A first-time developer acquired 544 State Street and did a gut renovation of the Brooklyn townhouse after it had been vacant and neglected for over two years. Not only did the interiors need to be completely gutted, but a two-story addition in the back of the building had to be demolished. Fortunately, through close analysis of the zoning law, Studio ST discovered that the owner could enlarge the building by almost 50 percent, adding 320 sq.ft. to each floor and excavating the cellar.

The townhouse was divided into four full floor apartments. Each apartment has an outdoor space; the backyard for the ground floor apartment and a terrace for each of the other apartments. The typical apartment layout includes two bedrooms on the north side of the building and the kitchen, dining room and one and a half bathrooms at the center. The new south side addition contains the living room and an office. The cellar was excavated to create storage spaces, mechanical rooms, a shared laundry area for the building’s tenants and a recreation room attached to the ground floor apartment. Three skylights were added over the main stair, bathing the previously dark stairway in sunlight. .

The apartment design is simple and minimalist. Special attention was given to the usability and functionality of rental apartments. We are proud of achieving a contemporary and clean look for the building while keeping to a low construction budget of $130 per square foot.

2005