Brooklyn townhouses

American studio The Brooklyn Home Company has designed a Brooklyn townhouse using Passivhaus principles in New York’s Carroll Gardens neighbourhood.The Sackett Street townhouse comprises four storeys as well as a rooftop with views of the Manhattan skyline, along with a basement and a drive-in garage.

The four-storey townhouse has views of the Manhattan skyline
Stairs from an outside decking area lead to a back garden, and a private terrace is accessed from the main bedroom.
Passivhaus is a recognised European energy standard for homes that require minimal energy to heat or cool and promote high indoor air quality.

The Sackett Street townhouse’s back garden

For the townhouse project, The Brooklyn Home Company used an energy recovery ventilation (ERV) filtration system.
“The air quality brings health and cognitive benefits that the developer believes will become the new standard for home building in New York City,” co-founder of The Brooklyn Home Company William Caleo told Dezeen.
“The homes also maintain humidity levels to prevent virus spread, which is common in both dry and cold weather. In short, our opinion is it’s the best way to build new homes,” he said.

A living room leads to the back garden
Adopting Passivhaus principles addresses two of society’s greatest threats, argued William Caleo.
“As society grapples with not only the current public-health crisis but the reality of climate change, builders and home designers are using Passivhaus design as an alternative technique in the wake of Covid-19.”

The house’s walls are painted in white Farrow and Ball paint
William Caleo and his sister Lyndsay Caleo Karol worked closely with his sister’s husband, Fitzhugh Karol, the studio’s in-house artist, to design the interiors.
Madera white oak hardwood floors and walls painted with white Farrow and Ball paint were chosen to create a “bright and airy” home.

A hand-crafted bed by Fitzhugh Karol in the main bedroom
Hand-crafted pieces of furniture designed by Fitzhugh Karol include the wooden four-poster bed in the main bedroom.

VonDalwig Architecture brightens Brooklyn townhouse House 22

Other one-of-a-kind pieces include a bespoke dining table and a dresser, and the elegant twin beds in the children’s room were also made bespoke for the property.

The twin beds in the children’s bedroom were made especially for the house
The townhouse’s open-plan kitchen is a mixture of exposed beams and custom built-in wood, also designed by Fitzhugh Karol. A reclaimed ceiling by The Brooklyn Home Company hangs overhead.
These rustic features are offset with sleek Pietra Cardosa countertops and a range cooker by La Cornue. Hardware fixtures by Waterworks and Restoration Hardware tie the space together.

The property’s kitchen is a mix of rustic and polished features
Selected artwork is also integral to the townhouse’s interior atmosphere. A notable piece is Tyler Hays of BDDW’s painting of a woman, made of puzzle pieces, which hangs in the dining room.
Artistworks by Jen Wink Hays, Paule Morrot and Caleb Marcus Cain also decorate townhouse’s light and open rooms.

Artist Tyler Hays’ puzzle painting adds depth to the dining room’s white walls
The Brooklyn Home Company has recently launched 25 new homes also built according to Passivhaus principles across two Brooklyn developments in South Slope and Greenwood Heights.

More Passivhaus projects outside of Europe include the upcoming 1075 Nelson Street skyscraper in Vancouver, designed by UK studio WKK Architects. When completed, it will be the world’s tallest Passivhaus building to date.
Photography is by Matthew Williams and Travis Mark.

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