As seen in Dwell
Rauch Architecture designed and built a rear yard extension on the back of townhouse in Marble Hill, the northernmost neighborhood in Manhattan. The existing townhouse had previously been converted to a 3-family residence, so the owners wanted to combine units back to a single-family and also add a kitchen extension on the back of the house.
Despite the challenges of combining and extending in on a through lot townhouse, the owners were drawn to this site due to its unique situation built into the side of a hill. In most townhouses, there is a “garden level” on the ground floor and a main “parlor level” at the second floor. Because this house is built into a hill – the “Marble Hill”- the main parlor level opens directly onto the backyard, while the garden level is essentially a walk-in basement. This means that the main level gains the privacy of a traditional parlor level with the convenient garden access of a garden level.
The main design idea was to add a 10′ patio door in the kitchen at the rear of the house to provide easy access and continuous views out to the private garden.
A banquette next to a coffee bar provides a place to sit and enjoy the garden. Due to the size and proportions of the space, it really feels like you are sitting in a garden oasis in the middle of Manhattan.
Just outside the kitchen sits the patio, which the owners paved with commercial-grade long-lasting concrete pavers in a randomized pattern. The leftover spaces between pavers were filled with decomposed granite, a permeable material that not only allows water through but also allows greenery to grow through.
Continuing this exploration of industrially produced materials that will last, all of the exterior materials were sourced from commercial applications, including a fiber cement cladding that is commonly used for Dunkin Donuts stores.
The goal for the kitchen was a low maintenance and efficient cooking area, so Rauch Architecture used all stainless steel surfaces and work tables sourced from a commercial kitchen manufacture, including a commercial grade faucet mounted in the backsplash. All of this combined provides a seamless, easy to clean work surface.
Floating shelves made from laminated birch plywood allow the space to feel more open, and stainless work table in the center of the kitchen creates a functional extension of the kitchen and a place for seating at the island.
Rauch Architecture added new open-riser steel staircases with solid white oak treads to maximize the feeling of open-ness throughout the house, meaning that there are views to the garden from the very front of the house.
The house was renovated during the height of the supply chain crisis, so the architects looked for creative ways to use materials in an affordable and impactful way. All of the trim and doors throughout the house was created by ripping down sheets of marine-grade douglas fir plywood, to save on costs but also to further the simple, efficient use of fabricated materials.
The top floor includes 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, and a flex space – all spaces that further illustrate the exploration of materiality and color found throughout the rest of the house.
By exploring materiality, color, and the possibilities of industrially produced materials such as plywood, stainless steel, and structural steel, the owners were able to create a timeless house overflowing the light and air.
