Brooklyn Loft

a Unique loft building returns to the original live/work use

Brooklyn, NY, 2026    Size: 3,000 SF   Type: Restoration and Conversion of Loft Building

Architectural Design + Documentation, Interior Design, FFE, Lighting, Expediting

Brooklyn Loft

This existing two-story landmarked loft building is unique because of it is located on a rare 35’ wide lot; the upper floor is a raw wide-open space featuring an impressive array of 6 tall windows. It is also unique because, before a long list of disparate uses, it was a true live/work building, the store being on the first floor with the owner’s residence on the second, accessed by an directly through the store.

The client asked us to return the loft building to its original use, transforming the upper floor into a residence, while preserving the industrial feeling and the history of the building.

When probing the second-floor tin ceiling we uncovered the beautiful wood joists and girders that support the sloped roof, the consensus was immediate: these would be exposed and become the main design feature. Access to the roof, which was also one of the design priorities, is accomplished via a spiral stair that ends into a small penthouse addition, inspired by the rooftop cottages that were all the rage in the 20s, like the penthouse these often had a pitched roof.

The shape was also chosen because it falls under the site lines from across the street, limiting the visibility; the weathered zinc standing seam cladding recalls the vertical mullions of historic rooftop skylights.

Both facades are being carefully restored.