the esd journal

Historical and Eco: Hoboken Brownstone Transformation

Looking at the austerity and architectural significance of the brownstones that line the streets of New York, New Jersey, and beyond, it may seem a little rude to call them old — so we’ll kindly refer to them as historical. When working with the composition, structure, and history of these iconic buildings, the “old” has to be taken into consideration just as much as the new. And in an age of eco-friendly design, architecture, and technology, the considerations often branch well beyond the age of the walls and the originality of the archways into the realm of efficiency and how to blend that with beauty.

Space

ROOMS IN THESE BUILDINGS ARE STACKED; A COMPLETE CONTRADICTION TO THE POPULAR OPEN-CONCEPT. MAKING THE MOST OF THE SPACE ALLOTTED, BUT CUTTING A FIGURE OF SEPARATE SPACES BECOMES A CHALLENGE ALL ITS OWN. MOWERY MARSH ARCHITECTS (MMA) WERE ON THE OWNERS’ LIST OF RENOVATION MUSTS FROM THE START — AND THEY WERE, AS ALWAYS, PERFECT FOR THE JOB. NOT ONLY WERE MMA CHALLENGED TO CREATE CLEAN LINES AND OPEN UP SPACE WHEREVER POSSIBLE, BUT THEY WENT THE EXTRA MILE AND EXTENDED THE GROUND FLOOR AND EVEN ADDED A WHOLE NEW FLOOR FOR THE MASTER SUITE.

THE MMA EXPERTISE TRANSFORMED THE WAY WE ALL LOOKED AT THIS HISTORIC HOME. OUR APPROACH BECAME ONE OF FINDING AND CREATING SPACE WHEREVER WE COULD AS MMA DELVED INTO THE WORK THEY DO BEST: TURNING A PIECE OF HISTORY INTO AN ECO-FORWARD MASTERPIECE.

TO CREATE MORE OF AN ILLUSION, WE USED FURNISHINGS WITH OPEN AIR UNDERNEATH THEM TO LIFT THE OVERALL FEELING OF EACH ROOM AND CONTRAST THE BOLD COLORS. A MORE MODERN FEEL WAS CREATED WITH NO MOLDING, CLEANING UP BUSY WALLS AND ALLOWING THE TEXTURES OF ACCENTS, ART, AND TEXTILES TO TAKE THE LEAD.

SOul

OUR HOBOKEN BROWNSTONE PROJECT STARTED WITH A SIMPLE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHERE THE OWNERS WOULD BE MOST AND HOW THEY COULD BEST UTILIZE THE CLASSIC ARCHITECTURAL STYLE FROM THEIR 150-YEAR-OLD HOME. NATURALLY, THE KITCHEN AND DINING ROOM AREAS WERE NOMINATED THE NERVE CENTERS. IN EACH SPACE, WE WORKED FROM THE IDEA THAT THESE ROOMS WOULD BE USED HARD. NOT JUST BY THE FAMILY BUT BY GUESTS. THIS MEANT SOURCING MATERIALS THAT HAD BOTH FAMILY-FRIENDLY TEXTURES AND PATTERNS, AS WELL AS FAMILY-FRIENDLY DURABILITY.

MOWERY MARSH UTILIZED DETAILS LIKE EXPOSED BEAMS IN THE KITCHEN, A REVITALIZED FIREPLACE AND MANTELPIECE, AND A MANSARD ROOF ON THE EXTENSION TO PRESERVE THE SOUL OF THE HISTORIC. WHILE THINGS LIKE DURABLE FABRICS, SURFACES THAT COULD BE REFINISHED, INDOOR/OUTDOOR CUSHIONS, EXPANDABLE TABLES, AND A MUDROOM WITH PLENTY OF STORAGE WELCOMED THE NEW SOUL OF THE OWNERS AND THEIR CHILDREN.

sustainability

WORKING WITH MOWERY MARSH ARCHITECTS MEANT WORKING WITH A LEADER IN THE PASSIVE HOUSE MOVEMENT. THIS 1800S BROWNSTONE FACED MANY CONVERSIONS, PERHAPS THE MOST DRASTIC BEING ITS LEAP FROM INEFFICIENT TO ECO-FRIENDLY. THROUGH THE GUIDANCE OF MOWERY MARSH WE INSTALLED TRIPLE-GLAZED WINDOWS, AND A VENTILATION SYSTEM THAT ENSURES FILTERED AIR IS CIRCULATED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE HOUSE 24/7. ADDITIONALLY, ALL INSULATION WAS UPGRADED.

THOUGH THIS HOME IS NOT PASSIVE CERTIFIED, ITS NEW OWNERS CAN STILL ENJOY THE LOW-ENERGY, HIGH-EFFICIENCY, SUPER SUSTAINABILITY LIFE WITH KEY DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURAL CHOICES.

THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE OF PROJECTS LIKE THIS ONE ARE KEEPING BOTH THE ORIGINAL ARCHITECTURE AND FEEL, AS WELL AS THE MODERN UPGRADES AND RENOVATIONS APPROACHABLE. DURING THIS PROJECT, WE FOUND A NUMBER OF WAYS TO OFFSET COSTS AND MAKE SURE THE OWNERS RECEIVED A DREAM HOME ENCAPSULATED IN A BEAUTIFULLY HISTORIC BUILDING.