From thread collective
thread collective’s three partners always imagined designing a home for themselves, a chance to inhabit their vision of a sustainable, elegant architecture integrated with both the landscape and the city. After years of looking at property throughout Brooklyn and many intensive design conversations, with the help of some fortuitous timing, the Brooklyn architecture + urban design firm now owns and occupies Trouthouse, a three unit LEED gold building. Introduced to Bushwick’s stealth charms while working with several artists in the neighborhood [long before Roberta’s made it a destination], thread purchased an empty lot on Troutman Street in 2007. That same year, thread moved their studio a few blocks away, making the indispensable daily trips to the site during construction possible. In addition to the building being a showcase for their ideas, the experience of being owner, developer, and architect has proved to be invaluable to the firm. They understand the design process from the other side of the table, having navigated the many complex decisions and calculations that they must guide their clients through, from property assessment to fastidious material decions to weighing costs related to sustainability.
thread’s airy offices are on the ground floor, with for lush views into the cultivated wild of a backyard through the floor-to-ceiling windows. A spiral staircase connects to the second floor with a tree house feel, and is home to partners Mark Mancuso and Elliott Maltby. Floor through apartments on the third and fourth floor have long views over the skyline of Bushwick and Manhattan. A large solar array canopy at the bulkhead creates shade and generates enough electricity to power the thread duplex year-round. A deck and green roof, built by the thread partners last summer, is open to Trouthouse residents and an increasing number of beneficial insects. Sunset parties extend late into the evening, local mumblers’ pigeons and the New York skyline captivating friends, colleagues, and clients.
A primary focus is energy efficiency; not only in conservation but also at the source through specific construction methods and materials, energy modeling, commissioning services, and the optimization of mechanical equipment. While not an exhaustive list, additional green design elements will be : 1. construction and finish materials considered for their “green” properties with the aim of creating a non-toxic environment for the inhabitants and workers 2. building integrated photovoltaic array of approximately 5KW will take advantage of the full southern exposure and will supply energy for the common spaces 3. A rooftop garden will be provided as common space and will support a green roof design of native planting 4. a grey water retention system will supply non-potable water for irrigation purposes in the rear and rooftop garden 5. energy efficient heating and cooling.