Enclosure and Structure

Deep energy retrofits are critical to achieving climate goals while preserving affordable housing. This session examines the transformation of Whitney Young Manor, a 195-unit multifamily development in Yonkers, NY, as a replicable model for high-performance renovation. The project combines comprehensive envelope improvements with innovative mechanical systems, including a central heat pump plant with hydronic distribution, energy recovery ventilators (ERVs), and wastewater heat recovery.

How do high performance building practitioners persuade clients to pursue deep reductions in operational and embodied carbon? Industry experts from architecture, energy consulting, and development share lessons on owner decision making, cost, risk, and defining an acceptable outcome for new construction and rehab projects. The discussion offers honest reflection on what persuasion methods succeed, when results are limited, and how some strategies fail. Presenters will also share lessons learned, and perspectives on what strategies work best with various stakeholders.

The member businesses of the Seed Collaborative pursue a common mission: to lock carbon into the walls of buildings through the use of straw structural insulated panels (S-SIPs). The bigger bet they are making, though, isn't about the material; it's about the model. This keynote goes inside a network of decentralized, bioregional manufacturers built around one cooperatively owned hub, with shared R&D, financing, purchasing, and training that no single small manufacturer could afford alone.