HOLT Architects and INHS Achieve Passive House Certification for Village Grove Project in Trumansburg, NY

Trumansburg, NY – HOLT Architects proudly announces that Village Grove, an innovative affordable housing development designed for Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services (INHS), has achieved Passive House Certification. This milestone underscores INHS and HOLT’s commitment to high-performance, energy-efficient design, and sustainable community development. Village Grove’s certification represents a significant step forward in the movement toward more sustainable, equitable housing solutions in New York State.

Village Grove, located in Trumansburg, NY, is a mixed-use and mixed income development. The neighborhood will offer a range of income levels as well as for-rent or for-sale housing options. Within this overall development, HOLT Architects and INHS have developed a 46 unit project that meets rigorous Passive House standards, the development significantly reduces energy consumption while ensuring superior indoor air quality and thermal comfort for residents. The project consists of both apartment style multifamily housing as well as townhouse style development.

“We are thrilled to celebrate this achievement with INHS and our project partners including New York State HCR,” said Steve Hugo, a Principal of HOLT Architects. “Achieving Passive House Certification reflects our team’s dedication to sustainability and the creation of resilient, healthy communities.”

According to INHS Executive Director Kate G. De la Garza, "Village Grove showcases the advancement of green, sustainable building at INHS, marking the nonprofit's inaugural Passive House design. This groundbreaking project was made possible thanks to the support from our trusted community, funders, and partners. We extend our gratitude to Sustainable Comfort for acknowledging Village Grove as a Phius-certified community development."

Passive House Certification is recognized as the world’s leading standard for energy efficiency in buildings. By utilizing high-performance insulation, airtight construction, energy-recovery ventilation, and optimized solar gain, Village Grove reduces heating and cooling energy use by up to 80% compared to conventional buildings.

Village Grove is the first multi-family housing development in Tompkins County to attain Passive House certification. In 2019, the project design received an award from NYSERDA’s Buildings of Excellence competition. The project demonstrates a high-performance, low-carbon operation with building construction that helps bring efficient green building to scale in NYS. The project also utilizes ground source heat pumps and plans to achieve NetZero through the purchase of off-site community solar. Village Grove was developed by INHS with funding from New York State and other housing partners. The project team included Taitem Engineering, TG Miller, Fisher Associates, Sustainable Comfort, and Purcell Construction.

For more information about HOLT Architects and its commitment to sustainable design, please visit www.holt.com.