"This Upper West Side townhouse is unique in that a rear ""dogleg"" addition takes up the majority of what would normally be a rear yard. The ""canyon"" effect on natural light that so often plagues townhouses in New York is amplified by this condition, creating a set of dark spaces on the lower public floors.
RAAD's design employs a series of subtractions in section together with new openings on the sides and overhead to create a complex network of light wells and green spaces that wind through the building.
The result is a luminous, plant-filled set of spectacular volumes and spaces that completely transform the inner character of the townhouse."