Long Island City Townhouse:

Historic Home in a Changing Context

A young couple starting their life together commissioned us to sensitively transform their 1880s brick townhouse—located in Long Island City’s only landmarked historic district. We embarked on a comprehensive renovation that strategically reworks the interior for a more open and connected layout, while carefully restoring the original façade. As the area is being rapidly redeveloped, we were steadfast in our commitment to create a sensitive, thoughtful renovation that respected the home’s history and the scale of the existing historic neighborhood. 

The interior renovation is a sweeping redesign that consolidates three separate apartments into a single forever-home for the owners and their future family. On the exterior, improvements were designed to both carefully preserve existing features and meticulously recreate those that had long ago fallen into disrepair. We steadfastly abided by the strict Landmark standards required to retain the French Second Empire architecture while multiple new high-rise projects were hastily underway—quite literally in the backyard. The process delineated a stark contrast between the design approach of this quaint townhouse and the large-scale developments throughout Long Island City, reinforcing that such considered historic renovations are more important than ever.

Photography by Nicholas Venezia.