'LITTLE HOUSE, BIG CITY' PROJECT BY OA, OFFICE OF ARCHITECTURE IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

LITTLE HOUSE. BIG CITY 

The owners of this 11 ­foot­wide row house in Brooklyn were faced with a conundrum that many young families in New York eventually confront: the possibility of sacrificing location for space. After living in the house for eight years, the pair – an architect and jewelry designer – chose to expand in order to make room for their two growing children and remain in the Brooklyn neighborhood they had come to admire. The original 2­story, 1000SF home was completely gutted and extended to 4 levels by adding a bedroom suite above and digging a new urban mudroom below. The narrowness of the house required the design to make effective yet frugal use of space; every inch was important. Precise positioning of walls, doors, and windows was crucial as each floor was planned to serve a purpose. The lowest level serves as a new entry, storage, laundry, and mechanical area; the first floor is a continuous public space with living, dining, kitchen, and library opening to gardens in the frontand back; the second contains two kids' bedrooms along with a 2­sink bathroom; while the topmost level holds the master suite with a sleeping area, bathroom, balcony, and terrace. A slender steel stair repositioned on the south side party wall connects the house vertically and draws more light, air, and views into the building. Materials throughout the home are modest, natural, and unassuming: the rawness of unfinished steel and character­grade walnut is juxtaposed with the simple refinement of honed Carrara marble and matte ceramic hex tiles. The result is a home that is not just larger, but livelier – filled with the possibility to do more and stay longer in a city that requires its residents to be resourceful.

Project Specs

Architect: Office of Architecture >  www.oa-ny.com
Team: Aniket Shahane, Principal; Joshua Eager, Ivan Kostic, Edward Simpson, Valentin Bansac, Stephen Maher
Photography: Matthew Williams (Interior); Rafael Gamo (Exteriors)
General Contractor: Montestbuild, Inc.
Structural Engineer: Blue Sky Design
Code Consultants / Expeditors: James Anzalone; Sol Building Consultants
Millwork: Matthew Gribbon
Steel Stair: Brooklyn Metal Fab

Product Specs

Bathroom Faucets: Dornbracht
Bathroom Sinks: Alape
Toilets: Duravit, Toto
Kitchen Cabinets: IKEA
Kitchen Countertops: Honed White Carrara Marble
Kitchen Backsplash: Honed White Carrara Marble
Kitchen Sink: Blanco
Kitchen Faucet: Dornbracht
Kitchen Appliances: Liebherr Fridge, Wolfe Range, Bosch Dishwasher
Flooring: Character­Grade Walnut by Sawkill Lumber
Bathroom Tiles: Jeffery Court 
Exterior Materials: Painted Brick, Stucco
Exterior Paint: Benjamin Moore
Interior Paint: Benjamin Moore

Photography 

Matthew Williams (Interior) +  Rafael Gamo (Exteriors)

All content, Courtesy of OA.