20th Street House, Brooklyn, NY Home, Real Estate Project, American Architecture Images
20th Street House in Brooklyn
Exterior and Interior Building Redevelopment in New York, USA – design by BFDO Architects
Apr 11, 2018
20th Street House
Design: BFDO Architects
Location: Brooklyn, New York, USA
20th Street House

This 20-foot-wide wood frame townhouse, located at the end of a row along a narrow side yard, had existing front and rear extensions. The building volume was selectively manipulated – in some cases through addition, in others through subtraction – to improve room sizes, sequences and adjacencies. Generously sized skylights, window walls and glazed corners were employed to make the most of available natural light.
The front extension was carved away at the corner to create a covered front porch, wraparound window and mudroom. The rotation of the front door – now perpendicular to the street – attenuates the entry sequence (meaning the visitor doesn?t enter directly into the main volume, as in a typical row house). To open up the exposed wall to available light, the stairs were relocated to the party wall. Instead of a straight run, the stairs take a ninety-degree turn and are lit from above, by a large skylight. The corners of the living room and dining rooms were eroded to bring light in and extend views diagonally.

The rear extension was widened to about 15 feet to create a generous mahogany-paneled kitchen with an island, pan...