Clinton Hill Courtyard House

Brooklyn, Kings County, NY, United States

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Clinton Hill Courtyard House

Brooklyn, Kings County, NY, United States

Firm

O'Neill McVoy Architects

Type

Residential › Private House

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2016

SIZE

1000 sqft - 3000 sqft

BUDGET

$500K - 1M

The original historic Carriage House filled the 24’ x 76’ lot floor with very little light and air. Three Light Volumes are subtracted from the structure to transform it into an inspiring residence, opening up all the spaces of daily living to light and nature.
A new Sky Volume cuts through the second floor illuminating the adjacent Library and the loft-like Living Room below. Two squares of skylight project the sun’s path across the white-stained plywood surfaces of the cubic volume, amplifying seasonal and diurnal variation. The suspended volume branches to give light to the master bedroom, and extends down into the Living Room along the stair, hanging the steps. The stair wall is perforated with 1”holes, perpendicular at eye height and at radiating angles up and down for shifting views.
A Light Garden is carved into the one-story wing, bringing light and nature into the core of the house. The Living Room, Kitchen, and Girls’ Bedroom are centered around the Garden, joined through the mahogany-framed sliding glass walls. The garden opens up to the Roof Terrace above connecting all social spaces of the house. A Skylight/Table in the roof terrace brings light into the rear bedroom.
The boundaries between interior and exterior are porous in this hybrid loft/courtyard/row-house; the living spaces focus inward to the Light Volumes, which in turn open out to garden and sky.