Architectural Projects in Santa Monica, CA and Beyond
Jane Street House
Completed as an associate with Karen L Jacobson, Architects Studio, this project was a gut rehabilitation of a land marked brownstone town home in New York’s Greenwich Village. The entire interior structure was demolished, leaving only the land marked façade and side party walls. This project posed the challenge of designing a family friendly home that maintained connections among the variety of spaces. A further goal was to create connections to the outside from all five levels of this property.
The solution lay in the excavation of the cellar and rear yard, which then allowed for the desired ceiling heights, ventilation and light, as well as an additional outdoor space adjacent to the lower floor. Vertically, the house was connected by a three-story glass and steel atrium that tied together the living spaces. The unexcavated portion of the backyard was attached to the kitchen (one story above) by a bridge that spanned the lower level. A waterfall feature integrated the two levels of yards with a unique and pleasing aesthetic. The two upper floors, which housed the bedroom spaces, were connected to the lower floors by a large open stair and an elevator. A large balcony that topped the greenhouse structure provided the third floor connection to the outdoors. The children’s bedrooms on the top floor incorporated a playroom with an oversized skylight. The skylight had operable clerestory windows that provided natural light and air into this interior space. The roof was turned into an entertainment garden with a kitchenette for convenience.