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In an industrial neighborhood in Brooklyn, a verdant green roof of native grasses, wildflowers, and fruits creates an oasis.

A wall on the second level features a built-in bookcase with a reading nook.

The original home was preserved and renovated. In the front bedroom, a small window was replaced with a large painted-steel window seat, a favorite of the residents' grandchildren.

An expansive lap pool.

On an idyllic afternoon, members of the Oropeza and Castillo clans splash in the backyard pool framed by Trex decking and outfitted with furniture by Móbica.

Outdoor Living

In addition to the limestone and Shou-sugi-ban, the exterior walls are made of natural stucco.

Why build a Passive House? "The obvious answer is low heating and cooling bills, but we find people most appreciate the other benefits, like consistent thermal comfort, sound proofing, and air quality," say the architects.

In the backyard, Lena combined a hammock from a former home with Maya chaises from Room & Board. A Woolly Pockets green wall system holds a variety of succulents. “They’re beautiful and architectural,” Lena says of the plants. “And I can’t kill them, which makes me so happy.”

Hsu developed a natural material palette for the project that's composed of steel, wood, plants, and ceramics. “We didn't want too much visual noise,” he says.

Natural light is filtered through the perforated, corrugated metal patio shade, creating changing patterns on the exposed aggregate concrete floors in the morning

In the living room, a large built-in sectional with integrated storage frees up floor space and can accommodate more people than freestanding furniture, which would chop up the interior.

"Small IKEA kitchens drive me crazy, but six kitchens' worth of IKEA cabinets can be made into something beautiful," says homeowner Andrew Dunbar. Staggered by width, the cabinets have exposed kick-plate gaps for storing CDs.

The two simple volumes are intersected by an internal courtyard that maintains visual transparency between the front and back of the home.

The living room offers a touch of Nordic simplicity with a combined steel TV unit and fireplace from Space Furniture, rattan chair from IKEA, C-shape gunmetal table from Casalife, and art from Cocoon Furnishings.