James Hartford AIA, LEED AP, CERTIFIED PASSIVE HOUSE CONSULTANT (CPHC)Creative / Technical / Partner, RIVER Architects Partner James Hartford’s work is rooted in technical expertise and design sensibility. In addition to his excellent design skills, he contributes his building envelope expertise and leads the sustainable
design process for each of the firm’s projects. He is currently working on several Passive House projects that range from single family retrofits, multi-unit row houses in Newburgh, and an organic hard cider mill in the Catskills.James is the founder and the Acting President of Passive House Alliance US- Hudson Valley Chapter. In that capacity James has brought Certified Passive House Builder instruction to Newburgh, NY, and Certified Passive House Consultant training to Schenectady, NY- with significant funding from NYSERDA. These programs were the first of their kind in Upstate NY. James earned his Master of Architecture from the University of Buffalo and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Fine Arts from the University of Albany. He has studied abroad in Germany and in England, and has taught upper level design studios at Kyonggi University’s Graduate School of Architecture in Seoul, South Korea.
