This townhouse is located only a few blocks from the Upper New York Bay waterfront. The 5,000-square-foot brick structure, originally built by the Atlantic Dock Company as worker housing, was entirely gutted, when we arrived on site.

The nearly empty building included a generous number of large window openings, original heart pine flooring and a partial staircase. We developed the interior millwork and stair details based on salvaged elements uncovered during demolition.

One of our earliest projects, the Brooklyn Townhouse was a great opportunity for us to design with a fresh and intuitive approach. Heide and Rafe now look back on this early project and consider how it has clearly defined our later work.