A Chronogram Conversation presented by Upstate House and in partnership with Passive House Alliance Hudson Valley.
Join the conversation on Wednesday, March 30 as we discuss the Passive House construction standard (the most rigorous, energyefficient set of performancebased building technologies currently available); highlight recent Passive House projects in the Hudson Valley; and examine the technology’s role in the rollout of New York State’s ambitious climate goals.

The Passive House concept—which can reduce heating and cooling energy consumption of buildings by up to 90 percent—represents today’s most compelling option for counteracting climate change in the built environment.

The event will feature presentations by builders and architects and a panel discussion moderated by Chronogram Media editorial director Brian K. Mahoney.

In Cho, R.A., C.P.H.D.—Choshields Studio
In Cho is a Registered Architect, Certified Passive House Designer, and cofounder of architecture firm ChoShields Studio. For over twenty years, she has integrated environmental resiliency into her practice of creating and transforming people’s spatial experiences to bring joy and wellbeing to their lives. Her wideranging focus encompasses the aesthetics of architectural design, technical aspects of energy efficient construction, policy support, and designing & teaching educational initiatives that convey building sustainability knowledge with the goal to empower everyone in addressing climate change so that we can together ensure a positive and equitable future for all.

Karl Hansen, AIA, NCARB, CPHC—River Architects
Karl Hansen, AIA, NCARB, CPHC, is a Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC) and a project manager at River Architects in Cold Spring, NY. Karl joined River Architects in 2017 and immediately took the Cohen Skating Center and Fountain in Stamford, CT through its final documentation stages and construction. Since then he has earned his CPHC and enthusiastically tackled many high performance projects. He recently completed a PHIUS+ 2018 Certified organic cider mill and a high performance residence that utilized panelized construction. He uses his experience with large projects and background in metal fabrication to provide a balanced approach to managing projects with an attention to the careful execution of details. He enjoys working in a collaborative team environment where everyone is focused on the same end goal.

Michael Robinson, Urban Myth Construction
Builder and developer Michael Robinson has been a Passive building enthusiast since he first learned about it more than decade ago. He is trained as a builder by both PHI and PHIUS and serves as a founding board member of the Hudson Valley Passive House Alliance. In 2020, his low/moderate income multifamily project in Newburgh, North Miller Multifamily Passive House, which he owns and built, was a first round winner of the NYSERDA Buildings of Excellence award. He is currently finishing a nearly passive single family home on Outer Cape Cod.

Alessandro Ronfini LEED AP BD+C, C.P.H.D.—DEMO Architects
Born and raised in Italy, architect Alessandro Ronfini worked on large commercial projects throughout Europe and the US before deciding to partner with Daniel Kidd and start DEMO Architects. With a mix of technical expertise, construction experience, and design background DEMO Architects works towards implementing hightech and prefabricated solutions both in commercial and residential projects, with a particular focus on sustainability and the principles of Passive House.

Sponsored By:
New Energy Works
GH Builders Hudson Valley
ChoShields Studio
PH Design
Energy Conservation Services