Looking north towards Billionaires’ Row © 6sqft

A group of New York City building owners is suing the city in an effort to block a 2019 law that requires large buildings to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Local Law 97 mandates owners of buildings more than 25,000 square feet to cap their property’s greenhouse gas emissions or face fines. The lawsuit, filed on Thursday by two co-ops in Queens and a mixed-use building owner in Manhattan, claims the new law is “excessive and disproportionate to the purported offense,” as first reported by Crain’s New York. Under the law, owners have until 2024 to ensure their property’s compliance, with the ultimate goal of reducing the emissions produced by the city’s largest buildings 40 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050.

Find out more

Photo via Pexels

Certain New York City buildings next year will be forced to share how energy efficient they are with the public. As part of the Climate Mobilization Act, passed by the city in April, structures that are 25,000 square feet and larger will be graded based on energy efficiency and mandated to post the rating in a “conspicuous” place in the building. As the New York Times reported, more than 40,000 of the city’s one million buildings will be issued report cards, similar to how the Health Department issues restaurants a prominently displayed food safety rating.

Details here

We recently featured how Ryall Porter Sheridan renovated a 1970s house into a beautiful green retreat using Passive House standards. In a similar vein, the Manhattan-based architects have created a small artist’s shelter with comparable aesthetic, employing many of the same sustainable strategies throughout. Called ‘Orient Artist Studio’, this project on the north-fork of Long Island is clad in a beautifully aged timber envelope that protects its pristine white interiors.

Learn more about this Passive artist studio here

Architect Maziar Behrooz is a big fan of airplanes hangars and his stunning Green Arc House takes inspiration from the airship shed’s curvaceous design. Located in East Hampton, this luscious green home is not only grand and luxurious, but also extremely energy efficient. It measures a whopping 6,400 square feet, but you would never guess it because more than half the home is buried underground!

Learn more about this stunning sustainable home