LaCantina Doors

Bedford-Stuyvesant Brownstone

The project being located in an historical area dictatedthat we were working with an established envelope and also exterior expression - we tried to alter the basic layout of a townhouse while still respecting its typology. Doing so was a challenge, both because of the rigidly defined envelope - and to some extent layout - and also because of the amount deep space that does not receive direct natural light. As a resultwe minimized the amount of enclosed space to ensure we had natural light penetrating as far as possible.Further we allowed for visibility to both front and back exposures simultaneously where possible and added two skylights on top floor to approximate the same effect. In minimizing full partitions we defined the space largely around objects - notably the kitchen island, master shower and closet - which also had the effect of making some spaces feel larger. Natural materials were utilized as a way to add tone and texture to a space in lieu of using applied materials like paint. As such we tried to balance the materials in each space and locate them to play off of each other while providing a non-abrasive base on which furniture and artwork can build on.