Blog

The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association is featuring one of our projects for their Virtual Pro Tour happening live on Friday, April 16. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the transformation of a historic Manhattan firehouse into four units of PHI-certified passive housing. Construction is currently underway and you’ll be able to see it all through a…

Even without an addition, this rear facade looks very different from its starting point. Not only are the large openings to the parlor kitchen and garden family room new, we also added a steel deck with stairs to connect the kitchen to rear yard. The easily overlooked detail is the transformation of the brick. Like…

More daylight and higher temperatures mean more evenings spent people-watching on the front stoop. The tight parameters of this front yard required precision when re-designing the stoop. By eliminating the second entry door and reclaiming the original arch-top window, we were able to create a more gracious, sweeping stair on the opposite side of the…

One of the compromises in adding an elevator to this Brooklyn Heights home was that it would block the natural light streaming through an existing etched glass window into this stairwell. To make room for the elevator shaft located just on the other side of the etched window, we were able to condense the stairs…

Here’s a midweek reminder to enjoy the outdoors today! After a year spent mostly indoors, warmer temperatures have us looking forward to spending more time in the open air, whether it’s going for a walk around the neighborhood or sitting in your backyard. We love this Park Slope example that has a direct connection to…

A playful geometric pattern can add lots of interest to small scale bathrooms. Pattern always works well on a traditional bathroom floor, and can also be applied to bathroom walls for a modern twist. Tiles can be pieced together like a puzzle to create a one-of-a-kind wall mural that is full of movement or uniquely…

Tune in to Fine Homebuilding’s podcast episode that features a discussion with Michael Ingui about the challenges of building in New York City, how to improve builder-contractor relationships, and make Passive House construction more mainstream. Listen here! The Fine Homebuilding podcast embodies Fine Homebuilding magazine’s commitment to the preservation of craftsmanship and the advancement of home…

This Cobble Hill townhouse underwent a major transformation when the existing small kitchen was relocated from the garden floor to the more light-filled parlor. The kitchen did not have to give up its outdoor access because we added a deck off the parlor floor with stairs down to the yard. The new configuration allows a…

This project combined casual and formal living floors through a unique steel and glass system that lets light flood the house but keeps noise at bay through the open spaces. The second floor family room looks down into the parlor living room and the vast, 2-story bookcases that will soon be filled with a personal…

If you haven’t heard, February is retrofit month at Passive House Accelerator. Continuing the retrofit palooza, the Accelerator is welcoming our own Amy Failla to present on a historic firehouse Passive House retrofit at the Global Passive House Accelerator Happy Hour this Wednesday, February 10th. Fast. Factual. Fun. These FREE gatherings are a virtual place…