NYU Rubin Hall

Title: NYU Rubin Hall

Award Category: Building Enclosure

Project Address/Location

35 5th Ave

New York, New York 10003
United States

Submitted By: Daniel Zambito

Company Info

Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH)

525 7th Ave
22nd Floor
New York, New York 10018
United States

2122716962

[email protected]

Project Description and Background: New York University’s (NYU) Rubin Hall, located in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village historic district, was originally constructed in 1926 as a luxury high-rise hotel called the Grosvenor. NYU purchased the building in 1964 and converted it to a student residence hall housing more than 600 students and faculty. Its condition up to 2021 was representative of the vast stock of uninsulated, pre-war, mass masonry buildings in the northeast United States. NYU engaged the design team, led by FXCollaborative Architects (FXC), to explore the feasibility of a deep energy retrofit that would respect the building’s historic character while advancing the university’s climate action goals. The vision was ambitious: transforming an uninsulated, fossil fuel-dependent building with no cooling into one that is all-electric, airtight, and energy-efficient, meeting Passive House (EnerPHit) performance criteria. The project’s constraints were significant. Historic district designation required sensitive enclosure detailing and preservation of the building’s character-defining features. Alterations to the facade and window’s exterior appearance were not allowed. NYU also required a tight, one-year construction schedule for the retrofit, to prevent the building from being offline for more than one school season. To achieve this vision, FXCollaborative lead a team of multiple design consultants: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) consulted on the enclosure design effort, developing enclosure detailing strategies consistent with EnerPHit compliance requirements, and integrating design solutions that balanced performance, constructability, and historic preservation requirements. Steven Winter Associates (SWA) guided the feasibility study and Passive House (PH) consulting, including modeling and certification submissions. Silman was the Structural Engineer of Record, designing the window attachment strategy. WSP was the MEP Engineer of Record, designing the systems that enabled the full electrification of heating, cooling, ventilation and domestic hot water. Against this backdrop, Rubin Hall became a model project for reconciling historic preservation with aggressive energy and carbon reduction goals.

Scope: FXC engaged SGH to provide comprehensive building enclosure consulting services, with a scope that extended from a feasibility study and existing conditions investigation through detailed design and construction administration services. Given the building’s age, incomplete existing building drawings, and complexity of existing conditions, it was critical to perform a condition assessment of the existing building with multiple probe openings through the walls and roofs. SGH documented existing enclosure assemblies, assessed thermal and moisture performance risks, and explored various design options to evaluate the best path toward EnerPHit certification. During the design phase, NYU allowed the design team to mockup a single dorm room using the proposed insulation and air barrier details. SGH worked with FXC to develop details and then conducted blower door testing on the room both before and after installation. The process provided the design team with information that we used to modify certain aspects of the details. The contractor responsible for constructing the mockup room also contributed feedback, which led to alternative approaches that could reduce costs and minimize schedule impacts. A key aspect of the enclosure design was the new windows that were installed in the existing punched openings through mass masonry walls. The design team collaborated with various manufacturers to develop historically appropriate, triple-glazed replacement windows, detailed to satisfy historic preservation requirements while simultaneously meeting stringent airtightness and thermal performance targets. SGH designed comprehensive air and water barrier detailing for rough openings, where historic construction tolerances created alignment and sequencing challenges. SGH performed hygrothermal models of interior insulation strategies to balance energy performance with durability, and to reduce condensation risk at the multi-wythe masonry. Multiple iterations of hygrothermal simulations ensured that the proposed design met EnerPHit performance criteria without jeopardizing the existing wall assembly. Beyond enclosure design, SGH collaborated with the broader design team to remain coordinated on crucial aspects of the design, such as mechanical systems. Airtightness strategies were aligned with ventilation layouts, ensuring that enclosure continuity supported balanced air distribution. Throughout construction, SGH conducted on-site reviews, performed or provided oversight for various field tests, and guided the contractor in implementing complex detailing and performing repairs. Mock-ups were performed to validate window, air barrier and insulation assemblies, allowing for adjustments before full-scale installation. SGH’s involvement ensured that Rubin Hall’s retrofit maintained a clear line of sight between design intent and field execution. The design team’s methodology combined a rigorous diagnosis of existing conditions, iterative design and modeling, and hands-on problem-solving, ultimately enabling a historic high-rise to achieve EnerPHit certification.

Solution: The project’s most notable achievement lies in reconciling EnerPHit performance standards with the Landmark Preservation Commission’s (LPC) aesthetic requirements. Few precedents exist for bringing a historic, occupied, high-rise masonry building to EnerPHit level performance, making Rubin Hall a unique role model. Typical options to improve thermal performance in a deep energy retrofit include recladding or over-cladding. Both options allow adding or increasing exterior insulation depth while adding or touching up an existing exterior air barrier. Exterior work was not an option for Rubin Hall, due to its landmark status. SGH performed testing to assess the condition of the existing 100-year-old brick and used the test results to fine-tune the airtightness and insulation design solutions. Careful material selection of high-performance ‘smart’ vapor control layers, open-cell spray foam insulation, and air barrier materials compatible with historic masonry helped the team achieve both high performance and durability. Window replacement was another highlight. The ground floor includes double-hung, solid wood windows with triple glazing, while the rest of the building has simulated double-hung, thermally broken aluminum-framed windows, also with triple glazing. For the aluminum windows, the team selected a local manufacturer who modified one of their existing products to allow for a simulated double-hung window with offset glazing. The window product is dual action (tilt& turn) operability with triple glazing. The manufacturer customized the windows to replicate the original, 1926 wood windows and maintain the historic facade’s proportions and profiles while meeting modern thermal and airtightness demands. Detailing at rough openings required delicate sequencing to ensure continuity of air and water barriers in the varying and irregular existing conditions. Thermal bridge modeling guided iterative refinements of the window detailing, ultimately reducing localized heat loss and condensation potential while maintaining occupant comfort. The final implemented solution closely mirrors the proposed design, a testament to extensive pre-construction testing and mock-ups. Where challenges arose in the field, such as unforeseen existing conditions and masonry irregularities, the design team developed practical adjustments that preserved performance without compromising constructability or schedule. Rubin Hall’s retrofit showcases innovation in both design and process: adapting Passive House design methodologies to a uniquely constrained historic context. The result is a role model that demonstrates deep energy retrofits of pre-war high-rises are possible on a tight schedule, without sacrificing architectural heritage.

Value: FXC and SGH’s teamwork was essential to Rubin Hall’s success. From the feasibility study to construction, FXC and SGH’s combined expertise guided the project to meet NYU’s ambitious goals while navigating significant risks and constraints. The long-standing working relationship between FXC and SGH contributed to the project’s smooth flow and overall success. The team shares a history of collaboration across many project types integrating one-of-a-kind architecture with high-performance enclosures. The team’s efficient communication, quick problem solving and alignment on the performance and preservation goals minimized delays, and ensured that critical EnerPHit requirements were incorporated early and consistently across all required disciplines. At project’s outset, FXC, SGH, SWA, and WSP established a feasible path toward EnerPHit for a building type that few owners attempt to certify. SGH’s diagnostic studies and simulations provided NYU with the confidence to pursue a deep energy retrofit rather than incremental upgrades. WSP confirmed that heating and cooling loads, and therefore system sizes could be reduced because of the robust enclosure details. The overall product balanced performance, preservation, and constructability, ensuring that the building could meet aggressive energy targets without compromising its historic character. During construction, SGH supported the construction management team to translate the design intent into reality. Field testing, mock-up reviews, and regular construction supervision were parts of the oversight that protected NYU’s investment and reduced long-term maintenance risks. The result is an EnerPHit-certified, all-electric, historic high-rise retrofit that sets a benchmark for sustainable practice in New York City. By aligning with Passive House standards, Rubin Hall also contributes to broader carbon reduction commitments, including New York City’s Local Law 97 and state-level climate legislation. The project demonstrates how rigorous Passive House design can play a pivotal role in achieving large-scale decarbonization, offering a replicable path for thousands of similar pre-war buildings. Rubin Hall now stands as a living case study for building owners, institutions, and policymakers. It proves that when expertise, collaboration, and vision align, deep carbon reductions are possible even in complex, landmarked, occupied high-rises.

Project Images

Additional Info: The only team member who can attend the EBEC General Session and Q&A is Cheryl Saldanha of SGH. Please see linked articles: o https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/02/realestate/nyu-dorm-sustainable.html o https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/nyu-to-retrofit-historic-rubin-hall o https://passivehousenetwork.org/phn-online-symposium/ o https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/new-york-university-dorm-renovation-sustainable/ o https://www.theplan.it/eng/award-2025-Housing/new-york-university-rubin-hall-sustainable-retrofit-of-a-historic-greenwich-village-residence-fxcollaborative