Architect Alex Gil and his wife, Claudia DeSimio, affixed a 750-square-foot addition to the roof of a 19th-century Williamsburg townhouse, transforming their cramped third-floor apartment into a modern duplex. The original fireplace remains, but has been stripped down to exposed brick, as have the surrounding walls, creating an almost wainscot-like design of exposed brick with flat white drywall above.

Ridgewood Residence, Assembledge

Ridgewood Residence, Assembledge

Ridgewood Residence, Assembledge

Photo by Julian King

The Finnish embassy, which opened in 1994 on the site of an old mansion overlooking Rock Creek Park in Washington, was recently awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The embassy was designed by Mikko Heikkinen and Markku Komonen of Heikkinen-Komonen Architects.

The building overlooks Rock Creek Park.

The copper-and-glass exterior is a nod to Finland's modernist heritage.

The building's generous use of glass connects it with the natural setting of nearby Rock Creek Park.

A warm blend of copper and wood defines Finland Hall.

Finland Hall is reached via a curved stairway that follows the contours of the sloped site.

A Model 78 side chair by Niels Otto Møller tucks into a custom desk in the master bedroom, a home base from which Friedlander works remotely. The brass pendant light is by Allied Maker.

Photo by Matthew Williams

Below the wall of living ivy, a shallow reflecting pool (complete with fish!) catches water runoff.

Photo by Mike Schwartz.

Here's the kids' room.

Here's a shot of the master bedroom looking toward the reading corner.

The sleek kitchen looks down on the main living space.

The owners of this 2,400-square-foot space inside the Flower Box Apartments enlisted John Handley and Melissa Baker of Pulltab Design to recast it as a garden-themed abode. The striking windows overlooking East 7th Street were additions by the architects.

The terrace outside the master bedroom.

Floor-to-ceiling widows characterize the entire back of the house. There's a small terrace outside the bedroom.

The 14-foot-long dining table descends from the wall like a Murphy bed.

The design of Brooklyn's historical brownstones heavily influenced the three newly constructed duplexes on Pacific Street.

The duplex residences of the Pacific Street project in Brooklyn, New York, were designed to reduce the environmental footprint by using 35% less energy than standard construction models.

BKLYN DESIGNS is an annual celebration of Brooklyn's makers, architects, and designers. The show will take place May 8-10, 2015, at the Brooklyn Expo Center.

On Friday, October 10, join us for Meet the Architects at 82Mercer, where the minds behind the homes on Dwell's New York Home Tours will share their inspirations, challenges, and design solutions for the exceptional spaces showcased on this year's tour. This presentation is worth .1 AIA CEUs.

Located in Tribeca, this spacious loft by raad studio blends modern furnishings with the home's impressive Victorian bones.

The master bathroom.

The stairs leading from the great room to the backyard.

The guest bedroom.

Lindsey Adelman designed the lights dangling above the great room.

A main goal of the remodel was to open the apartment by raising the ceilings. The owners were surprised with how much space they had to work with. The kitchen blends in seamlessly with the living room on one side and the open terrace on the other.

Here's one of the bedrooms.