Final Capstone Presentations, 2020

Below see the video recordings for the final capstone reviews for the Fall, 2020 semester. Following each presentation is the abstract for the project. Open Passive House: Making a business case for multifamily affordable Passive House  Summary (Abstract): ​There exists a highly compelling case for promoting Passive House building standards for the affordable multifamily sector in New York City. In addition to deep energy and carbon reductions that align with the goals of New York City’s Climate Mobilization Act, increased occupant comfort and climate resiliency will greatly benefit some of New York City’s most vulnerable populations. There is great interest in Passive …

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Alumni Profile: Jennifer Bloom Leone, Class of 2018

After practicing as an architect for over twenty years, and building a small firm focused on design-build and sustainable design, I decided to refocus my energy. I was interested in rethinking the scale at which I was working with the hope of having a greater impact on the city. I chose CCNY’s Sustainability in the Urban Environment Program for several reasons, but primarily because I planned to stay and work in NYC and focus on issues particular to the city. In addition, I was familiar with and very interested in the work of the program director Hillary Brown and her …

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Student Project: Open Passive House

The True Cost of Passive House: Making a business case for multifamily affordable Passive House Objective:  There exists a highly compelling case for promoting Passive House building standards for the affordable multifamily sector in New York City. In addition to deep energy and carbon reductions that align with the goals of New York City’s Climate Mobilization Act, increased occupant comfort and climate resiliency will greatly benefit some of New York City’s most vulnerable populations. There is great interest in Passive House on both the supply side (designers and developers) and the demand side (customers, HPD), but there is a lack …

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Alumni Profile: Ben Leer, Class of 2015

My name is Ben Leer, I am a sustainability consultant, designer, builder and educator. I currently teach in the Building Science department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and am a NAPHN trainer for the international Passive House Tradesperson Certification. My path has been unconventional and at times challenging, but my various experiences have given me a broad perspective on what it means to create a sustainable future.   As an undergrad at Hunter College I studied environmental science. This is where I was first introduced to the many problems that plague our planet. Armed with the scientific knowledge that things had …

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Video Student Profile: Varsha Halarnkar

I worked as a junior architect for almost two years and working on residential redevelopment projects in the suburbs of Mumbai, India. I learned a lot from on-site experiences, coordinating with consultants, and working with an amazing team. Since my time in architecture school I was inclined towards learning more about sustainable design and construction but Mumbai as a city had very limited options to focus on this field. After contemplating it for almost a year I decided to go back to school and get a master’s degree in sustainability.  I came across the program during my research for schools …

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