R-951 Passive House Residences

The R-951 Residence is a multifamily building with 3 new condominium units developed for sale. Certified under the Passive House standard, the super-insulated 5600SF building, designed by Paul Castrucci Architects, serves as a model for energy efficiency, excellent indoor air quality, and superior thermal comfort. Passive House consulting and mechanical design by ZeroEnergy Design.

  • Walls/Roof/Foundation

    ICF Walls
    Steel/Concrete roof  
    Steel/Concrete basement foundation

    Windows/Doors

    U Value: 0.14

    Insulation

    Mineral wool, EPS, and polyiso
    R20 Slab
    R50 Above Grade Walls
    R33 Below Grade Walls
    R50 Roof

  • Heating/Cooling

    Ducted air source heat pump (2.5 COP)

    Ventilation

    ERV (84% efficiency, 0.49 W/cfm)

    Hot Water

    Heat Pump Hot Water Heaters

Modern open-plan living room and kitchen with wooden flooring, white walls, and contemporary furniture. Features a dining table with chairs, a sofa, a coffee table on a black rug, and artwork on the walls. Kitchen has stainless steel appliances and a breakfast bar with stools.
Cross-section diagram of an energy-efficient building highlighting features like solar panels, air heat pumps, solar shading, large south-facing windows, insulated walls, and energy recovery ventilation. The diagram includes three residential units, a common space, a roof terrace, and a rear garden with a rainwater collection tank. Annotations explain the building's sustainable design intended for net zero energy use.

  • Goals.  The developer targeted Passive House certification and net zero capable performance as a market differentiator, successfully selling two of the units before construction was even complete.

    Solution.  The resulting building with three dwelling units includes a high performance building enclosure, design for passive solar gain, very high efficiency mechanical systems, and grid-tied photovoltaics. These performance attributes helped contribute to both media and buyer appeal.

    Enclosure.  The super-insulated air tight building enclosure includes an insulated concrete form wall system that provides continuous insulation yielding an R-50. An R-50 roof assembly combines mineral wool in the cavity and 5” continuous rigid insulation on top of the roof deck. R-20 is under the concrete floor slab with R-33 on the foundation walls, paired with building details to mitigate all thermal bridging. High performance U-0.14 triple pane windows/doors offer a SHGC-glass of 0.50 to capture the sun's energy. Particular care was paid to maintaining a continuous air barrier, yielding a final infiltration rate of only 0.56ACH50.

    Systems.  Ducted air source heat pumps provide space conditioning, including heating, cooling, and dehumidifcation. A Zehnder Comfoair ERV completes the package with highly efficient ventilation and energy recovery. Domestic hot water is supplied in each unit by a heat pump hot water heater. 

    Renewables.  On the roof a grid tied 4.5kW photovoltaic system for each unit turns the electric meter backwards to offset energy consumption.

Location: Brooklyn, New York

Services:
Energy Consulting

Performance:

pEUI: 10.2kBtu/sf/yr
Air Leakage: 0.56ACH50

Heat Demand  4.75 kBTU/(ft2yr)
Primary Energy  33.3 kBTU/(ft2yr)
Cooling Demand  3.40 kBTU/(ft2yr)
Heat Load  6.6 kBTU/(ft2yr)
Cooling Load  2.74 kBTU/(ft2yr)

iPHA Database

Certification:

Certified Passive House

Awards:

2016 Building Brooklyn Award
2015 AIA COTE Award
NYSERDA Trailblazer Award 2015
PHIUS Multifamily Building Award

Press:

Dwell

Project Team:

Architecture: Paul Castrucci Architect

Passive House Consultant & Mechanical Designer: ZED

Windows and Doors: Yaro Windows

Modern multi-story building under construction with gray siding, large windows, and metal exterior features; construction materials and fence in foreground.
A modern, minimalist living room with a white sofa, black and white artwork, a cowhide rug, a dining table with chairs, and large windows with a balcony door.
Modern minimalist white kitchen and dining area with wooden flooring, a rectangular wooden table with six white chairs, and black bar stools at a granite counter, with abstract black and white art on the wall and a sliding glass door letting in natur
Bright bedroom with a large window and balcony door, a bed with gray and beige pillows, a small bedside table with a pink lamp, a chair, a potted plant on the window sill, a white rug, and a fish painting on the wall.
Minimalist living room with a black and chrome chair, small side table, framed picture of the Colosseum, books, and decorative sculptures, in front of a white wall with two small access panels near a window.
Empty room with hardwood floors, two chairs, and glass doors leading to a small outdoor balcony with railing. Outside are neighboring buildings and leafless trees.
Modern open-concept living space with a white color scheme, hardwood flooring, a dining area with a wooden table and white chairs, a kitchen with white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and a breakfast bar with blue chairs. The space includes art
Bright, modern bathroom with white tiled walls and marble flooring. Features include a sink with a mirror, a bathtub, a window, and a glass door leading to a balcony with outdoor furniture. Decorative stones are placed on the sink and bath edges.
A rooftop patio with white tiled flooring, a small building with sliding glass doors, a metal stairway on the right, and shade canopy above. The background shows a clear blue sky with a few clouds.
Close-up view of metallic building exterior with metal louvered vents, perforated metal panels, and a window with a screen.
Close-up view of a modern building's exterior featuring metallic sunshades and louvers on the facade, with a blue sky in the background.
A detailed architectural diagram of a multi-unit building highlighting sustainable and energy-efficient features, including solar panels, rainwater collection, insulated roofing, and energy recovery ventilation systems.
Left side shows a furnace or HVAC unit with black ducts above it, installed in a closet. Right side shows a white cylindrical HVAC or water heater unit with a vented cover, labeled with the brand name 'STIEBEL ELTRON' and energy efficiency stickers.