Louvered Townhouse
Photo by Orlando Garcia
This townhouse is as much defined by its surroundings as it contributes to redefine the continuity and the scale of the streetscape.
The not so well known “Columbia Waterfront District” in Brooklyn is a secluded semi industrial strip of land rich in light, air and views and characterized by a fairly mix of low rise industrial and residential buildings. And although not far from the site, the big cranes of the Red Hook Container Terminal can be seen lifting hundreds of cargo containers each day, with the migration of industrial uses outside the city and the high demand for housing, especially single family homes, the neighborhood has witnessed the conversion of a vast number of industrial buildings and the rezoning of several blocks to allow residential uses.
In recognizing the moment of feeling a new neighborhood in the make, our ambition with this building was to respond to these conditions by having a structure which is residential in spirit but at the same time industrial in character. Thus paying tribute to a city which continuously evolves admitting the mix of the old and the new.
The south facing louvered façade in sync with the industrial character of the neighborhood filters the sunlight during the winter and blocks direct light in the summer months.
Behind this somewhat dense and opaque latticework, an array of window openings is subtly visible, revealing the feel and character of a traditional townhouse. Yet from the inside the spacing of the slats allows ample visibility. This vivid contrast endows the building with a certain mysterious effect.
The feel of a traditional town house can also be perceived in the simple geometrical order of the sequencing of the spaces determined by the adopted building typology.
Further, centering the idea of creating a home where light and shadow define the quality of the spaces, the introduction of natural light is of key importance and therefore different kinds and moods of light can be experienced: the parlor floor, a single large room with access to the backyard, enjoys of soft north light on the living room area; the kitchen area receives filtered south light with long shadows during the winter months; and the dining room is bathed with west overhead light which fills the double height atrium-like space above, this latter space is conceived as the heart of the house. Bedrooms and private spaces benefit from the location in the upper floors with impressive views towards the city.
The program also includes a small studio on the first floor with direct access to the family garden. Access to the main roof terrace is through a staircase topped with an access hatch which resembles accessing a ship’s main deck; from which in fact, the New York City Harbor can be contemplated in its full splendor.
This project is one of the first houses designed and built under the passivhaus standards in New York City.
