Van Roo Presents on Cold Spring Apartments at NESEA BuildingEnergy Boston Conference

On March 21, 2025, Andrew Van Roo, Associate Principal presented “Creating Harmony: Overcoming Challenges in Passive House Multifamily Design” alongside Positive Trace Architecture’s Nicole Schuster at the 2025 Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) BuildingEnergy Conference in Boston, MA.  

The presentation explored team collaboration and the challenges that arise when creating a Passive House Building by looking through the lens of the Cold Spring Apartments project. The 56-unit apartment complex, located in Tannersville, NY includes a mix of senior and affordable housing as well as fitness centers, community rooms, offices, and storage units. The project recently received the PHIUS CORE 2021 design certification and is set to receive the full certification following the completion of construction. 

Andrew and Nicole discussed how the team with many members who are new to Passive House projects tackled challenges related to ground source heat pumps (GSHP), custom climate data, and peak load balancing. The presentation also shared details on how to incorporate Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERV) most effectively while using GSHPs, addressing thermal bridging, Passive House Institute (PHIUS) requirements, and best practices.