The House at Cornell Tech – Passive House

McLaren Engineering Group supported the structural design of the windows and reviewed shop drawings for the installation of a customized Schüco punched window system for The House at Cornell Tech (The House). Located on Roosevelt Island in New York City, Cornell Tech is the first campus ever built for the digital age from-the-ground-up. This new 12-acre campus has some of the most environmentally friendly and energy-efficient buildings in the world. ‘The House’, at 26 stories, is the largest and tallest residential high-rise dormitory in the world built to Passive House energy standards.

Glass + Glazing

McLaren’s glass and glazing team coordinated with a variety of project partners to help bring the facade to completion. ‘The House’ was built to Passive House Standards, the world’s leading standard in energy-efficient construction. Windows are a fundamental component of any energy-efficient project responsible for a quarter of a building’s heat loss or gain. The windows for these highly energy-efficient residential dormitories were sized to support thicker (and thus heavier) high-performance glass that accommodates Passive House energy standards. Drawing upon our in-depth facade experience, McLaren analyzed the window systems’ components and worked closely with the designers to come up with a solution that limited the framing sizes while meeting the specifications of this high-profile green project.

Peer Review

McLaren also performed important peer review services for calculations prepared by a European engineer. Our familiarity with local codes and expertise in the facade and curtain wall industry helped Intercom successfully deliver the project to completion. Our comprehensive knowledge of the proposed wall system added to the client’s overall comfort level with McLaren’s review and judgment.