West Village Historic Townhouse by READ Architecture Design DPC

Project Type: Urban Residential

Photographer: Zack Dezon

Description: Located in a quiet street of West Village, this landmarked carriage house was renovated with a motive of protecting the essence and the character of the townhouse while creating unique and contemporary moments. Through the respectful restoration of the front façade and bringing it back to its original 1925 state, an unexpected transformation is awaiting on the back façade, opening to a joyful surprise of a contemporary urban backyard.

Thought as contemporary interventions, portals of light are created throughout the townhouse. The instances of light portals were inspired by the former artist owner of the home, who had built DIY skylights and large windows for his studio. These skylights couldn’t be saved through a regular and per code renovation process but inspired the design.

Bi-fold doors leading to the urban backyard fully opens the back façade, creating a feeling that the living space extend outdoors. The main portal is created through a la Cantina product. It allowed for this contemporary incursion in a known landmark property.

All over the home, earthy tones and subtle additions of contemporary features were a part of the thoughtful design that maintained the original feeling of the carriage house as a priority.
With wood finishes inside and metal finished on the outside, the La Cantina bi-Folding door chosen for the property acts as a transition between historical and contemporary.

As a tribute to the former owner of the house and keeping the theme of art and artist, the ground floor space has been turned into an art gallery with a sunken garden. Accessed from the residential floor, the sunken garden not only brings light to the ground floor but also blurs the boundaries of public and private while creating a visual connection between the flexible ground floor and the rear terrace.

The design could be summarized as a curation between historic and contemporary, a harmonious duality that is the essence of a New York City townhouse. La Cantina bi-Folding door led the transitional direction of the renovation.

LaCantina Product Used: Bi-folding Doors