In New York, the architects at Young Projects restored a terraced house by connecting two properties and gave it a wavy zinc facade.
At the intersection of 7thStreet and Wythe Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, there were two neighboring lots waiting to be combined into one house. The buildings date from the early twentieth century and Young Projects, the agency in charge of the project, decided to restore them, preserving some of the features that were already there, while also giving the entire building a new look. And they did that by designing a facade made of corrugated, perforated and lacquered zinc that flanks the brick facade with a distinct American touch.
The area of the whole is definitely respectable as the house on the first lot was originally 2000ft2 (185m2), to which the 2500ft2 (232m2) of the second lot was added, which allowed the architects to break out of the typological schemes of the city and Bring nature into your home. To achieve this, Young Projects added a terrace on the second floor in a position set back from the living room, creating twice the interior volume. This way the whole building looks like it was built on the slopes of a small hill. You can’t see it from the outside, but inside there is an immediate surprise effect, also thanks to the staircase that winds through the living area and you can appreciate the original layout, which is reminiscent of a typical American architectural language.
The roof can be used as a solarium and the few plants create a sociable atmosphere. This operation was made possible by the graceful use of steel for the pillars and floors, which, thanks to the false ceilings and end walls, remains completely hidden, while giving the building the rigidity it needs to accommodate the growth of the larger plants.
Fabrizio Orsini
Project: Young Projects
Brooklyn, New York
Photo: Alan Tansey and Young Projects
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