The Catskill Project mountain development is truly one with its surroundings.
It’s often said that the three most important considerations in real estate are “location, location, and location.”
First impressions are essential when it comes to making the sale, and a home’s surroundings factor heavily into a prospective homeowner’s interest. Put another way, people want to live in places they like.
Through its unique carbon neutrality initiative, the Catskill Project has truly taken this idea to heart to create a community that isn’t just cost- and energy-efficient, but aesthetically pleasing to live in.
From the Judges: “As far as building and designing an extremely efficient home goes? It’s out of the ballpark.”
That community includes Red Hill, one of four Passive House-designed builds on the 90-acre site in the hamlet of Livingston Manor, New York. The three Red Hill homes feature the efficiency and quality control of off-site panelized wall systems, carbon tracking, renewable energy, and master craftsmanship.
The combination of sustainability features, along with the Catskill Project’s history of forward-thinking design elements, makes it a winner of Green Builder’s 2026 Green Home of the Year in the Offsite Construction category.
Green Inside and Out
The Catskill Project is named after the area’s landmark Catskill Mountains, colloquially known as “the Catskills.” Featuring 11 homes, the project was designed with its location in mind, offering its homeowners gorgeous views of the surrounding countryside.
All of that green has a purpose, however: 42 acres—nearly half of the entire plot of land available to the development—has been left undeveloped so as to leave sufficient woodlands for carbon sequestration. Indeed, the project team prioritizes removing as few trees from the area as possible during the Catskill Project’s continued development, both to further their goals towards carbon neutrality, and to preserve the natural beauty of the region.
Thanks to their conservation efforts—and, of course, the carbon removal efforts of the trees themselves—the entire Catskill Project is expected to be fully carbon neutral in approximately seven years.
That’s not to say that the Catskills’ trees pull all of the weight when it comes to the project’s sustainability. Each of the homes—Red Hill chief among them—is a leader in environmentally conscious practices in its own right.
With a Bensonwood Tektonics prefabricated envelope (complete with dedicated service cavities for the walls and roof); a combination of dense-packed cellulose, Rockwool, Logix Frost Wall, and EPS ThermalFoam insulation; a Zehnder ComfoAir Q350 Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV); and a Mitsubishi HyperHeat Outdoor Heat Pump water heater, each Catskill Project property has an energy load approximately 80 percent lower than the coded limit—which in itself is easily taken care of and then some by onsite solar arrays that turn each home all-electric.
Each home meets Passive House U.S. standards, and the development is on track to receive a PHIUS prescriptive path certification. With the additions of low-energy appliances from Bosch, JennAir, and LG, as well as full LED lighting, Catskill Project homes truly are as green as their namesake.
Unsurprisingly, sustainability and carbon neutrality were two of the biggest goals for the Catskill Project’s three leads: co-founders Greg Hale and Peter Malik, and architect Buck Moorhead.
“The principals and co-founders of The Catskill Project designed the project in order to demonstrate a low-footprint approach to single-family living,” Malik states. “The Passive House standard not only reduces the energy load by up to 85 percent, but also creates a healthy residential environment with superior indoor air quality. The result is homes which are economically efficient, environmentally friendly, durable with low maintenance, and healthy for the occupants.”
“Low maintenance” didn’t necessarily equate to “low cost” during construction, however, largely thanks to complications associated with COVID-19. Thanks to the resultant supply chain disruptions and increases to material prices, construction costs for the Catskill Project ballooned 30 to 40 percent above the team’s initial projections.
Labor shortages provided the team with another valuable lesson: secure tradespeople well in advance. “There is a shortage of relevant labor in western Sullivan County, with many booked for many months or even years ahead,” Hale explains. “It is critical to develop durable relationships, thereby ensuring availability and dependability of all necessary trades.”
To help offset these unexpected costs, the team chose to construct the building envelope offsite and then ship and erect it within the development afterwards. The decision yielded impressive results; the constructed envelopes were delivered with precise dimensions, easily met the criteria for Passive House certification, and only took a few days to erect once they were delivered. These allowed Catskill Project units to almost literally appear overnight. Considering that each envelope represented roughly 40 percent of the value of its associated unit, it’s safe to say that they were worth the wait.
Hale, in particular, has remained consistently impressed with the results of the project. “Honestly, I wouldn’t do anything differently,” he says, before joking, “but if I could, I would prevent material cost increases, supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages—none of which is, of course, possible.”
Triple-pane aluminum glass windows help control sunlight and external heat. Credit: Wolvestudios/Adam Fithers
Solar panels keep the house fully powered and on its way to Passive House certification. Credit: Wolvestudios/Adam Fithers
A kitchen featuring all-electric appliances and sustainably sourced wood fixtures is a sustainability highlight. Credit: Wolvestudios/Adam Fithers
All homes within Red Hill incorporate both natural daylighting and energy-saving, long-lasting LED. Credit: Wolvestudios/Adam Fithers
Red Hill’s bathrooms feature Richlite countertops, which are a combination of recycled and renewable forest products with a thermosetting resin to form a material that’s extraordinarily resilient, machinable, and versatile. Credit: Wolvestudios/Adam Fithers
White oak flooring and fresh air preserving no-VOC paint can be found throughout the upstairs. Credit: Wolvestudios/Adam Fithers
Key Components
Appliances: Bosch 300 Series Wall-Mounted Range Hood; JennAir Panel-Ready 30-inch Built-in Bottom-Mount Refrigerator; JennAir 36-inch Noir Induction Professional-Style Range; JennAir 24-inch Noir Integrated Dishwasher with 3rd Level Rack; LG 24-inch Smart Compact Front-Load Washer; LG 24-inch Smart Electric Ventless Dryer with Dual Inverter Heat Pump Building envelope: Bensonwood Tektonics prefabricated wall panels - WFB10 wall with continuous insulation and insulated service chase (R-53); Bensonwood Tektonics prefabricated roof panels with 16-inch dense-pack cellulose and insulated service cavity (R-79) Cabinets, shelves, millwork: Custom cabinetry by Mike Scardino d/b/a T&M Custom Furniture, Narrowsburg, N.Y. Caulks and sealants: Various Countertops: Natural Granite by Barra & Trumbore, Kehonkson, N.Y.; or Richlite, a high-grade custom FSC-certified paper infused with a hand-laid thermosetting resin Decks: Unfinished Red Cedar, Black Locust Doors and hardware: Exterior doors Unilux IsoStar2 PVC triple-pane exterior doors (U-0.16); Interior doors 8-foot solid core slab with EMTEK and Baldwin hardware Electrical: 200amp service including 50amp Exterior finishes: Ghent Wood Green Hemlock Rainscreen Siding over Weather-Resistant Barriers; Eaves and fascia: Ghent Wood Products - Green Hemlock; Window trims: Thermory Ignite; Windowsills: UNILUX Aluminum Sill Pan; Building skirt: Black Locust from Locust Lumber or CUPACLAD Natural Slate Cladding; Stucco on exposed FDN wall Flooring: First floor polished concrete; stairs and second floor solid white oak; bathroom tiles - Fireclay Natural Press Ceramic Tile, Quick Ship Essentials, and Original Ceramic Home controls: Mitsubishi Minisplit Thermostat, Wi-Fi adapter, and heat pump/AC surge protector; Zehnder ERV Controller and ERV Boost Switch HVAC/ducts: Mitsubishi Hyper-Heat Outdoor Heat Pumps (SUZ-KA12NAHZ), Mitsubishi Multi-Position Ducted Air Handlers Insulation: Foundation: Logix ICF frost wall and EPS thermal foams under slab; Exterior wall: Dense pack cellulose with Comfortbatt Rockwool in service cavity; Interior stud wall: Safe ‘n’ Sound Proof Rockwool Landscaping: Mountain Top Landscaping, Livingston Manor, N.Y. Lighting: Owner-supplied, must be LED; Stickbulb linear pendant; Slant LED indoor and outdoor wall light (TCP supported) Paints and stains: Benjamin Moore zero-VOC paint; Bona water-based stains Plumbing/plumbing fixtures: Delta; Kohler Renewable energy systems (solar, wind, etc.): Owner option for solar, battery backup Roof: Metal standing seam Telecommunications: Spectrum Broadband Ventilation: Zehnder ComfoAir Q350; Electro-Industries EM-MC05 make up air unit; Honeywell HM750A10000 humidifier Water heating: Eco2 System; Sanco2 heat-pump water heater; external compressor w/ Sanco2 interior 43-gallon water tank Windows, skylights, patio doors: UNILUX uPVC IsoStar2 triple-pane aluminum-clad windows and sliding patio door (U-0.16)
Alan Naditz is managing editor of Green Builder Magazine. He has covered numerous industries in his extensive career, including residential and commercial construction, small and corporate business, real estate and sustainability.
Pre-Fab Escape
The Catskill Project mountain development is truly one with its surroundings.
First impressions are essential when it comes to making the sale, and a home’s surroundings factor heavily into a prospective homeowner’s interest. Put another way, people want to live in places they like.
Through its unique carbon neutrality initiative, the Catskill Project has truly taken this idea to heart to create a community that isn’t just cost- and energy-efficient, but aesthetically pleasing to live in.
From the Judges: “As far as building and designing an extremely efficient home goes? It’s out of the ballpark.”
That community includes Red Hill, one of four Passive House-designed builds on the 90-acre site in the hamlet of Livingston Manor, New York. The three Red Hill homes feature the efficiency and quality control of off-site panelized wall systems, carbon tracking, renewable energy, and master craftsmanship.
The combination of sustainability features, along with the Catskill Project’s history of forward-thinking design elements, makes it a winner of Green Builder’s 2026 Green Home of the Year in the Offsite Construction category.
Green Inside and Out
The Catskill Project is named after the area’s landmark Catskill Mountains, colloquially known as “the Catskills.” Featuring 11 homes, the project was designed with its location in mind, offering its homeowners gorgeous views of the surrounding countryside.
All of that green has a purpose, however: 42 acres—nearly half of the entire plot of land available to the development—has been left undeveloped so as to leave sufficient woodlands for carbon sequestration. Indeed, the project team prioritizes removing as few trees from the area as possible during the Catskill Project’s continued development, both to further their goals towards carbon neutrality, and to preserve the natural beauty of the region.
Thanks to their conservation efforts—and, of course, the carbon removal efforts of the trees themselves—the entire Catskill Project is expected to be fully carbon neutral in approximately seven years.
That’s not to say that the Catskills’ trees pull all of the weight when it comes to the project’s sustainability. Each of the homes—Red Hill chief among them—is a leader in environmentally conscious practices in its own right.
With a Bensonwood Tektonics prefabricated envelope (complete with dedicated service cavities for the walls and roof); a combination of dense-packed cellulose, Rockwool, Logix Frost Wall, and EPS ThermalFoam insulation; a Zehnder ComfoAir Q350 Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV); and a Mitsubishi HyperHeat Outdoor Heat Pump water heater, each Catskill Project property has an energy load approximately 80 percent lower than the coded limit—which in itself is easily taken care of and then some by onsite solar arrays that turn each home all-electric.
Each home meets Passive House U.S. standards, and the development is on track to receive a PHIUS prescriptive path certification. With the additions of low-energy appliances from Bosch, JennAir, and LG, as well as full LED lighting, Catskill Project homes truly are as green as their namesake.
Unsurprisingly, sustainability and carbon neutrality were two of the biggest goals for the Catskill Project’s three leads: co-founders Greg Hale and Peter Malik, and architect Buck Moorhead.
“The principals and co-founders of The Catskill Project designed the project in order to demonstrate a low-footprint approach to single-family living,” Malik states. “The Passive House standard not only reduces the energy load by up to 85 percent, but also creates a healthy residential environment with superior indoor air quality. The result is homes which are economically efficient, environmentally friendly, durable with low maintenance, and healthy for the occupants.”
Click to view a larger image
Offsite Construction, Onsite Results
“Low maintenance” didn’t necessarily equate to “low cost” during construction, however, largely thanks to complications associated with COVID-19. Thanks to the resultant supply chain disruptions and increases to material prices, construction costs for the Catskill Project ballooned 30 to 40 percent above the team’s initial projections.
Labor shortages provided the team with another valuable lesson: secure tradespeople well in advance. “There is a shortage of relevant labor in western Sullivan County, with many booked for many months or even years ahead,” Hale explains. “It is critical to develop durable relationships, thereby ensuring availability and dependability of all necessary trades.”
To help offset these unexpected costs, the team chose to construct the building envelope offsite and then ship and erect it within the development afterwards. The decision yielded impressive results; the constructed envelopes were delivered with precise dimensions, easily met the criteria for Passive House certification, and only took a few days to erect once they were delivered. These allowed Catskill Project units to almost literally appear overnight. Considering that each envelope represented roughly 40 percent of the value of its associated unit, it’s safe to say that they were worth the wait.
Hale, in particular, has remained consistently impressed with the results of the project. “Honestly, I wouldn’t do anything differently,” he says, before joking, “but if I could, I would prevent material cost increases, supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages—none of which is, of course, possible.”
Triple-pane aluminum glass windows help control sunlight and external heat. Credit: Wolvestudios/Adam Fithers
Solar panels keep the house fully powered and on its way to Passive House certification. Credit: Wolvestudios/Adam Fithers
A kitchen featuring all-electric appliances and sustainably sourced wood fixtures is a sustainability highlight. Credit: Wolvestudios/Adam Fithers
All homes within Red Hill incorporate both natural daylighting and energy-saving, long-lasting LED. Credit: Wolvestudios/Adam Fithers
Red Hill’s bathrooms feature Richlite countertops, which are a combination of recycled and renewable forest products with a thermosetting resin to form a material that’s extraordinarily resilient, machinable, and versatile. Credit: Wolvestudios/Adam Fithers
White oak flooring and fresh air preserving no-VOC paint can be found throughout the upstairs. Credit: Wolvestudios/Adam Fithers
Key Components
Appliances: Bosch 300 Series Wall-Mounted Range Hood; JennAir Panel-Ready 30-inch Built-in Bottom-Mount Refrigerator; JennAir 36-inch Noir Induction Professional-Style Range; JennAir 24-inch Noir Integrated Dishwasher with 3rd Level Rack; LG 24-inch Smart Compact Front-Load Washer; LG 24-inch Smart Electric Ventless Dryer with Dual Inverter Heat Pump
Building envelope: Bensonwood Tektonics prefabricated wall panels - WFB10 wall with continuous insulation and insulated service chase (R-53); Bensonwood Tektonics prefabricated roof panels with 16-inch dense-pack cellulose and insulated service cavity (R-79)
Cabinets, shelves, millwork: Custom cabinetry by Mike Scardino d/b/a T&M Custom Furniture, Narrowsburg, N.Y.
Caulks and sealants: Various
Countertops: Natural Granite by Barra & Trumbore, Kehonkson, N.Y.; or Richlite, a high-grade custom FSC-certified paper infused with a hand-laid thermosetting resin
Decks: Unfinished Red Cedar, Black Locust
Doors and hardware: Exterior doors Unilux IsoStar2 PVC triple-pane exterior doors (U-0.16); Interior doors 8-foot solid core slab with EMTEK and Baldwin hardware
Electrical: 200amp service including 50amp
Exterior finishes: Ghent Wood Green Hemlock Rainscreen Siding over Weather-Resistant Barriers; Eaves and fascia: Ghent Wood Products - Green Hemlock; Window trims: Thermory Ignite; Windowsills: UNILUX Aluminum Sill Pan; Building skirt: Black Locust from Locust Lumber or CUPACLAD Natural Slate Cladding; Stucco on exposed FDN wall
Flooring: First floor polished concrete; stairs and second floor solid white oak; bathroom tiles - Fireclay Natural Press Ceramic Tile, Quick Ship Essentials, and Original Ceramic
Home controls: Mitsubishi Minisplit Thermostat, Wi-Fi adapter, and heat pump/AC surge protector; Zehnder ERV Controller and ERV Boost Switch
HVAC/ducts: Mitsubishi Hyper-Heat Outdoor Heat Pumps
(SUZ-KA12NAHZ), Mitsubishi Multi-Position Ducted Air Handlers
Insulation: Foundation: Logix ICF frost wall and EPS thermal foams under slab; Exterior wall: Dense pack cellulose with Comfortbatt Rockwool in service cavity; Interior stud wall: Safe ‘n’ Sound Proof Rockwool
Landscaping: Mountain Top Landscaping, Livingston Manor, N.Y.
Lighting: Owner-supplied, must be LED; Stickbulb linear pendant; Slant LED indoor and outdoor wall light (TCP supported)
Paints and stains: Benjamin Moore zero-VOC paint; Bona water-based stains
Plumbing/plumbing fixtures: Delta; Kohler
Renewable energy systems (solar, wind, etc.): Owner option for solar, battery backup
Roof: Metal standing seam
Telecommunications: Spectrum Broadband
Ventilation: Zehnder ComfoAir Q350; Electro-Industries EM-MC05 make up air unit; Honeywell HM750A10000 humidifier
Water heating: Eco2 System; Sanco2 heat-pump water heater; external compressor w/ Sanco2 interior 43-gallon water tank
Windows, skylights, patio doors: UNILUX uPVC IsoStar2 triple-pane aluminum-clad windows and sliding patio door
(U-0.16)
By Alan Naditz
Alan Naditz is managing editor of Green Builder Magazine. He has covered numerous industries in his extensive career, including residential and commercial construction, small and corporate business, real estate and sustainability.Also Read