A Brooklyn Developer Goes ‘Greenstone’

Less than two years ago, Eitan Baron, who was finishing apartments as a contractor for big developers around the city, found that his craftsman’s instincts were being trampled by the pace of construction at the height of the boom.“They would give us only two weeks to finish an apartment,” Mr. Baron, 29, said. “The construction was bad and people had problems when they moved in.” So, when he found a rundown brownstone in Park Slope on the market for $1.2 million, he sold his stake in the contracting business, put his own apartment on the market, and bought the three-story building.That was June 15, 2006, and every day since, Mr. Baron has been at work on what he calls a “greenstone” — an energy-efficient, environmentally friendly building. He has divided the building, at 695 Degraw St. near Fifth Avenue, into three condominiums that, while boasting energy-saving appliances and recycled materials, have maintained the feel of a classic Brooklyn brownstone.Two of the apartments opened to visitors on Sunday. Mr. Baron will live with his wife in the duplex on the top floor.“For me, what was important was the quality of construction,” Mr. Baron, a youthful-looking Israeli with a short beard, said. “What’s most important is that you can maintain a building for many years. I don’t think building green is more expensive, it just requires more research and patience.”For Mr. Baron, building green also means paying special attention to detail.All of the appliances in the apartments are Energy Star certified, a distinction given by the Environmental Protection Agency to products that meet their energy efficiency standards. The counter in the kitchen is made of a recycled material called Caesar-stone. The microwave vents outside to avoid unintentionally heating up the apartment, and the walls are triple insulated.Upon turning the tap, hot water comes out almost immediately. Mr. Baron said he set up a system called hot-water return, which keeps hot water flowing at all times and thereby reduces the amount of time a person waits with the water running to get the right temperature.The condo’s prices are typical for the neighborhood, brokers said.The first floor condominium is a 1,665-square-foot two-bedroom with two bathrooms, a downstairs recreation room, and a 700-square-foot garden. The asking price is $1.225 million, or $735 a square foot.A nearly identical 1,000-square-foot apartment on the second floor, which doesn’t have the downstairs recreation room but has a 65-square-foot storage space instead, is on the market for $899,000, or about $900 a square foot.Both units have bathrooms with water-saving dual flush systems and saunas built into the showers, as well as energy efficient washers and dryers.During the first open house last Sunday, 22 couples came to see the apartments.“It’s in Park Slope, the type of neighborhood where socially conscious people appreciate this type of offering,” the Corcoran broker for the building, Peter Gordenstein, said. “It was evident in the people coming in. Everybody was excited about the green component.”There are several discussions under way, but no deals yet, he said.Demand for energy efficiency and environmentally friendly architecture has soared over the past few years.“Out of the five recent projects brought to me, every single one wants to be green,” an architect who is a member of Green Home NYC, Gita Mandan, said. “Years ago, I was the one going to people, trying to convince them. Now they are coming and asking for wind turbines.”Green Home NYC makes information available on how to transform a regular home into one that is environmentally friendly. The group is offering tours of homes that exemplify green standards on October 6.During construction, Mr. Baron decided to save the top floor of the building for himself.He added a stucco extension on the roof with a bedroom, a sunny living room, and a balcony that has views of Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan.“You know, like a five-star restaurant owner, he builds the restaurant, but then he sits in it for a few years,” he said. “I want to sit in my building for a few years, see how everything works.”The building dates to 1899, and Mr. Baron said he used as much of the original wood as possible during construction. The apartments have some exposed beams in the ceiling and the original banister leading up the three flights of stairs is still intact, albeit with a new finish. During the gutting process, workers found the building’s old dumbwaiter wheel and Mr. Baron placed it above the door to the first-floor apartment.The effect is a subtle balance between the old, dark wood of earlier eras and a modern living space with copious light and smooth surfaces. A bamboo fence in the backyard and the relaxing music that was playing from the shower speakers during a recent visit gives the apartment an earthy tone, reminiscent of a Japanese garden.After selling the two units, Mr. Baron said he would begin a search for a new building in the area in the hopes of spreading his ideas about construction and setting up more “greenstones.”Running his fingers over the wall of the downstairs apartment, Mr. Baron said: “I’m giving them away like I would my children. I say goodnight to them before I go to sleep.”

A Brooklyn Developer Goes ‘Greenstone’

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