Smith Street

Located on a prominent corner in Boerum Hill, this new mixed-use building on Smith Street includes two duplex apartments alongside a ground floor commercial space. The generously-sized apartments are designed to maximize the space within the building’s narrow footprint.

The building facade is based on deliberate modifications of an otherwise simple grid, selectively omitting, shifting, and resizing the windows based on the programmatic needs within. These adjustments create a dynamic facade that activates the large facade along Pacific street while also integrating the larger recessed terraces at each level. The building corner, respecting the facade grid above, is carved at the street level to maximize openness and visibility of the commercial space to passersby.

The building is clad in red brick, drawing from the materiality of the adjacent buildings along Smith Street. Curved bricks along one side of each opening soften the building edges and subtly acknowledge the corner condition of the building. Larger curved corners at the ground floor facade emphasize the building’s entrances.

Renders — Kevin Pham