Title: Astoria Home Gets Eco-Friendly Makeover, Becomes Certified Passive House
In Astoria, Queens, a unique home stands out among the traditional brick houses in the neighborhood. Owned by John Keenan, the house has undergone a remarkable transformation to become a certified passive house, setting a new standard for sustainable living in the area.
Keenan, a tech industry recruiter, purchased the rowhouse in early 2020 and enlisted the help of architects Ruth Mandl and Bobby Johnston from CO Adaptive to turn it into an energy-efficient marvel. The project, completed last summer at a cost of $525 per square foot, showcases a variety of innovative strategies to maintain consistent interior temperatures and clean air with minimal energy usage.
The architects preserved much of the original structure while introducing key features of passive houses, such as an airtight membrane and insulation within the walls. They also replaced traditional air-conditioners with energy recovery ventilators and installed a solar canopy on the roof, reducing Keenan’s energy bill to zero dollars a year.
The interior of the house features eco-friendly materials like linoleum flooring and porcelain slabs, while maintaining the original Art Deco charm with black-and-white tile patterns and brass doorknobs. The architects paid homage to the past while embracing the future of sustainable living.
The project serves as a model for extending the life of existing buildings and making them more resilient for the future. Keenan’s home is a testament to the possibilities of eco-friendly renovations in urban environments, proving that sustainability and style can go hand in hand.
The Astoria passive house stands as a beacon of innovation in a neighborhood known for its traditional architecture, showing that being different can also mean being environmentally conscious. The project highlights the potential for sustainable living in Queens and beyond, setting a new standard for eco-friendly renovations in urban areas.
