upper east side townhouse
upper east side, manhattan | 
The overriding concern for the owners of this late 19th-century townhouse was maximizing natural light. Another challenge was to open up the space, as the building was a slight 14 feet wide. To increase both light and space, eleven feet was added to the back of the house and the facade was constructed solidly of glass and steel. In order to further amplify the space, Ogawa/Depardon Architects simplified the design as much as possible. The placement of storage and services are aligned against the east wall and stacked vertically behind built-in cabinetry. Also atypical of townhouse design is the absence of doors between rooms, with the exception of bathrooms and the front and back facades. Each floor has a different kind of wood, going from dark on the ground floor to light upstairs. Most of the interior walls are made of large sheets of transparent and translucent glass.
