Old New York apartments contain layers of decisions made by different owners in different eras. When taking on a new renovation, the design process must re-evaluate these decisions to craft a new space that embraces the good decisions and discards those that no longer work.
This Federal-style townhouse, once located in the historical Washington Street Market active from the 1770s to 1960s, was used for most of its life as an egg and poultry distributor. During the 1970s, the townhouse together with 8 others was renovated as part of the Washington Street Urban Renewal Plan.
This Manhattan loft space is located in a building originally constructed as a bank in 1873. Because of this, the space wasn’t particularly well set up as a home, but it had enormously large windows, beautiful original woodwork and flooring, and an ornate structural column mostly still in tact.
Situated within a landmark former warehouse, the project combines two previously renovated apartments into one new home for a young, growing family. With complex lives that require flexible live and work space, the design re-balances the spatial distribution to emphasize a grand, communal area while minimizing the sleeping spaces.
