our definition of sustainable architecture
We’re committed to building sustainable homes across the Hudson Valley. But what does that mean?
These days, it seems like everyone has a different vision for sustainability, making it difficult to parse the significance of words like eco-friendly, green and regenerative. So, we’ll put in terms of the thing we know best: sustainable building design for a climate resilient future.
When you work with North River, your home will be designed and constructed following six core principles.
- all-electric
- reduced carbon footprint
- passive house efficiency
- resilient design
- adaptable to you
- tailored to our bioregion
all-electric
You won’t be burning gas or oil in your North River home. Our sustainable building design relies on electricity to power all your home’s needs—lights, heating & cooling, and appliances. Equipped with solar panels, 100% of your annual energy will come from the sun.
Our all-electric homes are so well designed and insulated that they can reliably produce more energy than they use on an annual basis. In short, our all-electric design becomes your net zero home. No fossil fuels, no operating carbon footprint, and no energy bills.
reduced carbon footprint
Mainly by virtue of human activity, we have increasing levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, accelerating changes in global temperatures. The building and construction industry contributes 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions due to the significant carbon footprint of materials like cement and steel alongside the operational emissions from heating and cooling.
Zero carbon design means that we reach toward zero carbon impact in construction and produce absolutely zero carbon emissions in the operation of the completed home. Using passive house design standards, we achieve the very highest standard of energy efficiency possible in North American climates and 100% of your energy needs are met without fossil fuels through free and clean solar power. Through these careful choices, your home’s carbon footprint can be fully offset with a minimum investment and support regenerative housebuilding going forward.
building to passive house standards
What began in Germany in the 90’s as an experimental design project has now become a trademarked, international certification system for guaranteeing the highest level of energy efficiency, superior living comfort, and long-term affordability. This is achieved on all North River projects through a combination of active solar energy creation, passive solar warming, an airtight building envelope, impeccable ventilation, and carbon capture features.
Whether you choose to acquire certification and a shiny plaque from the Passive House Institute or not, rest assured that your home is built to the highest energy efficiency specifications in the marketplace. If you’re curious, explore the guiding passive house principles and our client’s experiences with certification.
affordable sustainable homes
Sustainable home design is not just about the impact on the environment. It is also about creating something that you can sustain within your means. Affordability is just as important to us as all the energy and carbon stuff. Our FLEXHOUSE system relies on simple shape and a few core design principles to create sustainable homes for a range of budgets and sizes. North River is also a design build firm, meaning there is only one line of responsibility from start to finish, saving you time and costs in the process.
Over the last ten years, North River has worked hard to reduce the costs for our all-electric, net zero energy homes to be in line with traditional construction costs. This modest upfront investment guarantees you a home that has zero ongoing energy bills. Ever. There’s really no reason to do it any other way. It’s our goal to continue bringing down base costs and building up more attainable, sustainable homes.
always adapting
It’s our hope that your home is not just a shelter for you now, but tomorrow and tomorrow, and years down the road. To avoid burdensome future costs and environmentally harmful renovations, we needed to design something that was intended to adapt. Our FLEXHOUSE system gives you the base and together we decide the rest. Customize the size and layout to fit your lifestyle.
built for the Hudson Valley
Building for climate resiliency is core to North River’s mission. We know our Hudson Valley region intimately, from our cold winters and temperate summers to the glacial valleys and our mixed arboreal forests. This allows us to make critical early choices about low site impact, locally sourced building materials, the highest efficiency heating & cooling, and optimizing window and solar panel placement to fit your house design and site.
By implementing certifiable passive house design into every single project that we build, North River creates enduring, flexible structures that will adapt to changing uses and provide security against climate change, scary local air quality events, and higher fire risks. Our future-forward, sustainable architecture and construction practices help us add net value to our unique bioregion of New York.
bonus: skilling up our community
We all have a stake in the future, so we look at our net zero construction as an opportunity to bring more New York residents and construction professionals into the fold. Our commitment to building a climate resilient future for all is evident in North River Electric House, our home offices and the region’s first all-electric coworking and community space where we host events to deepen our community and environmental resilience in rapidly changing times.
ready to live your values?
If your vision for sustainable living matches ours, give us a call. A human conversation is always the best first step to building a sustainable home that’s right for you. We love talking about sustainable home design and whatever questions you have about getting started, our time is yours, for free.
You can also explore our FLEXHOUSE models, check out our past projects, schedule a visit to a living, breathing net zero home, or learn more about our design build process.