By Nigel F. Maynard
Project: Mini Tower One / Location: Brooklyn, N.Y. / Architect: MODU, Brooklyn / Photos: Michael Moran
Mini Tower One is a potential model for what can be done with existing multifamily structures. An addition to the rear of a Brooklyn, N.Y., residential building, the project extends the use of each unit by providing space for more activities and more light-permitting opportunities.
Brooklyn-based MODU enlarged each floor, adding areas for living and entertaining. “Some areas can be both indoor and outdoor, such as the indoor terrace and all-season room,” says Phu Hoang, AIA, founding director of the firm. “They can also be enclosed so residents can watch seasons pass, with views of spring rains or winter snowfalls.”
The project gives residents a chance to connect with urban nature and incorporates low-energy strategies to improve both indoor and outdoor comfort. What’s more, it features a high-performance building envelope that is airtight during peak heating and cooling seasons to reduce energy use.
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It “follows passive house principles–air-tight, super-insulated facades and an energy recovery ventilator reduce energy use and provide fresh air, with a provision for solar PV energy,” Hoang says. “However, seemingly counter to passive house, during temperate seasons large openings foster indoor-outdoor living. During these seasons, natural cooling occurs from cross-ventilation on all floor levels. Combining the ERV with cross-ventilation during temperate seasons means that residents of Mini Tower One benefit from reduced energy costs and healthy environments from outdoor air year-round.”
Hoang explains that the spaces can passively cool outdoor air before it enters the building, thereby reducing energy use for air conditioning. Plus, the building’s threshold areas—ranging from an indoor terrace to an all-weather room—mitigate air temperature and reduce energy use while creating experiences that extend indoor and outdoor environments. Together, the roof terrace, featuring an edible garden and an existing tall birch tree in the rear yard create experiences with nature.
Originally a building with three units measuring 2,400 square feet, the renovation resulted in two duplexes measuring 3,500 square feet. The first and second floors contain two bedrooms and two and a half baths, while the third and fourth floors have three bedrooms and two baths.
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The project (and its resulting design) has led MODU to conduct urban planning research that seeks to identify additional sites in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens for multi-family additions. This community-focused development strategy maximizes available floor area ratio–the measurement used to determine the maximum amount of building space allowed on a lot–without requiring full demolition.
“The identified lots have additional buildable area, characterized by small footprints but significant vertical potential,” Hoang explains. “Collectively, these vertical slices of zoning opportunities form rear-yard ‘mini towers’ of stacked rooms, creating an urban network that is mostly hidden from public view. Visualization of open-source data identifies lots in the city that permit the construction of mini towers, which increase the density of existing middle housing. Increasing the density of existing middle housing offers an alternative to large multi-family residential developments, which is particularly important in neighborhoods experiencing rapid gentrification.”
