The Hot Seat: Alex Barrett

Welcome to the Hot Seat, where we talk with folks who work in Brooklyn real estate, development, architecture, and the like. Introducing Alex Barrett, the founder of Barrett Design and Development. Carroll Gardens-based Barrett Design does both real estate development and architecture and specializes in historically sensitive work. The firm just launched a Facebook page.

Brownstoner: What neighborhood do you live in, and how did you end up there?

Alex Barrett: I live in Cobble Hill near the border of Carroll Gardens with my wife Lindsay and our two kids. We moved here from the East Village in 2004. I grew up in Park Slope in the 70’s, so I already had Brownstone Brooklyn in my blood. Then in 2004 Lindsay, a residential real estate broker with the Corcoran Group, was taking out some clients in Brooklyn and fell in love with the borough as well.
Shortly thereafter we went to an open house on something of a lark – a floor-through brownstone co-op on Clinton Street – and that ended up being our first Brooklyn home. Now we live in a townhouse on Henry Street, and our office is on the ground floor. All of our development projects to date have been within walking distance, so we like to think that we’re about as local as it gets.

BS: So far your work has been in Carroll Gardens, although you do have an upcoming project in Fort Greene, 121-23 Fort Greene Place. How did you begin in Carroll Gardens? Can you speak a little on the character and the demands of working in this neighborhood?
AB: There are a number of reasons all our projects to date have been in Carroll Gardens. First, we know it intimately as it’s where we send our kids to school, where we shop, where we live. When we moved here we found the quality of small-scale real estate development was pretty low, so we believed that with an emphasis on good design we could do better. We’ve found that our work resonates with people seeking a home in Carroll Gardens, many of whom are in creative industries themselves, and are at a similar point in their lives as we are. I think it’s wonderful that so many families stay in Carroll Gardens for so long – generations in a lot of cases. The truth is it makes our job harder since properties turn over so rarely, but it adds a great deal of stability and depth to the neighborhood. I think the retail and restaurant offerings in Carroll Gardens are fantastic. And of course the row house architecture is wonderful.

After the jump, Alex talks about balancing the contextual and creative, his work at the 25 Carroll conversion, and a renovation project to come at 202 President Street…

BS: Your firm also specializes in contextual, historically sensitive design. How do you approach this so it doesn’t feel limiting or restrictive?

AB: I think it’s a misconception that contextually sensitive design has to be less imaginative – I think the creativity just happens at a somewhat smaller scale and is more subtle. First, I think you need to take ego out of the equation. We don’t approach a project with a pre-conceived notion of what it should look like, nor do we view it through some sort of ideological lens. That being said, every context provides a designer with any number of variables to work with. I really enjoy working in row house neighborhoods because I think the density makes for wonderful streets and communities, and I think it’s proven to be incredibly flexible housing type. Even if you accept that you are going to maintain similar building scale, street wall condition, and size and rhythm of openings, I think there are still great opportunities to use exterior materials in unexpected ways, or examine how a building changes from night to day. But we also place a lot of emphasis on our unit layouts and space planning – size and proportion of rooms, adjacencies, transitions, light and views. Most of the buildings we acquire are in poor condition on the inside so we typically have a lot of freedom to lay out the units as we see fit.

BS: What has been your most memorable project? What are you working on for the future?
AB: 25 Carroll Street was a real turning point for us in many ways – the size, the location, the building type, the scope of the marketing and identity – so that will always be special. I’ve always liked what Enzo Ferrari said when he was asked which of his car designs he liked the most: “the next one.” The truth is that we have built a great team and we all really love what we do, so we’re always excited about our next opportunity. We’ve just closed on two new projects: the first is 202 President Street in Carroll Gardens. Presently it’s a pretty ordinary attached row house but photos from the 1940’s show its prior grandeur, so we will be doing some great exterior rehabilitation work to bring back the detail that was lost. Inside we will make three large units, each with private outdoor space. The top unit will be especially amazing, with views of the Manhattan skyline.

202 President now

202 President Street then

Our other new project is 121 Fort Greene Place, which will combine a pair of 20’ wide townhouses into a 7-unit building. We’ve done that before – combine two adjacent townhouses – and it’s a great opportunity. Having such a large footprint within a row house context opens up some unique possibilities. That building is in an historic district so we’ll also be doing a lot of great exterior rehabilitation work, reversing years of neglect and rebuilding two stoops that were removed long ago.

BS: Finally your favorites: top BK neighborhood, fave property, and favorite new development, not associated with your firm.
AB: Very hard questions! I love how all the brownstone Brooklyn neighborhoods have their own distinct flavor. Working on 25 Carroll over the last year I’ve developed a real love of the Columbia Waterfront District. I always love the edge between residential and industrial uses because that’s where some really interesting design often occurs. It’s the same reason I enjoy the Gowanus area. As for buildings, my favorites are typically the poor old neglected ones that show their age but still give a glimpse of their former selves. I love being able to breathe new life into old buildings, and help write their next chapter. As for new developments, the truth is I’m extremely critical and I don’t go see very many. I appreciate 191 Luquer in Carroll Gardens, as that was a really thoughtful mix of old and new. I like some aspects of 14 Townhouses on State Street in Boerum Hill – I think they had some interesting takes on the townhouse type, and I found the interior layouts very nice. I know it’s not in Brooklyn, but I think 211 Elizabeth Street in Nolita looks great from the exterior, though I haven’t been in any of the units. I liked how their marketing campaign harkened back to the age of hand drawings.