Located in a landmarked section of Dumbo Brooklyn, our clients acquired a corner penthouse apartment on the top two floors of a 7-story building that had just been converted from a 1904 factory building. The biggest feature of the apartment was the large wrap-around terrace with sunset views of the Manhattan Bridge. The apartment interior was spacious and sufficiently laid out, with two bedrooms on the lower floor and two more on the upper floor, each with its own bathroom. The living areas had a loft-like, open layout with the sitting area, dining, and kitchen in an L-shaped arrangement that took advantage of the west-facing view. Despite the spaciousness, the quality of finish and craftsmanship of the developer’s build-out left something to be desired. Our clients worked professionally in fashion and photography, so they both had an eye for detail, materiality, and light; they were sensitive to how these qualities affected space. They requested our services to redesign the spaces with a material palette that would enhance and define, while building connection between interior and exterior environments.
The resulting design centered on a biophilic approach, aiming to connect the interior and exterior environments through a palette of materials evocative of nature. Inspired by processes like erosion, deposition, and geologic metamorphism we aimed to create a sense of dynamic tranquility. A foundational element is the smooth gray stone flooring that extends from the active indoor spaces out onto the terrace, establishing a seamless material link. Complementing this cool stone, warm-toned bleached ash woodwork wraps the walls of the living areas, all enhanced by integrated accent lighting for a warm ambiance.
In the kitchen, two types of terrazzo introduce a lively contrast. A light, multicolored terrazzo serves as the backsplash and countertops, while a more subdued dark terrazzo with black, green, and gray chips serves as an apron on the kitchen island, harmonizing with the stone floor. These surfaces, with marble chips reminiscent of pebbles in a stream bed, are accented by the sunny glint of polished brass fixtures and hardware. Adjacent to this space, the staircase was dramatically redesigned to open up its tall, compact enclosure. By removing a central wall and adding a skylight, the area is flooded with light. The bleached ash wall paneling from the hall continues through this space, lending a sense of continuity as you ascend the stairs. The stairs themselves, remade in dark terrazzo, have the appearance of a sculpted form thrusting up from the stone floor below.
The design narrative extends into the more intimate spaces. The powder room features a unique rose-hued terrazzo on the floor and sink, which complements the pink undertones of the adjacent wood paneling, all softly illuminated to create a whimsical elegance. In the bedrooms, the bleached wood shifts from the walls to the floors, paired with a gray-pink wall color that evokes an overcast sky at dusk. The attached bathrooms each maintain the biophilic theme but are given unique characteristics; swirling marble patterns adorn the lower-floor bathrooms, while beach-inspired terrazzo and tiles are used in the upper ones. Accent lighting was integrated into each of the bathing spaces to make up for the lack of natural illumination.
Beyond our design of the material palette, our work also included collaborating with an HVAC engineer to improve the air-conditioning system which was undersized for a space with so much glazed exposure. Informed by the engineer’s analysis, we were able to propose an energy conscious approach, which involved shading the windows using retractable awnings and container plantings. These strategies would lower the heating effect of the sun, providing for a cooler interior during hot days and requiring less energy to make the space comfortable.
The building’s concrete structural deck was not robust. So we collaborated with a structural engineer to help design a system to support the weight of the container plantings along the terrace perimeter. A system of steel beams, concealed under the planters, transfers the weight to the building’s columns and beams, reducing the load on the deck. Shown in the renderings is our initial concept for the terrace, which along with the perimeter plantings, included installing a welded wire structure over the existing metal facade to support trellised plants grown from the balcony.
The terrace landscaping design was altered from this initial concept after a long Pandemic related pause, reflecting changes that respond to new constraints. For that reason, the final design is presented separately in more detail on the Dumbo Penthouse Terrace page.