New Haven Independent – Cinema-To-Childcare Campus Plan Detailed

Check out the article here. Rendering of proposed new childcare campus at ex-Cine 4 site.   ALLAN APPEL PHOTO David Symond, Jr., Allyx Schiavone, Margo Early, and Karin Patriquin on Wednesday. The corn will keeping popping at the central ticketing-and-candy counter of the old Cine 4 movie theater — even as that entryway fixture is converted into a reception…

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Interesting Insights on Passive House Construction From Two Conferences

Recently members of our team attended and presented at two industry conferences focused on the design and construction of high-performance buildings: PhiusCon, the annual North American Passive House conference hosted by Passive House Institute US, and AIA CT CACX, AIA Connecticut’s annual conference and expo.   In particular, these events addressed Passive House design and…

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How to Use Passive House Principles Successfully in Historic Buildings

As the renovation of our historic 1816 masonry office building, known as the “King’s Block,” nears completion, our firm took the opportunity to put the details of this Passive House retrofit into a presentation that Associate Jeannette Penniman and I were thrilled to give to two recent audiences: An energy-focused group at PhiusCon, the annual…

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Tools of the Trade: Physical Model-Making

There are many ways to help a client visualize the architectural design we’re developing for them, from initial hand-drawn sketches to highly precise CAD drawings. But because we all live in a three-dimensional world, there is nothing quite like a physical model to bring a design to life. And, of course, we all played with…

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How We Make Structures More Resilient in Historic Preservation Projects

At Patriquin Architects, we do a great deal of work on historic buildings, including many with historic significance to their surrounding area. In order to maximize the lifespan of these unique and interesting structures, and ensure that they are a vital part of the local historic fabric for decades to come, our first question in…

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Hidden Historic Treasures: How to Find and Preserve Them

As our work has shown many times through the years, when renovating an older building there is often an opportunity to find, salvage, and restore elements of historic or architectural significance. We’ve also learned that sometimes we have to choose which part of a building’s history should be preserved, and which areas should be modified…

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Need Excellent Thermal Performance? Try These Wall Assemblies

Thermal performance—the degree of energy transfer between a building and its surroundings—is an important consideration for every construction or renovation project. Not surprisingly, exterior wall assemblies play a major role in achieving the desired performance. At Patriquin Architects, we’re continually exploring new wall options to meet specific project conditions. Whether or not a client is…

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King’s Block Passive House Retrofit: What’s the Latest?

Established in Europe more than 40 years ago, Passive House is a standard used in designing new buildings—or retrofitting existing ones—to be highly energy efficient. The standard requires that buildings be fully insulated and airtight, have high-performance windows, manage solar gain effectively, and utilize balanced recovery systems for heat and moisture, as well as a…

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Passive House Certification and Our Historic Building

Passive house is a rigorous design standard for energy efficient new or retrofitted buildings. First established in Europe in the late 1980s, the Passive House standard calls for buildings that: Have a continuous insulation envelope with no thermal bridging Are very airtight, with no unintended transfer of air between inside spaces and outside Have high-performance…

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Why Are Architectural Sections Important to Projects?

Every architectural drawing has a purpose. It may explain proportions, show dimensions, or provide details about materials. In this way, an architectural drawing tells a story. And as with any story, the artistry in how it’s told is a major factor in how effective it is. That’s why we put tremendous effort into the drawings…

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