Passive House Creative Explorations
with Design Works HS Students through Pratt K-12 Program
In September 2023, the inaugural class of ninth graders joined Design Works High School (DWHS) in Downtown Brooklyn, that was created through a collaboration between Pratt Institute and Bank Street College of Education, as part of New York City’s IMAGINE NYC Schools Initiative.
The talented students engaged with Passive House concepts creatively and developed their own ICE CREAM Box Challenge. Their projects drew inspiration from the Pratt Ice Box Challenge, which displayed the benefits of energy-efficient buildings by comparing two ice-filled structures for one week to see which keeps out heat better.
Passive House For Everyone (PHFE), in collaboration with Pratt Center for Art, Design, and Community Engagement K-12 (Pratt K-12), taught Passive House to the first cohort of 9th graders from DWHS through an after-school program.
Exploring Passive House Through Multimedia Creative Expressions
In their first few weeks, DWHS creatively explored different mediums to explore Passive House.
Planning and Building for the Ice Cream Box Challenge
In groups of 2-3, DWHS students applied their Passive House principles to design and build their Ice Cream Boxes.
The Ice Cream Box Challenge would be judged based on creativity, effectiveness in maintaining the ice cream's temperature, and the use of recycled materials.
Presenting Projects at UN-Affiliate Global Conference
DWHS students presented their work at the 2024 Buildings Action Coalition Enniscorthy Summit, put together by the Enniscorthy Forum, a UN affiliate organization whose mission is to support the United Nations sustainable development agenda.
Ice Cream Box Challenge Grand Reveal with Guest Jurors
Photo Credit: Pratt K-12
Congratulations to these DWHS for successfully completing their ten-week Creative Sustainable Architecture program!
