KURV Architecture DPC

Alexander Loyer Hughes, A.I.A.
Architect R.A., M.s.A.A.D, NCARB, LEED, PHI CPHD

KURV ARCHITECTURE D.P.C. provides Sustainability Compliance and Energy Modeling Services to Building Owners and Developers.

Whether we are designing a new passive house building from the ground up, retrofitting an old building to reduce its carbon footprint, or just helping clients achieve basic benchmarking reports or regulatory sustainability compliance, we use advanced custom tools in BIM to BEM (Building Information Modeling to Building Energy Modeling) Technology to PPHP, gbXML and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Open Studio for Energy Plus in order to provide building owners with verifiable, measurable, standardized Energy Simulation Analysis.

We apply custom, advanced parametric software to accurately prescribe where to invest in “Energy Proofing” construction elements and building systems on a case by case basis. We also diagnose the variable alternatives that exist in cost, quality + time in order to intelligently provide adaptive physical solutions for better building ENERGY performance.

In New York City, we help building owners navigate the NYC Energy Benchmarking Report, Local Law 33, Local Law 95, and Local Law 97 for Green House Gas Emissions for existing buildings. We also design green roof systems for compliance with Local Law 92 + 94 and provide compliant energy data for Federal and State Energy grants and tax incentives by providing Energy Use Intensity (EUI) or Greenhouse Gas Emissions Intensity (GHG) performance data.

We are also well versed in the current New York State Energy Conservation Code (NYCECC), the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), ISO 7730 and ASHRAE Standard 140 and we provide consulting, design and retrofit strategies and plans for developers and building owners.

In the United States, we spend over $400 Billion each year powering our homes and commercial buildings. These building consume 75% of the electricity used in the country. This in turn, is 40% of the United States’ total Energy Consumption.

It is estimated that at a minimum, 30% of this Energy and Money is wasted due to poor Building Design. In addition, Buildings in the United State account for 35% of all CO2 emissions.

For those who care more about their pocket book than the Natural Environment, Energy Saving Improvements in Buildings Saves Money that can be quantified as value for a project.

KURV ARCHITECTURE D.P.C. can help your building achieve Energy Compliance with the least amount of effort possible.

About Alex:

Alex Loyer Hughes AIA is a Co-Founder and Principal of KURV Architecture. He is licensed and registered in the states of New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida and Washington D.C. and is an NCARB Nationally Certified Professional. Alex is a Certified Passive House Designer with the International Passive House Institute.

Alex has broad experience guiding projects successfully through complex city and municipal approval processes; including the NYC ULURP , NYC Department of Buildings, NYC Landmarks and Preservation Commission, Various Community Board Approvals including Planing and Zoning Boards hearings, the Mayor's Office of Environmental Remediation, the NYS Attorney General's Finance Bureau, the NYC Department of Finance, and the NYC Board of Standards and Appeals.

Over the course of Alex’s 25-year career he has designed and completed three 9 and 7 story buildings in Manhattan, won design awards and competitions for international hospitality and retail projects, successfully completing building use conversions and renovations, and has designed and overseen over thirty high-end residential and commercial projects in New York City. He is equally skilled at conceiving design solutions for urban scale projects as he is developing intricate, customized interior and industrial design fabrication details.

His broad and multifarious background has helped him form a unique approach to design and a deep understanding of what is required in order to see a project of any scale through to it’s successful completion.

Alex has previously taught at Columbia University, the Pratt Institute and has served as a visiting critic at numerous schools including the University of Pennsylvania, the Illinois Institute of Technology and the Parsons New School for Design. He received a Bachelor of Architecture from Universidad Finis Terra in Santiago, Chile, a Diploma in Digital Design from Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, and a Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University in the City of New York.

Alex is currently a student mentor at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University.