SoHo Townhouse, New York, NY

6000 sf

This townhouse project transforms and expands a three-story multi-family residence into a five-story single-family home with basement commercial space. The new design provides spaces for entertaining, family living, exercise, and work. The basement level retains a commercial unit: a grandfathered element from the original building.

The design concept centers on a dynamic push-and-pull between the public realm of the street and the private realm of the home. The façade acts as the mediating surface, negotiating between domestic and urban elements, public and private zones, and structure and ornament through a series of terraces and setbacks.

Inside, the townhouse benefits from abundant natural light and private outdoor spaces with views over the SoHo and NoHo blocks. The owner sought to maximize usable square footage while leveraging available tax incentives. To achieve the full site FAR, GA expanded the building footprint, and created a network of open spaces, including balconies, terraces, and a green roof. The green roof not only qualifies for tax exemptions but also reduces the building’s carbon footprint and contributes to urban oxygen production.

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NY Times, Design Bureau, Material Evidence, Architectura

DESIGN TEAM

Kristina Kesler, Michela Chiavi, Lucia Eastman, Jeremy Edmiston, Kevin Field, Sara Goldsmith, Edward Kim-Yujoong, Jung Min Kim, Scott Nicholl

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER

Severud Associates

MEP ENGINEER

DNV Associates

GEOTECHNICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

GZA GeoEnvironmental of New York

PHOTOGRAPHY

Amy Barkow Photo