architecture by: Brent Buck Architects
builder: Grant Davis Thompson Inc.
photography by: Christopher Sturman
via: Brent Buck Architects
Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York
Fort Greene Townhouse is the kind of Brooklyn reworking that treats light as the primary architectural problem. Brent Buck Architects transformed a dark, insular row house with a new four-story rear extension and rebuilt the structure to hold three apartments. The most important move is sectional rather than decorative: a large skylight washes the common stair with daylight, so circulation becomes part of the experience of the building instead of leftover service space.
In the owner's apartment, one corner of the extension is cut away to add another face of wood-framed windows and pull sunlight deeper into the rooms. You can see the effect in the kitchen and dining area, where a long run of pale wood cabinets faces a communal table, beige curtains soften the garden light, and a slim linear pendant tracks the room's length. The palette stays controlled without going austere. White walls, dark counters, and warm flooring keep the rear rooms calm, while the front living room gets a richer counterpoint from blue upholstery, a deeply padded brown leather sofa, and tall street-facing windows.
The project's best details work the same way: they sharpen atmosphere while serving the plan. A cast-glass stair panel held by brass brackets acts as a translucent guardrail, filtering light into the reading nook below; because the glass was made from recycled cullet fired in a mold, the suspended air bubbles give it real depth instead of a polished showroom look. In the primary bath, the mood turns darker and more sheltered with leathered stone walls, a teak ofuro positioned toward the garden, and a teak floor mat that lets overflow slip to a hidden drain before continuing into the shower. It is an addition, but it never feels grafted on.
Tags: Fort Greene, Brooklyn, Brent Buck Architects, Grant Davis Thompson Inc., Christopher Sturman, New York, Townhouse, Renovation, Extension
