Passive House principles applied to the buildings we already love — airtight, well insulated, with filtered fresh air and modern heating and cooling. Lower bills, better air, and a house that's comfortable in every room, every season.
Book a Retrofit ConsultationMost Brooklyn brownstones were built between the 1870s and 1910s, with solid masonry walls, no insulation, and a lot of air moving through places it shouldn't. That's why the parlor floor is drafty, the top floor bakes in July, and the boiler runs all winter.
A deep energy retrofit fixes the building envelope first — air sealing, insulation, windows — then right-sizes the heating, cooling, and ventilation to match. Passive House is the most rigorous version of that approach. You don't have to chase full certification to get most of the benefit; the goal is a plan that fits your building, your budget, and your timeline.
A walkthrough of the building plus a blower-door test and energy assessment to find where heat and air are actually escaping — cornices, floor-joist pockets in the party walls, windows, the cellar, and the roof.
A continuous airtight layer and insulation where it does the most good — the roof first, then walls and the cellar. Insulating solid masonry has to be done carefully so the brick and brownstone can still dry out — that's what our masonry retrofit method is built for.
Triple-pane or high-performance replacement windows, with profiles and finishes chosen to suit the facade — and to meet landmark district requirements where they apply.
A tight house needs a planned supply of fresh air. An energy recovery ventilator exchanges stale indoor air for filtered outdoor air while holding on to most of the heat or cooling.
Once the envelope is improved, the heating and cooling load drops enough to replace an oil or gas boiler with efficient heat pumps — often a smaller system than you'd expect.
Do it all during a gut renovation, or in stages over several years. Either way, the work is sequenced so nothing has to be undone later, with the right certified consultants and trades coordinated under one plan.
Brownstones aren't new construction. Solid masonry walls, shared party walls, ornate interiors, and landmark rules all shape what's possible. Our masonry retrofit is Passive House adapted specifically for brownstones and attached townhouses.
A free consultation at the house to see the building and hear what's bothering you — drafts, bills, noise, air quality, or all of it.
A phased scope that fits your building and budget, with testing, design, and certified specialists brought in where the project calls for them.
Brownstone Project manages the work start to finish, so you get oversight without becoming your own general contractor.
Yes. Brooklyn has some of the country's best-known Passive House rowhouse retrofits. Full certification for existing buildings (called EnerPHit) is demanding, but many owners get most of the comfort and savings by applying the same principles without pursuing a certificate.
It shouldn't. Front facades are usually left as they are, with insulation added on the interior side or at the roof and rear where it does the most good. Original moldings, mantels, and details can be preserved with careful planning.
Yes, with planning. Visible facade changes such as new windows in a historic district require Landmarks Preservation Commission approval, so window profiles and materials are chosen with that in mind. Rear facades and interiors are generally more flexible.
No. A gut renovation is the easiest time, but a staged plan works too: roof and air sealing first, windows next, then ventilation and heat pumps. The key is sequencing so earlier work isn't torn out later.
It can be, if it's designed properly. Interior insulation changes how a masonry wall dries, so the masonry needs to be sound and moisture-managed first. That's the core of our masonry retrofit approach for brownstones and attached townhouses.
Utility, state, and federal programs for heat pumps and energy efficiency change often. We'll check what currently applies to your building and project as part of the plan.