Experimental duplex design in Brooklyn by WORKac
New York based WORKac co-founders, Dan Wood and Amale Andraos, walk us through their latest residential completion, the Wyckoff Residence in Brooklyn, where they were called to refresh and expand a family home
When a couple decided to extend and refresh their duplex apartment in Brooklyn by purchasing and adding the upstairs apartment to their own, they turned to New York-based architecture studio WORKac for help. Co-founders Dan Wood and Amale Andraos applied their signature approach to the interior, combining rigorous research and a rich dollop of imagination and experimentation; their previous work, from the Diane von Furstenberg's headquarters (a breakthrough project for the firm) to their recent contribution to the RA's Eco-Visionaries exhibition in London shows just how exciting and open minded the practice can be.
Of course, the project didn't come without its challenges. ‘The biggest one was simply finding an elegant and intuitive way to combine and connect the three floors,' explains the pair. ‘The existing duplex was already quite complex in its combination of a basement and ground floor of different shapes and configurations. Adding in the newly-bought apartment above, which had a third shape and orientation meant we really needed to study the placement of the stair and how to visually connect these three very different spaces.'
The architects responded to the brief, which included space for entertaining, flexibility, and connections to the outdoors, by creating a rich composition of architectural details, colours, patterns and textures. The space spans three levels and a variety of domestic areas, from cosy bedrooms to expansive living areas.
A shimmering perforated metal staircase becomes a central architectural feature and connects the different floors. It also acts as a lightwell, drawing natural light deep into the lower ground level. On the top floors the metal's smoothness contrasts other materials like the rougher exposed brick walls and the warm timber joinery. Elsewhere, bold patterns, such as a playful botanical William Morris wallpaper, add accents of vibrancy and colour.
And how would a fairly smaller scale project like this, compared to larger commissions the practice often has to tackle? ‘We do try to link our larger and smaller projects through things like focusing on the infrastructure/connections (the stair in this case), embracing colour and working with light,' says the team. ‘Of course there are differences, but we do see the smaller projects like ‘short stories' that are often testing grounds for larger ideas or projects.'
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Art, culture, watches & jewellery editor Hannah Silver’s gift guide
From a Beryl Cook cushion to an offbeat diamond ring, there's something for everyone on this Wallpaper* editor's gift guide, embracing art, culture and style
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Feldspar makes its mark on Mayfair with a festive pop-up at Corinthia Hotel
Devon-based bone china brand Feldspar makes its first foray into shopkeeping with a pop-up at London’s Corinthia Hotel. Ali Morris speaks with the founders and peeks inside
By Ali Morris Published
-
Dip into Wyld sauna: Liverpool's floating Finnish-style destination for lovers of extreme heat
Wyld sauna has opened in Liverpool, offering the perfect excuse to take a dive into the Nordic wellness tradition
By Emma O'Kelly Published
-
Brooklyn furniture studio Stillmade unveils its first collaborative design series
Stillmade brings to life the designs of four New Yorkers – Pat Kim, Danny Kaplan, Michele Quan and Mignogna Studio
By Pei-Ru Keh Published
-
Blue Green Works's lighting champions a new aesthetic in American design
Manhattan-based design studio Blue Green Works fuses sensuality and masculinity to create mellow, mood-enhancing lighting with visual impact
By Pei-Ru Keh Published
-
Blue Green Works introduces alluring new lighting collection
Inspired by iconography, American design studio Blue Green Works introduces five new lighting ranges
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Exclusive peek at artfully curated home in Jean Nouvel’s 53 West 53
RR Interiors' latest furnishing project – 61A at 53 West 53 – highlights art, architecture and city views inside Jean Nouvel's monumental New York skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan
By Martha Elliott Last updated
-
Industrial elements are imbued with elegance in Holly Hunt’s new Los Angeles showroom
Holly Hunt and architects Johnston Marklee have created a warm and tactile space in a 1940s building
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Sculptural ceramic lamps from Brooklyn’s In Common With and Danny Kaplan
‘Terra’, a new collection of ceramic lamps featuring tactile glazes, puts Brooklyn studio In Common With and ceramicist Danny Kaplan in the spotlight
By Pei-Ru Keh Last updated
-
Sight Unseen launches furniture line with Bestcase
Editorial platform Sight Unseen worked with sheet metal specialist Bestcase to launch a collection of 1970s-inspired furniture in collaboration with Home Studios, Studio Anansi and Thévoz-Choquet
By Pei-Ru Keh Last updated
-
Roll & Hill and Post Company's lighting designs in Inness are inspired by Georgian bell jars
Brooklyn-based studio Post Company created a new lighting collection for Roll & Hill, inspired by bell jar lanterns and conceived for country refuge Inness
By Pei-Ru Keh Last updated