This Brooklyn Heights Greek Revival Rowhouse lived a number of lives since it was originally built in 1846. Throughout the home’s early years, a series of additions and renovations at the rear of the house created an eclectic collection of spaces. Since 1951, the family of architect Herbert Kaufman owned the home, until our client purchased it. They used it as a three-family building with an owner’s triplex on the lower floors with two floor-through apartments above.
Our renovation provided the opportunity to go further than converting the building from three- to one-family. Alongside an incredible team, we designed RedBrick Developers Passive House. The home is incredibly healthy, quiet, and well-built, resulting in Passive House certification. Passive certified homes are sealed from most bugs and dust, have filtered fresh air 24/7, serene interiors due to triple-glazed windows, and need almost no heat.
This project was an incredible collaborative effort that included:
- RedBrick Developers
- Nadia Bartolucci of Douglas Elliman
- Kleen Construction, General Contractor
- bldgtyp, Passive House Consultants
- Celin Munoz, Structural Engineer
- RJD Engineer, Mechanical Engineer
- Keron Sheridan, Staging
Design Outcomes
RedBrick Developers Passive House included reproportioning a number of exterior additions to create a single, wide, light-filled space to house a large kitchen. Originally, the owner’s kitchen was a small space in an extended corner of the parlor floor. The new kitchen spans the entire parlor floor in a newly designed extension. Atop the new kitchen extension, the primary suite includes a private terrace.
We restored the intact front facade and added Passive House simulated double hung windows, which allows light to pour into the restored parlor floor. The house also includes an elevator that spans from the cellar to the rooftop deck with NYC views.
At the rear of the house, we completely redesigned the multiple extensions and terraces to create one cohesive facade with a parlor-level rear addition.
Finally, finishing the roof created a new outdoor space with breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline.
Photography: VHT Studios