On a typical street in the South Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, one house stands out from the rest. Its street-facing facade matches its neighbors in form, but the home is clad in a dramatic charcoal-gray corrugated steel that’s punctuated by a large reclaimed-timber front door. Inside, this sophisticated reimagining of what a townhouse can be continues—all thanks to the vision of local studio Office for Architecture (OA).

That vision, however, only fully took shape after a false start due to the pandemic. Originally, the clients, Fei Zhong and Nick Gaffney, imagined turning the unloved townhouse into a family home for themselves and their two small children. But after the lockdowns that began in 2020, they knew they’d need the renovation to support them in more ways than one.

“We were thinking about the advantages and stresses if work and childcare happened at home indefinitely,” recalls architect and OA founder Aniket Shahane of conversations with the owners. “There were definitely some design decisions made during construction with that in mind.”

First, some fundamental problems had to be addressed. The back wall and part of the foundation were rotting, so they were rebuilt, and the front stoop was cracked, so it was replaced with a new steel-and-bluestone stoop. Fei and Nick, both lawyers, knew they’d likely be spending ample time at home, so it was important that the interiors were light and bright. OA gutted them and started anew to bring in as much light as possible across the first and second floors. In fact, the only elements OA retained were the bay windows—which were used to make an architectural impact on the interior plan—and the brick chimneys.

Now, the first floor is an open plan that allows the couple to keep an eye on the kids. A dining area and built-ins are nested into the bay window at the front, and an inserted central core with a sink and cabinets serves as the kitchen. Past the core at the rear is the living space, where a large window overlooking the backyard features an oversized sill that doubles as a bench. “The bench has been taken over by the kids as an art desk,” says Shahane. “Which just proves that kids have better ideas than adults!”

The second floor is dedicated to private spaces, with an efficient plan that encompasses three bedrooms and two full bathrooms. A skylight positioned above the stairs makes the level bright, as do the white interiors. The hallway between rooms features an additional sink “for those times when the bathroom is hijacked by one member of the family,” says Shahane, which is often with all of them at home most of the time.

Throughout the redesign, there was a conscious effort to balance more affordable materials with luxurious ones; the door and flooring is made of reclaimed wood, for example, while bathrooms and the kitchen feature slabs of Carrara marble and travertine. In order to adhere to the tight budget—and given the expense of the exterior works—the basement refurbishment was left for another time.

“So many clients are concerned most with how the interior looks and feels,” says Shahane. “But the interior is at the mercy of the exterior—a pretty room is only as good as the foundation it sits on.” Safe to say, Nick and Fei’s South Slope has it all.

Related Reading:

A Skinny Brooklyn Townhouse Stacks Spaces for Living, Working, and Entertaining

A Tattered Brooklyn Brownstone Is Brought Back to Life With Big Doses of Color

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: OA / @aniketshahane

General Contractor: NP Classic Construction

Structural Engineer: Blue Sky Design

Code Consultant/Expeditor: James Anzalone

Millwork: Stand and Build / @standandbuild

Photography: Matthew Williams / @matthewwilliamsphotographer & Rafael Gamo / @rafaelgamo

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