About
Baxt Ingui Architects, P.C. is an award winning firm that has been a leader in design and sustainability for over 40 years. We aim to create well composed spaces, placing a high value on ensuring each project is well crafted, visually timeless, and serves its inhabitants for many years. We have extensive experience in residential, institutional and commercial projects. Our design process relies on collaboration with our clients and extends to the builders, consultants, and craftsmen with whom we work. It is our goal to integrate function, aesthetics and building systems economically and minimize the environmental impact, using the standards of LEED and Passive House certification. The firm was initiated by Ben Baxt in 1977 after several years as a single practitioner in Brooklyn. Michael Ingui joined the staff in 1994 and became a partner in 2000. Martha Valencia-Cordoba became an Associate in 2013 and became responsible for the firm’s management. The staff also includes an interior design team and a highly experienced construction quality observer. The firm is an active volunteer and supporter in many Brooklyn not-for-profit efforts, most notably, Brooklyn Community Housing and Services (bchands.org), where BIA has provided technical assistance for over 25 years and designed multiple projects pro bono.
Environmental mission and strategy (ESG)
Baxt Ingui aims to create better built homes that use less energy while maintaining our high attention to detail and thoughtful design. The first certified passive house in a landmark district, the first certified passive house in Manhattan (also LEED Platinum), the first Passive Plus house in the United States are three of many Passive House projects Baxt Ingui has completed. These super-insulated houses use a fraction of the energy that a typical residence consumes, have better air quality, and are more comfortable to live in. Our collaborative design process begins with our clients and extends to the entire building team. By fostering an open dialogue and sharing knowledge among people we work with across many projects, we are helping to build a community of contractors and consultants that are able to solve complex installations with innovative solutions. Every successful project and every successful detail revision is making Passive House easier to build for our contractors and more economically feasible for our clients. Our experience and knowledge with Passive House building since 2011 has fundamentally changed the way we approach our projects. Even on our projects that will not be Passive House Certified, we have been able to cut the need for heating and cooling by more than half in some cases. We have learned that building smarter and more energy efficient can be incorporated into any project while continuing to create beautiful, well-crafted, and unique homes.