Brooklyn's Progress
January 2005

A townhouse that new Brooklyn Chamber Member Ken Levenson Architect P.C., worked on was featured on The History Channel program "Back to the Blueprint" on Dec. 4.  The townhouse at 304 Hicks Street in Brooklyn Heights, currently under renovation, was featured as an example of how home heating systems have evolved, highlighting the up-to-date heating and cooling system being seamlessly integrated into this 150 year-old building.  
 
The project, a single-family home renovation, balances current building technologies with the sensibility of the Brooklyn Heights Landmark District: smart lighting is positioned to appear as gas lighting, and high-performance insulation combined with high-efficiency central heating and air-conditioning is the contemporary reincarnation of the house’s original central-heating system, one of the first of its kind in townhouse construction.
 
“It’s a dream job discovering these historic properties and watching as they are brought into the 21st century while maintaining their old world charm,” says Doug McDonald, the building’s developer.
 
Ken Levenson Architect P.C., a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, continually adopts new technologies, materials and practices that increase energy efficiency and promote sustainability.    The firm is located in Park Slope and works throughout the region.