following is blog entry written by Heather, describing her experience at a location outside of Stockholm. (This entry was reblogged from NESEA’s blog; you can find the original post here.)
We met with Björn Cederquist who was kind enough to tell us about Hammarby Sjöstad, a new sustainable district, which he is quite proud of.
Stockholm is a growing city, with a population of 1.5 million and a serious lack of housing. The city central is quite developed, outside the city there are the typical suburbs, it is the area between the city proper and the suburbs that Stockholm is looking to develop in a planned, sustainable manner. To meet the city’s housing needs Stockholm plans to construct 8,000 units per year, mind you they have only been building at 5,000 units/year of maximum. This is a large undertaking for the city which is being planned in a thoughtful way.
Despite the need for more units of housing there is a strong tradition in Stockholm of midrise buildings which accounts for the reluctance to build higher. Hammarby Sjöstad is mostly mid-rise with one exception, a single 12 story building.
Located in this prime area between the city and suburbs, Hammarby Sjöstad is located at an old harbor and landfill turned Brownfield site. To convert this piece of land into a residential community public transportation had to be extended, both the subway and train lines. The presence of transit shows a commitment to the area, a feeling of permanence which is required to build the community. 80% of residents commute by public transit.
To meet sustainability goals in a comprehensive way the district aimed to be a healthy place for people to live that stimulates the body and soul with opportunities for exercise, sports and culture. Design began in 1990 to construct an “Environmental and Ecological City District,” which includes 11,000 units housing over 25,000 people; an additional 10,000 are projected to work within this area. In addition to the housing and transit systems, power plants were constructed to provide district heating and cooling, waste removal including organic waste, public water supply and wastewater treatment.
Renewable energy sources, harvesting of energy from the areas wastewater system, burning of waste combustibles along with harvesting energy from the sewage system allow Hammarby Sjöstad to operate their CHP plant free of fossil fuels. Central heat pumps at the district plant operate year round to extract energy which allows for district cooling, planned for 10 years the plant is the largest in the world. The wastewater treatment plant harvests both bio-gas and bio-solids. Bio-gas is used to power buses, taxis and some individual stoves. Bio-solids are used as fertilizer in forest, filling mines and soon to be used for agriculture purposed. Combined with advanced waste collection and energy efficient construction Hammarby Sjöstad is a unique community which is a product of long-term planning and collaboration. Sites underdevelopment are learning from Ham Hammarby Sjöstad to further advance eco-districts for long-term success.
The post Notes from Abroad: A SWArrior in Sweden appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..
We’ve talked about this conference already this month, but we couldn’t leave out one of the coolest parts that one of our own SWArriors, Maureen Mahle, got to participate in – a modular green home assembled on the showroom floor at the 2014 Greenbuild Conference and Expo. SWA is a partner of the Greenbuild LivingHome which was created in collaboration with Hanley Wood, LivingHomes, Make it Right, and the International Cradle To Cradle Products Innovation Institute. This show home, which Greenbuild attendees got to tour, achieves an array of lofty goals that enable it to be supremely sustainable both for the environment and its owners.
Greenbuild LivingHome, led by California-based designer of green modular home, is the result of a unique integrated design process, utilizing designers, vendors, and building science know-how from all over the country. Today, vendors are using the home as an opportunity to showcase the latest and greatest in residential green building products, including Cradle to Cradle certified products and Forest Stewardship Council certified woods.
One of the stand-out LEED® features of the home is the commitment to durable, resilient construction. Other site features include:
- Permeable paving to maintain an almost permeable lot for managing stormwater.
- Framing was treated for pest resistance.
- Termite barriers installed at base plates, and a non-toxic termite bait system surrounding the home.
- Closed cell foam, used to insulate the elevated floor.
- Continuous drainage plane directs bulk water down and away.
So where is the home now?On its site in the Lower 9th Ward in NOLA, owned by the Make it Right Foundation, contributing to the city’s growing stock of green affordable housing. Make it Right is working to complete the home for occupancy in the next few weeks!
Here are some pictures of the construction of the modular home –
A virtual tour and more information can be found here: http://livinghome.greenbuildexpo.com/
Read more about the 2014 Greenbuild LivingHomes in our WinterGreen Newsletter.
The post Where is it now: Greenbuild’s LivingHome appeared first on Steven Winter Associates, Inc..