adding room on roof of brownstone
Here’s an ambitious but hopefully doable idea. I own a four-story legal three-family brownstone in brooklyn (plus unfinished underground basement). I want to build a one-room fifth story about half the size of the footprint of the house. The idea is to create a single, mostly glass room on the roof with sliding doors out…
Here’s an ambitious but hopefully doable idea. I own a four-story legal three-family brownstone in brooklyn (plus unfinished underground basement). I want to build a one-room fifth story about half the size of the footprint of the house. The idea is to create a single, mostly glass room on the roof with sliding doors out onto a small-ish roof deck. I’m thinking I would follow and continue the existing stairwell from the 4th floor (where it now ends, obviously) up to this new floor. That would mean busting through the skylight that is now at the top of the stairwell. (I’d like to add a skylight on top of the new room to continue to allow light to fall all the way down to the parlor level.) This new room would be something like 21X21 — i.e., the entire width of the house (21), and a bit less than half of the legnth of the house (45), with a good chunk of the 21X21 space taken up by the stairs leading up. I’m pretty sure I have the FAR — supposedly the multiplier is 2.0, and I currently have 3780 feet on a 2216 foot lot. In case it matters, the house is in a R6B district on Zoning Map 16C. It’s not a landmarked block.
My questions are:
— Anyone know anyone who’s done this kind of thing?
— Anyone know an architect who has added a half-story to the roof of a brownstone?
— Anyone have a sense of the legal/zoning issues involved here?
— Anyone have a wild guess what a project like this might cost?
Alex Fradkoff is not, in fact, an architect, although he does continue to sell his services as one, in spite of having lost a lawsuit against him for fraud and forgery for this. The work in that case was found to be not to code. This practice is a public menace.
Here’s the Architect you want: Alex Fradkoff, 212-388-2643. He has the experience you are looking for.
The developers of 88 Quincy did exactly what you are talking about. Their architect is Bernard Doyle. I think he’s listed in Brooklyn.
This looks like an extension on a brownstone roof…
http://www.allrenovation-ny.com/degraw_after.html
There is a building on the south side of Berkeley Place between 5th and 6th avenues in Park Slope, that did this. Located closer towards 5th avenue but maybe 4 buildings up from 5th? You can’t see the structure from the street, you can only see it from the roof of another building nearby (we used to live in one of the buildings across from it). It’s mostly glass and is placed on the back half of the building’s roof. We’ve seen people gathered for parties there. It’s nice.
– I was ready to do the same thing, but after the zoning changed in FG from R6 to R6B, I didn’t have enough FAR.
– There are plenty of good architects. If you look at Prospect Architecture, they did a cool rooftop garden. But I haven’t had a chance to work with them. I would say you should try and get quotes and ideas from at least 3 firms.
– As long as you have the FAR, and it is not a landmarked block, then it should be a very do-able project. The height restrictions are 40 feet for the front wall and 50 feet for the building with a 15 feet set-back (from the front).
– The cost would probably be around $250 to $400 per square foot, all in (architect, expediter, engineer, materials, contractors). It depends on the level of work from your architect, the structural soundness of your building, the types of materials used, and the contractors used.
– I was ready to do the same thing, but after the zoning changed in FG from R6 to R6B, I didn’t have enough FAR.
– There are plenty of good architects. If you look at Prospect Architecture, they did a cool rooftop garden. But I haven’t had a chance to work with them. I would say you should try and get quotes and ideas from at least 3 firms.
– As long as you have the FAR, and it is not a landmarked block, then it should be a very do-able project. The height restrictions are 40 feet for the front wall and 50 feet for the building with a 15 feet set-back (from the front).
– The cost would probably be around $250 to $400 per square foot, all in (architect, expediter, engineer, materials, contractors). It depends on the level of work from your architect, the structural soundneess of your building, the types of materials used, and the contractors used.
We have looked into this. It’s going to cost you at least $150,000. Also, you will probably have to have the foundation reinforced to accomodate additonal weight.. there is a rooftop penthouse company that was in the NYT recently but there prices were astronomical IMO. You are better off with architect and GC…
Search archives. This is covered elsewhere.