Leroy Street Studio

Situated within the Greenwich Village Landmark District in Manhattan, this adaptive reuse project transforms a former carriage and livery stable into a designer's studio and family residence. Programmatically, the project is upside-down compared to a traditional townhouse with the public areas on the top floors and the living spaces below.

Employing a parametric and holistic design approach, the new mass timber architecture seamlessly integrates with the existing structure. Inserted in the center of the house is a spiral stair, which symbolizes a tree growing through the space and culminating in a wide-branching roof canopy.

A triple-height garden rises from the first floor, bringing unexpected natural elements into the heart of the building. Terraces on the top two floors provide seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor living spaces, while planters and green roofs create a sense of living in a garden on every floor.

Due to the tight site constraints, mass timber elements needed to be prefabricated off-site. Our designers worked collaboratively with skilled craftspeople in Canada at a facility that specializes in design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA). Over 2,700 highly unique timber elements were created for this project before being transported to the site. As a testament to the precision of both the design and fabrication, not a single element required adjustment during the installation process.

A goal of our client was for this project to serve as a lighthouse, showing the world the future of sustainable architecture. By utilizing healthy and ecologically friendly materials like cellulose insulation, clay lime walls, and mass timber, combined with natural lighting and ventilation techniques, this home is designed for human comfort while being environmentally sensitive.