Architecture: Modern Gut Reno of Burg Rowhouse

When it comes to townhouses, Williamsburg isn’t on a par with many neighborhoods in Brownstone Brooklyn. Many of the houses were built for a modest audience than those in Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope and Fort Greene. So when Coburn Architecture was presented with the challenge of renovating a slightly dilapidated three-story row house in North Williamsburg, one defining goal became clear right away: Bring as much light as possible into the dark interior. One bold move included inverting the floorplan to feature bedrooms and an office on the first and second floors, and communal rooms for cooking, dining, and living on the airy third floor, just below the roof deck. The bulkhead and roof deck provided an opportunity to capture light while creating an outdoor room for socializing and relaxing. The Dumbo-based firm designed a central stair tower (pic just added below) consisting of glass, iron, and wood that borrows light from the roof deck and shares it with into the lower floors. A glass panel was embedded in the wall of the master bath to further reflect and refract light throughout. If you’re an architect and think you have a recent project that would interest Brownstoner readers, please drop us an email.