Our Company
We are an e-commerce-based catalyst in the transformation of US construction to high-performance, low-energy and Passive House buildings. The idea of 475 began with its founders: architects and building scientists, alarmed by the climate crisis, who recognized Passive House technology was an urgently necessary response. The name “475” is a reference to the heat demand requirement of the Passive House Standard, 4.75 kilo BTUs per square foot per year. Passive House is the gold standard for high performance construction today.
475 High Performance Building Supply, based in New York City, and LAMILUX, a 50-year old family-run business from the Bavarian region of Germany, have partnered to bring truly high performance daylighting elements to North America. They offer technically sophisticated solutions, delivering high quality products that contribute in the broadest sense to the well-being of human society.
What We Do
475 helps make more durable, resilient, ecological, and energy-efficient buildings that optimize occupant comfort and health. We enable the building improvements required to dramatically reduce our energy demand and address our climate crisis.
We offer best-in-class products, with a highly specialized focus, through peer-to-peer communication and launched on a business-to-business interface. We use E-commerce in rebellion against the construction industry status quo. Standing at the crossroads in the climate fight, we’re building the Passive House market through grassroots organizing, and by advocating for public policy changes.
We deliver our products in a timely manner from regional fulfillment centers, and support them with intense attention to customer service, bountiful knowledge resources and local on-the-ground support. Activism builds our core customer base; our collaborative community – and as such, it is critical to realizing the transformation we seek. Our manufacturing partners not only produce critical, best-in-class, products, but care deeply about the building science driving them and the resulting environmental impacts.
Our core customers are intelligent and trusted professionals – architects, engineers, consultants, developers and contractors - who are concerned about sustainability, long-term performance and building science. We enjoy working closely with our customers figuring out the details and solutions – improving all our work.
Our Mission
475’s mission is to supply essential knowledge and critical building components that will lead a transformation of the North American construction industry toward making durable high-performance, Passive House and zero-energy buildings. And low-energy buildings are essential to realizing our post-carbon future – mitigating the worst effects of climate change.
So at our core, we are activists for a sustainable environment. We have a passion for building science, sustainable material use and Passive House; for protecting the environment and making the world a better place.
We want to question, debate, and build consensus. Teamwork brings fun, and we work together - with urgency, to get the job done - across the United States and Canada.