North River Architecture & Planning

North River Architecture & Planning is a flexible, full-service architectural design firm specializing in energy-efficient, sustainable and Passive House design balanced with a sensitivity to local and historic context. Whether designing secluded getaways, multi-family housing or corporate interiors, we are ultimately committed to our clients, to our local community and to smart, resilient design practices. In the ten years since North River was founded, co-founders Stephanie Bassler and Peter Reynolds have honed a best-practices approach to sustainable design that allows the team to achieve the highest standard of energy efficiency using inexpensive commonplace materials and local subcontractors. In 2018 they completed and received PHIUS+ Certification for the acclaimed Accord, NY Passive House project, designed by and built for Peter to be his home as well as an educational venture for the firm and for the public. The design and construction process was opened to any and all who wanted to learn alongside North River Architecture how to bring Passive House standards to the Hudson Valley without breaking the bank. North River is committed to the PHIUS+ standard of excellence in building design as a necessary step forward for the health of our global climate. Looking ahead to the next decade, North River is setting its sights on hamlet-based development and walkable communities as a model for how communities and homeowners can effect global change with their building choices, policies and practices.