New York Construction Report staff writer
A new round of funding worth $10 million is now available through the Buildings of Excellence Competition to decarbonize buildings. Funding is for design and construction of “resilient, climate-friendly buildings”.
Proposals are now being accepted from developers and design teams from across the state for early-stage design projects that integrate carbon neutral features into pre-schematic and schematic design phases, and lead to the cost-effective construction and completion of exemplary multifamily buildings.
“NYSERDA’s ongoing investment in the future of clean and resilient housing across New York State is admirable and necessary,” said American Institute of Architects Interim Executive Director Jesse Lazar. “Buildings of Excellence offers a roadmap for our community to continue to advocate for great and thoughtful regenerative design.
“AIA New York is proudly committed to our partnership with NYSERDA and looks forward to celebrating the winning projects.”
To be eligible, projects must “employ high performance envelopes, support converting institutional, office, or retail space to housing, and demonstrate cost compression in high-rise buildings”. Funds will be prioritized for projects that leverage technology using the least amount of energy during peak times and relies on refrigerants with lower global warming potential.
Projects employing geothermal heat pump systems for space conditioning will have access to a higher level of funding (up to $1 million per project, based on square footage) than those that do not.
Proposals to the Competition’s solicitation for demonstration projects will be accepted through Sept. 18 at 3 p.m.
Applications will be accepted on a continuous basis through Dec. 31, 2025 or until funds are exhausted. For more information on participating as an Early Design Support partner or accessing this funding, please visit NYSERDA’s website.
“The launch of the fifth round of NYSERDA’s Buildings of Excellence Competition makes possible more—and ever more necessary—catalyzing, supporting, and spotlighting projects by designers and developers who are undertaking ambitious efforts to create a more resilient, low-carbon future for New Yorkers,” said Architecture League of New York Executive Director Jacob Moore. “The Architectural League remains proud to work with NYSERDA to make overall design quality—including integral relationships with building sites; strong connections to community assets, including public transportation; and focused emphases on health, comfort, and aesthetic delight—an essential focus of Buildings of Excellence projects.”
Launched in 2019, the Competition provides financial awards and recognition for the design, construction, and operation of resilient, carbon neutral buildings that offer predictable revenue and costs. Through financial awards in the early stages of design, the Competition revolutionizes the new construction and adaptive reuse of multifamily housing and mixed-use space by showing that these buildings can be built cost-competitively to traditional fossil-fuel powered dwellings.
Funding for this program is through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and $6 billion Clean Energy Fund.
