Project: The full renovation of a triplex townhouse, located on 14th Street in Chelsea. Phase: Completed Description: In this project, we identified the challenge of renovating a triplex as finding a way to integrate the stairs, so as to not take up the entire width of a narrow house, as well as to minimize the feeling of constantly having to run up and down to connect floors. This twelve-foot-wide townhouse consists of a cellar living room, a master bedroom suite on the upper floor, and a kitchen and dining area on the entry level.
In trying to weave together these different floors, the aim of the project was to transform the stairs and steps into a fluid space that combines transition and rest. The steps were designed to be integrated with the architecture, cantilevering from the wall and almost disappearing. The living room on the ground plane folds into the garden through steps and a full-window wall, effectively extending the garden into the living room. From the garden to the entry level, the stairs were transformed into a platform and space for meditation within the open-space living room, dining room and kitchen.
The introduction of a skylight midway through the length of the triplex permits natural light to flow to the back of the home, blending into the natural light coming in through the window facing the garden. The skylight also revealed a view of the trees hanging over the townhouse, framing the master bedroom suite from above and extending down with a view towards the garden.