Park Slope Passive Redux

A family of four — both parents working from home and all four sensitive to allergens and city pollution — purchased this long-vacant Park Slope brownstone knowing it could become something most Brooklyn homes aren’t: a high-performance, deeply healthy home built for the way they live and the climate challenges ahead.Brooklyn brownstones are built to last, but age brings problems — and this one had more than most. Vacant for years following a fire, it had a failing facade, holes in the roof, and water damage throughout. We kept what was significant — the masonry, the front facade — and restored it fully: traditional stucco repairs, a rebuilt mahogany cornice, new ironwork, reset bluestone. Behind it, the interior was rebuilt entirely to the Passive House standard: continuous insulation, high-performance windows, careful air sealing, an ERV, reclaimed wood flooring, natural materials, and low-VOC finishes throughout. A solar array and green roof complete the performance.