dUPLEX hOUSING : OBJECT
All work done in-house under licensed supervision at Lyon-Szot Architecture DPC
Project Location: East Village, Manhattan, New York.
Project Scope: Lobby, interior unit renovation, and duplex addition of two existing five-floor apartment buildings.
Individual Responsibility: Intermediate Designer leading two junior designers in planning and material strategies for thirteen duplex units from Feasibility through Design Development.
Design Challenges:
Both existing five-floor apartment buildings had a number of rent controlled units that couldn’t be touched or modified. Additionally, the new duplex units had program square footage requirements that required building above the existing rent controlled units.
Bringing natural light down to the fifth floor was a priority due to the depth of the existing apartment units.
Design Solutions:
The stair was used as a central object sheathed in metal in contrast with the rest of the materials. The stair design maximized the amount of light brought between floors, while also minimizing footprint in plan. This strategy allowed for flexible planning to fit all the duplex area requirements.
The new duplex façade created a hard edge of contrast between sky, building and the interior and exterior of the sixth floor apartments.
