The climate crisis at hand demands that single family developments maintain a sharp focus on efficiency, and model best practices with respect building performance, renewable energy, and their carbon footprint. The Catskill Project, a 17 home development currently under construction by Regen Associates in Livingston Manor, NY, is establishing such a paradigm for zero-carbon single-family development—and doing so by way of Passive House design, solar energy, and regenerative building practices. • Homes are designed to the Passive House standard—optimizing building envelope performance, passive shading, and building orientation—to operate on low levels of renewable solar energy • All electric design, coupled with roof and ground-mounted solar options bring homes to net-zero energy, making them operationally carbon-neutral from day 1 • Homes require no fossil fuel combustion, mitigating the degradation of air quality, increases in greenhouse gas emissions, and the acceleration of climate change • Building envelopes are constructed using a manufactured high-performance panelized wall/roof system, for superior quality control & construction efficiency • Materials are sourced locally and consistent with a circular economy wherever possible, to minimize the embodied carbon of our construction process • Trees logged on site as minimally required to create road, driveway and house access are milled for re-use as flooring, wall and ceiling finishes, as well as kitchen millwork • Recyclable products with long lifetimes are prioritized, such as the slate exterior cladding which can be readily dismantled and reused • Stormwater management has been designed to protect wetlands, and slow the movement of water on site to mitigate regional flooding risks, while providing for natural water filtration through rain gardens and biofilters • Respect for local plant and animal ecosystems, employing native plants, trees, and grasses, and restricting invasive species • The Catskill Project’s Homeowners Association documents codify relevant environmental standards that contribute to the community’s overall relationship to the ecosystems within which it participates • Carbon-tracking and analysis projects that the carbon footprint associated with the construction of each home will be offset in approximately 5 years, thanks to carbon-sink provided by the 40+ acre conservation easement that’s been set aside to wrap around the property • After this period of time, homes become fully carbon-neutral and enter a regenerative state The Catskill Project seeks to re-define the standard for what it means to live and build in harmony with nature by way of Passive House, renewables, and regenerative principles. It is on track to become the first ever carbon-neutral community in Sullivan County, and hopes to pave the way for a new approach to building to take root.