Brownstone Ductless Retrofit — Polhemus Place, Brooklyn

Adding cooling to a Brooklyn brownstone means working without the luxury of duct chases. This Polhemus Place project was a room-by-room ductless retrofit through an occupied home with original millwork and plaster that had to survive the installation.

Indoor heads were placed to keep sightlines clean and to avoid disturbing existing trim. Line sets were routed to the roof, where the condensers were set on stands clear of the membrane so that roof drainage and future roofing work are not obstructed.

Retrofits in landmarked and pre-war housing stock are a large part of our residential work. The mechanical problem is usually straightforward; the constraint is always the building.