The developer of the world’s tallest building seeking certification under the international Passive House program expects energy savings of 70% to 90% compared to a conventional building. Thanks to the 270-ft-tall building’s energy-efficient systems, designers of the 270-ft-tall Cornell Tech Residential—a 26-story dormitory for Cornell Tech’s Roosevelt Island campus in New York City—project savings of 882 tons of carbon dioxide per year over the standard building, which is the equivalent of planting 5,300 new trees.
The building is constructed to “incredibly rigorous” air tightness standards never before executed on a building this tall, says Luke Falk, assistant vice president of sustainability for the Related Cos., which is developing the 57%-complete dorm with Cornell Tech and Hudson Cos. “The new approach to ensuring air tightness, including a vapor retarder and tape products not used in New York City very often,” creates some construction challenges, adds Falk.