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Location: Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, New York
Project size: 3,500 square feet

Program: Mini Tower One is a rear addition to a two-unit multifamily residential building in Brooklyn, New York, that long ago functioned as a rowhouse. The clients, who live in one unit and lease the second, sought to extend each apartment with combined indoor-outdoor spaces (such as terraces and all-season rooms), add partial floors to the top of the building, and renovate some of the existing interiors.

Design Solution: Brooklyn-based studio MODU aimed to connect residents of Mini Tower One with their urban context and nature. An indoor tree filters air and reduces the temperature, while radiant outdoor heating prolongs the use of the enclosed terrace throughout the year. An air curtain allows the sunroom to remain open to the outdoors without significantly impacting the interior environment. The roof terrace includes a vegetable garden that can be used to entertain. Large openings foster connections with the surrounding area.

Photo © Michael Moran

Mini Tower One adds 30 percent more area to the building but only requires 12 percent additional energy consumption, which is offset, according to the architects, by rooftop photovoltaics. This is accomplished, in part, because the project was designed to passive-house principles, with super-insulated facades and an energy-recovery ventilator that introduces fresh air. However, during warmer months, passive cooling occurs from cross-ventilation on all floor levels.

Structure and Materials: The addition’s structural system consists of light-gauge metal framing and “mini-beam” concrete slabs. Recycled-aluminum panels—both solid and perforated—clad the tower. Mesh also appears inside in the form of stair railings and risers.

Additional Information
Completion date: December 2023
Site size: .037 acres
Total construction cost: Withheld
Client/Owner: Withheld

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Photos © Michael Moran

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Images courtesy MODU; click to enlarge