{"id":2217,"date":"2024-10-20T16:15:26","date_gmt":"2024-10-20T08:15:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/2024\/10\/20\/adding-energy-efficiency-and-revived-style-to-1860s-quarters-in-brooklyn\/"},"modified":"2024-10-20T16:15:26","modified_gmt":"2024-10-20T08:15:26","slug":"adding-energy-efficiency-and-revived-style-to-1860s-quarters-in-brooklyn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/nl\/adding-energy-efficiency-and-revived-style-to-1860s-quarters-in-brooklyn\/","title":{"rendered":"Adding Energy Efficiency and Revived Style to 1860s Quarters in Brooklyn"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The 1860s brick row house in Brooklyn\u2019s Boerum Hill had a lot going for it: tall ceilings, lacy moldings, marble mantels, and a gracious floor plan that had served its residents untouched. The HVAC system was also more or less original. It presented the longstanding owners\u2014an eco-minded couple who had raised their children here\u2014with an opportunity to make some upgrades.<\/p>\n

CO Adaptive, a Brooklyn architecture practice and building studio specializing in energy-efficient design, was readymade for the job. Co-founders Ruth Mandl and Bobby Johnston had transformed their own historic Brooklyn townhouse into a passive home\u2014that\u2019s their kitchen on the cover of Remodelista: Het energiezuinige huis<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis project was about smartly using our budget to update not only the systems, but the kitchen and bathrooms\u2014modernizing the house while respecting its history,\u201d says Ruth. \u201cWhen it came to making new insertions, we had to be very surgical.\u201d  To spot the project look closely: the exterior now fittingly\u2014and subtly\u2014stands out from its neighbors thanks to its new dark green trim.<\/p>\n

Photography by Naho Kubota, courtesy of CO Adaptive.<\/p>\n


Above: The Boerum Hill brick row house received careful preservation along with new triple-glazed, wood-framed windows from Bewiso painted deep green: \u201cthey simulate the double-hung arrangement of historic windows, a requirement of local landmark district regulations,\u201d says Ruth, \u201cwhile providing superior thermal and acoustic performance.\u201d <\/p>\n

The front doors were stripped and finished with Ecos Paints Deep Red Mahogany wood stain and a clear, protective top coat.<\/p>\n


Above: The back extension was added in the 19th century, likely not long after the house was built. CO Adaptive replaced its broken wooden deck and stair with steel (the pale green is RAL 6019 in a satin finish).,<\/p>\n

The stucco on the rear yard fa\u00e7ade is painted with Benjamin Moore Textcrete, which, Ruth notes, is \u201celastomeric and vapor permeable, so it protects the masonry from moisture and also allows it to breathe and dry out.\u201d The roof cavity was filled with blown-in cellulose insulation to improve thermal performance.<\/p>\n


Above: The ornate vestibule doors and main stair were refinished and repaired. Note the salvaged old-growth pine floors, newly sanded. \u201cOften in a house this age, the floors have been sanded so many times that nailheads are visible and replacement is the only viable option,\u201d says Ruth. \u201cBeing able to retain them was a happy, sustainable surprise.\u201d <\/p>\n

The floor is finished with zero-VOC Rubio Monocoat: adds Ruth, \u201cwe selected a natural stain with just a little bit of color to match the new solid oak stair treads and still allow the pine\u2019s cathedral grain to shine through.\u201d<\/p>\n


Above: The parlor retains its marble mantel, brass chandelier, and intricate plaster moldings\u2014damaged and missing parts were recast using custom 3-D molds. Brooklyn-based Plane Remodeling served as the project\u2019s general contractor. <\/p>\n

As for the inner workings, a new heat pump VRF (variable refrigerant flow) system now stands in place of a gas-powered boiler and radiators, and the house has an EVR (energy recovery ventilator) that supplies continuously flowing filtered air into the same ductwork as the heating and cooling system. \u201cThe ducting routes were carefully planned to not disrupt the historic house and disappear from sight as much as possible,\u201d says Ruth. \u201cAll you can read of the new system are the spackled-in grills.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Above: The parlor floor previously had a central hall and single doorways leading into the living room, dining room, and kitchen. The architects introduced \u201cnew structural openings in load-bearing walls between the rooms to increase open space and connectivity and allow the spaces to better communicate.\u201d Says Ruth:\u201dWe were intentional in detailing these new openings in minimal, modern trim. It contrasts with the historic decorative moldings and door surrounds and visually marks their newness.\u201d
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Above: A new, streamlined kitchen is set in the extension and retains existing elements, including the owners\u2019 gas stove (\u201cwith the switch to heating with electricity, we were maximizing the house\u2019s electrical capacity; switching cooking as well would have required upgrading the electrical service,\u201d explains Ruth). <\/p>\n

The cabinets are Reform\u2019s Basis design. Oiled oak on the lower half was selected to work well with the refinished oak floor, and the upper doors are painted to blend with the walls. (See the cabinets used in another kitchen here.)<\/p>\n


Above: The new floor flow allows the Reform cabinets to extend into the dining room, where CO Adaptive tucked the owners\u2019 existing Sub Zero fridge, enabling a breakfast counter\u2014and breathing space\u2014in the adjacent kitchen (scroll up to see how close the fridge is to the sink).,

Above: The back stair links to a separate garden level apartment.
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Above: Upstairs, new high-performance skylights and a hatch by Lamilux extend the natural light\u2014and echo the circles of the original light fixture.
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Above: All of the interior walls, ceilings, and moldings are color-drenched in the same matte-finished warm white: Benjamin Moore\u2019s Vapor.
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Above: The refinished oak floors and new triple-glazed windows extend into the three bedrooms.
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Above: CO Adaptive updated the upstairs bathrooms at either end of the hall. This one has Nameek\u2019s Teorema wall-mounted sink and Loft 2.design. polished chrome faucets from Watermark of Brooklyn. The tiles are Vogue Turchese 2-by-2-Inch Floor Matte Mosaic  and 4-by-8 inch Vogue Latte, both from Nemo Tile. <\/p>\n

Turquoise meets peach: The tiles are Vogue Turchese 2-by-2-Inch Floor Matte Mosaic  and 4-by-8 inch Vogue Latte, both from Nemo Tile, and ahe Mushroom Pendant light is from Brooklyn design studio In Common With.<\/p>\n

Here are more favorite projects by CO Adaptive:<\/p>\n