Apartments and Condos Passive House

Engine 16

Green cast iron detailing, stained glass, and a fire escape on the front facade of a New York City apartment building.

Once home to the Metropolitan Steam Fire Engine Company No. 16 in Manhattan's Kips Bay neighborhood, the historic firehouse known as Engine 16 was converted into a church in 1974. A full-scale, Passive House certified adaptive reuse renovation converted the building into a multifamily residence with a community facility on the ground floor.

Elevator in a Manhattan apartment with an antique metal barn door and exposed brick wall.

Kitchen in a New York City apartment. The kitchen has wide plank wood floors, white marble countertops, and reclaimed tin ceilings. Beyond the kitchen, the rear of the apartment and living room can be seen through an open, sculptural staircasae.

The design respects the history of the building and leaves the original façade intact, including the cast iron base, ornate terracotta brick details, and deep cornice.

Terracotta and brick front facade of an apartment building in Kips Bay, Manhattan.

The view from the top of a sculptural spiral staircase. The balusters are modern and black, and the risers and handrail are light wood, as are the wood floors on each level.

A double height space in a Manhattan apartment. A red SMEG refrigerator sits in the kitchenette next to the landing of the staircase. A lofted space connects the different portions of the fourth floor. Through the open staircase, the top floor kitchen can be seen.

View of the kitchen from the staircase in a Manhattan apartment. At the top of the image, reclaimed railings protect a lofted bedroom area. The kitchen millwork is blue with white marble countertops, and the kitchen island is clad with reclaimed wood from the building's joists.

Our design team collaborated with the client and contractor to create a final product that integrates many of the building's original, unique firehouse elements and building materials with modern amenities and finishes.

Kitchen in a New York City apartment. The kitchen has wide plank wood floors, white marble countertops, and reclaimed tin ceilings. On the counter, pastries and coffee mugs are laid out next to a floral arrangement. A dog sits in front of a stainless steel refrigerator at the right of the frame.

Looking up at a sculptural staircasae in a Manhattan apartment. The staircase is open and modern, and reclaimed tin ceilings can be viewed at the left of the image. A catwalk with wood paneling leads to the outdoor areas, and a modern ceiling fan sits at the ceiling atop the staircase.

Bathroom in a Manhattan apartment. The floors are dark grey tile, and a floating vanity has dark wood drawers. The walls are tiled, with white tiles along the vanity wall and orange and blue tiles along the tub and shower wall.

The kitchen and living room space in a Manhattan apartment. The kitchen has a black countertop with white marble counters, an orange SMEG refrigerator, and a reclaimed wood door leading to the pantry. A reclaimed ladder leads to a storage loft above the kitchen.

The building consists of four apartments, one of which is the owner's unit.

The living room and bedroom in a Manhattan apartment. Large windows lead out to a turfed outdoor area. At the left of the image, a flayed window allows light into the living room.

Kitchen in a Manhattan apartment. The wall of the kitchen is exposed brick, the floors are reclaimed wood, and the millwork is painted green. The appliances in the kitchen are all stainless steel, and the ceilings are clad in white painted tin.

We retained as much of the historic site as possible, focusing on salvaging original structure and finishes. Among the repurposed elements throughout the space are an original wooden railing, interior doors, milk glass wall tile, original tin ceilings, floor joists relocated and reinstalled throughout the building, and the existing subfloor, which was refinished and repurposed to create new flooring material.

Staircase leading to the lofted bedroom area in a Manhattan apartment. The staircase is modern, with open risers and open stringers. In the living room sits two fiddle leaf fig plants. Reclaimed railings separate the loft from the space below. The walls are white painted brick, and the crown moldings are light grey.

The kitchen at the front of a Manhattan apartment building. The historic window wells have large arched tops. The beams at the ceilings are exposed, and the floors are light reclaimed wood. The large island is clad in reclaimed wood with white marble countertops.

Powder room in a Manhattan apartment. At the left of the frame, the reclaimed wood door with brass hardware can be seen. The floors are black and white tile, and the bottom half of the walls are clad in reclaimed wood. The top half of the walls are covered in a light seafoam green color.

The foreground of the image contains a black metal and natural wood, open-riser, open-stringer sculptural staircase. Beyond the staircase, an armchair sits in front of a window. Hanging on the wall next to the staircase is a photograph that references a Vermeer painting.

Kitchen with reclaimed tin ceilings, dark green millwork, wood floors and accents, and an open staircase leading to the lower floors of the apartment.

The juxtaposition of old and new, along with the light that pours into the spaces, create a warm, inviting, and thanks to Passive House design, healthy interior environment.