Cobble Hill Rowhouse

This newly constructed rowhouse sits on a unique site in Cobble Hill—the second building on a single zoning parcel within one of New York's most intact 19th-century neighborhoods. The challenge lay in designing modern architecture that could hold its own among distinguished historic neighbors without mimicking or competing with them. Our clients wanted a home that respected the neighborhood's character while serving their family's needs.

We approached the design as a conversation between old and new. The street facade combines traditional proportions and brownstone details, while the garden facade includes steel and glass interventions—bay windows that echo historic oriels while clearly announcing their modernity. Inside, we created something uncommon in a historic rowhouse: double-height spaces that connect the garden and parlor floors both visually and spatially, maximizing the home's connection to the rear garden.

The house makes its own quiet argument—that new architecture, when rooted in deep knowledge of place, can belong to a historic neighborhood without pretending to be something it isn't.