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Project posted by Lilian H. Weinreich AIA

Noho Duplex, New York

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Location
New York, New York
Year
2016
Structure
Apartment
Style
Modern
Upper Level: Open Kitchen, Dining & Living Area
Upper Level: Open Kitchen, Dining & Living Area
Upper Level: Open Kitchen (with hidden TV in mirrored back splash)
Upper Level: Open Kitchen (with hidden TV in mirrored back splash)
Upper Level: The folded glass and metal privacy screen at the entry cleverly shields the apartment from full frontal street level view.
Upper Level: The folded glass and metal privacy screen at the entry cleverly shields the apartment from full frontal street level view.
Upper Level: At the rear of the reconfigured upper level, a series of 11-foot high, fully retractable, glass and steel-framed door panels separate the new guest powder room (to the right) and the compact master bedroom and bathroom suite (to the rear). These featured full-height elements create a spatial elongation, forming an illusionary vista to what appears to be an ostensibly larger space beyond. An innovative solution was found at the transition between ceiling heights. Lowered lit-cove edges are ghosted behind the11 foot glazed panels.
Upper Level: At the rear of the reconfigured upper level, a series of 11-foot high, fully retractable, glass and steel-framed door panels separate the new guest powder room (to the right) and the compact master bedroom and bathroom suite (to the rear). These featured full-height elements create a spatial elongation, forming an illusionary vista to what appears to be an ostensibly larger space beyond. An innovative solution was found at the transition between ceiling heights. Lowered lit-cove edges are ghosted behind the11 foot glazed panels.
Upper Level: Powder Room (stores rolling ladder for access to the Kitchen and Master Bedroom upper cabinets).
Upper Level: Powder Room (stores rolling ladder for access to the Kitchen and Master Bedroom upper cabinets).
Upper Level: Compact Master Bedroom and Master Bathroom Suite.
Upper Level: Compact Master Bedroom and Master Bathroom Suite.
Upper Level: Compact Master Bedroom with custom headboard and floating night stands
Upper Level: Compact Master Bedroom with custom headboard and floating night stands
Upper Level: Master Bathroom. The lighting scheme was designed to enhance the spatial qualities.
Upper Level: Master Bathroom. The lighting scheme was designed to enhance the spatial qualities.
Staircase: View of Lower Level Family Room The biggest single challenge was in the design and fabrication of the staircase. The stair was required to be both code and child safety compliant. The staircase’s unique features include the co-planar clear-tempered glass-rails and the child-proof open slots under the welded bent steel angles. Supported by a sizable post concealed in the wall behind the stair, stair attachments are made with moment connections. All metalwork on this job, including the stairs and door panels were site fabricated forging a unique hand-crafted industrial product, difficult to shop replicate.
Staircase: View of Lower Level Family Room The biggest single challenge was in the design and fabrication of the staircase. The stair was required to be both code and child safety compliant. The staircase’s unique features include the co-planar clear-tempered glass-rails and the child-proof open slots under the welded bent steel angles. Supported by a sizable post concealed in the wall behind the stair, stair attachments are made with moment connections. All metalwork on this job, including the stairs and door panels were site fabricated forging a unique hand-crafted industrial product, difficult to shop replicate.
Stair Detail
Stair Detail
Stair Detail
Stair Detail
Lower level: Children's Bedrooms On the lower level, the use of pocketed sliding doors met an imperative client requirement. It allowed the children’s bed/playroom to be a flexible space - subdivided for sleep and open for play. Additional sliding glazed doors at the two entries to the bedrooms from the family room, facilitate deep penetration of natural indirect daylighting from the bedroom windows into the family area.
Lower level: Children's Bedrooms On the lower level, the use of pocketed sliding doors met an imperative client requirement. It allowed the children’s bed/playroom to be a flexible space - subdivided for sleep and open for play. Additional sliding glazed doors at the two entries to the bedrooms from the family room, facilitate deep penetration of natural indirect daylighting from the bedroom windows into the family area.

Details

Square Feet
1500
Bedrooms
2
Full Baths
2
Partial Baths
1

Credits

Posted by
Architect
Lilian H. Weinreich AIA
David L. Hendershot, AIA
Interior Design
Adam Waszescik/ CPQ Custom Interiors, LLC
Builder
Mai Min J (MJ) / Great Will 88 Contracting Inc
Photographer

From Lilian H. Weinreich AIA

This 1,500sf NoHo Duplex was reconfigured and redesigned as a first home for a young couple’s casual lifestyle and expanding family. With thoughtful planning, the existing one-bedroom, two-bathroom duplex was converted into a three-bedroom, two and a half bath family residence with large den/family room and open, flowing interior—greatly enhancing real estate value without sacrificing design, function, or space.

The kitchen, dining, and lounge spaces flow seamlessly to the private areas on both levels. A folded glass and metal privacy screen at the street level entry cleverly shields the apartment from street view. At the rear of the reconfigured upper level, a series of 11-foot high, fully retractable, glass and steel-framed door panels separate the new guest powder room and compact master bedroom and bathroom suite.

On the lower level, pocketed sliding doors between two bedrooms create a flexible space for the two young children—open as a playroom during the day and subdivided at night for sleep.

The lighting scheme was designed to enhance the spatial qualities with an innovative solution found at the transition between ceiling heights. On the upper-level, lowered lit-cove edges are ghosted behind 11 foot glazed panels, as seen above the entry to both the powder room and master bathrooms. Backlit dropped-ceilings at the long rear wall of the master bathroom, and the lower level family area further heighten the space while giving the interiors a warm glow.

The design and fabrication of the staircase to meet code and child safety requirements presented the project’s most significant challenge. The staircase’s co-planar, clear-tempered glass rails and childproof open slots elegantly comply. A sizable post concealed in the wall support the welded bent steel angles, attached with moment connections. A fumed rubio-monocoat finish on the red oak wood flooring of the floating stair treads and throughout both levels lends warmth to a graphically neutral and steel interior. For a unique handcrafted industrial appearance, masterly Korean tanker warship metal fabricators forged all of the project’s metalwork, including the stair supports and door panels, on site.

Simplicity in design and uniqueness in resolution are key to this alteration.