New York City |
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Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) are helping shape New York City’s skyline with a blend of performance and design flexibility. From high-rise residential towers to adaptive reuse projects, EIFS delivers continuous insulation that supports energy efficiency in a demanding urban environment. Its versatility allows architects to achieve the look of stone, brick, or modern finishes while helping control costs. Across the five boroughs, EIFS contributes to more sustainable, resilient buildings that meet the city’s evolving standards.
Is Daniel Libeskind's Latest Residential Building the Blueprint for Affordable Housing?
Architectural Digest - May 23, 2024 By Katherine McLaughlin Studio Libeskind’s Atrium at Sumner Opens Its Doors to Seniors in Brooklyn The Architect's Newspaper - May 28, 2024 By Daniel Jonas Roche |
This property redefines New York City affordable senior housing with its bold architectural design and sustainable solutions. Featuring a striking geometric form with angled lines and recessed windows, the facade maximizes seasonal energy benefits by capturing sunlight in winter for warmth while reducing heat gain in summer. Designed to meet the rigorous Passive House standards, energy consumption for this Hi-Rise is projected to be reduced by 60–70% compared to typical NYC apartment buildings. Using EIFS for this 190-apartment complex provided a sustainable solution that enhances energy efficiency, occupant comfort, and long-term durability.
2024 EIFS Excellence Awards Project of the Year Part of the RiseBoro Community Partnership |
Contractor: Elite Wall Systems
Owner/Developer: Buena Vista Associates Architect: Lawless + Mangone This project involved a retrofit of an 8-building complex originally faced with brick. In order to provide energy-efficiency, the owner decided to use EIFS. The new exterior now gives the complex a fun and fresh new look with a variety of colors. This project touts a contemporary, fashion-forward appearance, with eye-catching colors. |
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EIFS Contractor: Elite Wall Systems
Owner: Blue Sea Development Company Architect: Chris Benedict AIA, Energy Unlimited Arch Linden Grove demonstrates how EIFS enhances modular construction for affordable housing with efficiency, adaptability, and refined design. Prefabricated brick-textured panels and custom stone finishes create a cohesive blend of traditional warmth and modern sophistication. Field-applied EIFS allowed precise adjustments to misaligned modular units, ensuring a seamless, unified façade. The single-source system improves energy efficiency, durability, and material reliability while streamlining construction. Linden Grove exemplifies how EIFS transforms modular buildings into high-performing, visually distinguished architectural solutions. Solving the Winter EIFS Dilemma: How One Team Delivered Under Pressure Walls & Ceilings - May 2, 2025 By John Wyatt NGBS Green Case Study |
Contractor: ASAP Contracting Service Corp
Architect: Jeffrey Cole Architects Located in New York City’s fashionable Upper West Side, this seven-story, seven-unit, residential building used to have a porcelain façade so striking in appearance and so elegant in design that it demanded a second glance from everyone who passed by. Then it all came crumbling down. . .literally. Entire sections of the stunning porcelain began to fall, creating a dangerous situation that needed to be addressed immediately. The solution was a remove and reclad. The architect wanted an entirely new façade using an advanced building enclosure system that could deliver on the desired aesthetic, while also achieving enhanced thermal performance. An EIFS system with a specialty porcelain finish was chosen. The project looks very clean, minimal and boutique-like - a gorgeous little building. |
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Contractor: Imperiex Construction, Inc.
Owner/Developer: Matthew Lee Architect: Jeffrey Cole Architects Houston House is an eight-story building in New York City’s trendy East Village neighborhood. The project team addressed both the practical and aesthetic issues it faced because of its location. With the use of EIFS as an exterior cladding, the project has a design that is stylish enough for its East Village residents, while at the same time addressing the traffic noise, cold winters and brutal summers of New York City. |
Contractors: Elite Wall Systems
Owner/Developer Realty: Operations Group Architect: Chris Benedict This renovation project is a complete exterior re-clad of a seven-story apartment building in Queens, New York. By covering the entire brick exterior with EIFS, the owner found a solution to the recurring maintenance issue of masonry repair. The project has a fresh look and uses different sizes of EPS board to add depth and dimension to the once flat façade. This project really showcases the versatility of EIFS! |
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The Heritage
1295 5th Ave New York, NY 10029 Category: Residential Multi-Family/Renovation Architect: Inglese Architects Owner: L+M Development Partners |
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Located in East Harlem, The Heritage is a prominent 1970s-era residential development consisting of 600 rental apartments across two 35-story towers and a 12-story building. As part of New York State’s Empire Building Challenge, this retrofit exemplifies the role of EIFS with Drainage in achieving deep energy retrofits in occupied high-rise, multi-family housing—advancing environmental goals while enhancing tenant comfort.
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Contractor: ECI Contracting, LLC
Owner: Hyatt Corporation Architect: Nobutaka Ashibhara Architects, P.C. This project is a slender 32-story tower, with an abundance of smoky glass windows, alternating with vertical strips that have the look and feel of traditional limestone. While the stone at the base of the building is manufactured limestone panels, the cladding on the upper floors of this 300 foot high building is EIFS. The specialty finish limestone saved the project owner’s budget, without sacrificing their desire to achieve an authentic look with curb appeal. |
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Lido Beach Towers
2 Richmond Rd Lido Beach, NY 11561 Category: Residential/Renovation Contractor: Flag Waterproofing & Restoration
Situated along the Long Island coastline in Lido, New York, Lido Beach Towers has been transformed from a 1928 seaside resort into a 186-unit apartment community with a strong focus on energy performance. The retrofit leveraged EIFS to significantly improve the building envelope—reducing air infiltration and addressing longstanding moisture and thermal inefficiencies that had impacted comfort and energy use. Despite challenges with deteriorated substrates and uneven wall conditions, the continuous insulation layer delivered a tighter, more efficient structure with improved long-term sustainability and reduced operational costs. The upgraded façade, consistent with the building's historic character, also proved highly resilient, acting as a protective barrier against wind and water during a hurricane, with only minor damage caused by flying debris. As noted by consulting engineer Jordan Ruzz, who worked on both the original restoration and recovery, “The façade performed remarkably well.” |
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Seaside Struggle: The Historic Lido Beach Towers Recovers from Sandy
Habitat Magazine - March 5, 2013 By Ronda Kaysen |
Baychester Houses
1891 Schieffelin Pl
Bronx, NY, 10466
Category: High-Rise
1891 Schieffelin Pl
Bronx, NY, 10466
Category: High-Rise
Owner: L + M Development
Architect: Curtis + Ginsberg Architects
Baychester Houses, a 441-unit public housing development in the Bronx, underwent a comprehensive renovation that modernized the community while preserving its identity and allowing residents to remain in place. The rehabilitation addressed decades of deferred maintenance through EIFS recladding of all building façades, improving insulation, resolving moisture issues, and enhancing overall durability and appearance. The affordable housing upgrade also included roof repairs, system-wide mechanical and infrastructure modernization, accessibility and security improvements, and refreshed common areas, entryways, and community facilities. Together, these upgrades significantly improved living conditions and energy performance, reducing CO₂ emissions by approximately 344 tons annually while strengthening long-term sustainability for residents.
Architect: Curtis + Ginsberg Architects
Baychester Houses, a 441-unit public housing development in the Bronx, underwent a comprehensive renovation that modernized the community while preserving its identity and allowing residents to remain in place. The rehabilitation addressed decades of deferred maintenance through EIFS recladding of all building façades, improving insulation, resolving moisture issues, and enhancing overall durability and appearance. The affordable housing upgrade also included roof repairs, system-wide mechanical and infrastructure modernization, accessibility and security improvements, and refreshed common areas, entryways, and community facilities. Together, these upgrades significantly improved living conditions and energy performance, reducing CO₂ emissions by approximately 344 tons annually while strengthening long-term sustainability for residents.
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A Rebirth in the Bronx: Is This How to Save Public Housing?
The New York Times - Aug. 5, 2021 By Michael Kimmelman |
Baychester Houses
New York Housing Conference |
Contractor: Stuccofy Inc.
Owner: Richmond Group Capital LLC Architect: PC Architecture & Planning 160 Richmond Terrace showcases a perfect fusion of bold design and sustainable performance. The building’s dynamic curves and angles, made possible by using an EIF system, not only fulfill the architects’ vision but also ensure superior thermal efficiency, contributing to long-term energy savings. To address the challenges of the curved windowsills, the contractor used an acrylic based, fiber-reinforced flexible adhesive and waterproofer that ensured a water-resistant finish while maintaining the design’s sleek appearance. A strategic pitch was incorporated to divert water, providing an effective solution without compromising the aesthetic quality of the building. This successful combination of innovation and efficiency sets a new standard for modern, sustainable building design. |
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EIFS Contractor: Jersey Panel
Owner: Sherman Creek LLC Architect: Aufgang Sherman Creek North Cove Apartments rises over 30 stories in New York City, delivering 600,000 sq. ft. of high-quality, affordable housing. A fully prefabricated EIFS system replaced brick veneer, providing continuous insulation, brick-look finishes, and precise horizontal, vertical, and radius panels that create a distinctive “wedding cake” façade. Off-site fabrication enabled rapid installation, reducing construction from 36 to 24 months and cutting costs. The lightweight, high-performance envelope enhances energy efficiency, durability, and weather resistance. Sherman Creek demonstrates how EIFS innovation and prefabrication can combine affordability with striking, luxury-level design and performance. |
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Knickerbocker Commons
803 Knickerbocker Commons Brooklyn, NY 11207 Category: Multi-Family Residential Contractor: Alpha Construction
Owner: Ridgewood Bushwick, Senior Citizens Council, Inc. Architect: Chris Benedict, AIA Knickerbocker Commons is New York State’s first 100% affordable multi-family building built to the Passive House standard. Built on vacant city land in Bushwick, Brooklyn, the 24-unit building was developed through New York City Housing Preservation and Development’s Low Income Rental Program. The project was recognized in Mayor Bill de Blasio’s One City Built to Last, an initiative committed to reducing New York City’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. RiseBoro Community Partnership has completed seven projects to meet Passive House standards and is leading the way toward wider adoption of Passive House in affordable housing construction. Is "Passive" Design the Future of Architecture?
New York Post - July 7, 2024 By Sam Lubell Part of the RiseBoro Community Partnership Knickerbocker Commons Passive House Apartment Building Architizer |
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Contractor: McGowan Builders
Architect: Lubrano Ciavara Architects Designed as a haven for children, this ground-up 50,000 square foot elementary school serves 769 Kindergarten through 8th Grade students in the Bronx neighborhood of Clason Point. Spaces within and outside the building facilitate both independent and group learning. The use of natural materials, light, and color form a continuous thread throughout the building and aim to foster joy, comfort, and connectivity for the children who walk its halls. Purposefully staggered triple-glazed windows, in combination with 4” thick EIFS, yield a hyper-efficient building envelope with an R-value of 35, eliminating the need for perimeter heating. |
Bevel
42-20 27th St
Queens, NY
Category: Multi-Family Residential
Owner: The Rabsky Group
Architect: ODA
Bevel reinterprets Long Island City’s industrial heritage through a contemporary lens, showcasing how EIFS can help achieve bold geometry and refined detailing at scale. This 202-unit rental development features a signature stepped façade—articulated with EIFS—to produce its distinctive “beveled” profile while maximizing access to outdoor space. More than half of the residences include expansive private terraces, offering views of the New York City skyline or the building’s interior courtyards and landscaped gardens. The result is a sophisticated integration of form, function, and livability, demonstrating EIFS’s versatility in delivering both aesthetic impact and occupant-focused design.
42-20 27th St
Queens, NY
Category: Multi-Family Residential
Owner: The Rabsky Group
Architect: ODA
Bevel reinterprets Long Island City’s industrial heritage through a contemporary lens, showcasing how EIFS can help achieve bold geometry and refined detailing at scale. This 202-unit rental development features a signature stepped façade—articulated with EIFS—to produce its distinctive “beveled” profile while maximizing access to outdoor space. More than half of the residences include expansive private terraces, offering views of the New York City skyline or the building’s interior courtyards and landscaped gardens. The result is a sophisticated integration of form, function, and livability, demonstrating EIFS’s versatility in delivering both aesthetic impact and occupant-focused design.
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A New Long Island City Apartment Puts the “Fun” in Functional
Metropolis Magazine Metro - September 30, 2022 |
NYCxDesign Awards 2022 - April 25, 2022
Honoree |
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Public Storage
155 West 29th St. New York, NY 10001 Category: Other Architect: Mancini Duffy Architecture and Planning In the heart of mid-town, this striking building showcases a sophisticated mix of 270 prefabricated EIFS façade panels, corrugated metal, and textured finishes that elevate a functional structure into a standout urban landmark. The 84,000-square-foot innovative EIFS exterior was assembled in just two months and delivered significant cost savings while achieving a refined aesthetic with stepped setbacks and rich material variation |
Casa Pasiva
Brooklyn, NY
Category: Multi-Family Residential/Retrofit
Architect: Chris Benedict, AIA
The Casa Pasiva retrofit demonstrates how exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS) can transform aging housing stock into high-performance, visually striking communities. This award-winning project upgraded nine nearly century-old affordable housing buildings in Brooklyn to meet rigorous Passive House energy standards, delivering dramatic improvements in efficiency and comfort. Beyond the crisp, sculptural white façades that give the buildings a renewed identity, the retrofit significantly reduces energy consumption—cutting winter heating costs by as much as 80% while lowering summer cooling expenses for residents. Enhanced wall assemblies also improve indoor air quality by minimizing drafts, moisture intrusion, mold, and pests, with ongoing research tracking these health benefits. Equally notable is the project’s efficiency in execution. As the team refined its approach, installation timelines accelerated, with later phases completed in just a few months. Casa Pasiva stands as a compelling example of how EIFS can revitalize older buildings, delivering durability, sustainability, and modern aesthetics at scale.
These Old Brooklyn Apartments Got a Stunning Facelift - That Also Cut Energy by 80%
Fast Company - December 21, 2022
Part of the RiseBoro Community Partnership
Brooklyn, NY
Category: Multi-Family Residential/Retrofit
Architect: Chris Benedict, AIA
The Casa Pasiva retrofit demonstrates how exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS) can transform aging housing stock into high-performance, visually striking communities. This award-winning project upgraded nine nearly century-old affordable housing buildings in Brooklyn to meet rigorous Passive House energy standards, delivering dramatic improvements in efficiency and comfort. Beyond the crisp, sculptural white façades that give the buildings a renewed identity, the retrofit significantly reduces energy consumption—cutting winter heating costs by as much as 80% while lowering summer cooling expenses for residents. Enhanced wall assemblies also improve indoor air quality by minimizing drafts, moisture intrusion, mold, and pests, with ongoing research tracking these health benefits. Equally notable is the project’s efficiency in execution. As the team refined its approach, installation timelines accelerated, with later phases completed in just a few months. Casa Pasiva stands as a compelling example of how EIFS can revitalize older buildings, delivering durability, sustainability, and modern aesthetics at scale.
These Old Brooklyn Apartments Got a Stunning Facelift - That Also Cut Energy by 80%
Fast Company - December 21, 2022
Part of the RiseBoro Community Partnership
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45 Lenox
Brooklyn, NY Category: Multi-Family Residential Located in Brooklyn’s vibrant Flatbush neighborhood, 45 Lenox showcases how EIFS can blend timeless design with modern performance. Featuring a classic brick-inspired aesthetic, the exterior delivers the visual appeal of traditional masonry while providing the lightweight durability, continuous insulation and moisture management today’s multifamily buildings demand. The result is a striking façade that enhances both curb appeal and building efficiency in the heart of New York City. |
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1730 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY Category: Mixed-Use Architect: Rise Architecture This mixed-use development in the heart of Central Brooklyn showcases how EIFS can support both modern urban living and dynamic commercial space. Featuring a contemporary brick-inspired façade with expansive ribbon windows, balconies and stepped terraces, the project blends architectural character with energy-efficient performance. The development brings together residential, retail, office and community spaces, contributing to the continued growth and vitality of Brooklyn’s thriving neighborhoods. New York City YIMBY March 7, 2025 |
