Dispatch from the Park Slope Passive House

photo via Brownstoner

Earlier this month, we reported that 23 Park Place had received its Passive House Institute certification. Today, the Brooklyn Paper unpacks the details: what, exactly, makes the Park Slope Passive House so passive? How does this thing work?

For one thing, it’s covered in foam — an energy-effient (and not-as-bad-looking-as-it-sounds) alternative to the sandstone facades of traditional Brownstones. And “coupled with a complete foam lining on the interior, solar panels, and methodically planned air ventilation,” that foam facade improves insulation and reduces the need for externally-generated heat by a whopping 90%.

But that’s not all: the design — a project of eco-design firm Fabrica718— also includes eight exterior rainwater collection barrels, 12 solar panels to generate energy for hot water and electricity, and “thick triple-pane glass casement windows that open like doors.”

Of course, not everyone is happy about it. The paper reports that a group of Brownstoner commenters “lashed out against the foamstone’s windows, which don’t match the ‘double-hang’ windows typical on brownstones.” Clearly, some people didn’t read The Big Orange Splot.