Electrifying the Skyline: Decarbonizing High-Rise Buildings in Cities like New York

Buildings account for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions, largely due to energy used for heating, cooling, and powering equipment. As cities and organizations adopt ambitious climate goals, electrification is becoming an increasingly important strategy for reducing operational carbon emissions in the built environment. This course introduces the concept of building electrification and explores how replacing fossil-fuel-based systems with efficient electric technologies can support long-term decarbonization goals. Participants will examine the distribution of energy use in commercial buildings and explore key electrification strategies such as heat pumps, variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems, and high-performance building envelopes. The course also examines the technical and design challenges associated with electrifying high-rise buildings and how integrated design approaches can address these challenges. A detailed case study of the Alloy Block development in Brooklyn highlights how electrification strategies can be implemented in a real-world urban project. Finally, the course connects electrification strategies to broader climate frameworks, including the Architecture 2030 Challenge and emerging certification systems such as LEED v5, which increasingly emphasize building decarbonization and operational carbon reduction. Through these discussions, participants will gain a foundational understanding of how electrification can contribute to the transition toward low-carbon buildings and climate-responsive urban development.