Connection and Character – Z House by Light and Air

With seamlessly connected indoor and outdoor spaces, Z House by Light and Air emerges as a dynamic transformation. Encompassing a complete contemporary interior renovation as well as a vertical and rear extension, the home encapsulates urban and familial experiences through its visually connective design.

Named after its zig-zagged switchback staircase, Z House explores two distinctive notions. Located in Brooklyn, New York City, the brownstone rowhouse idyllically balances the neighbourhood streetscape alongside its restructured interior character. As a family space, Z House not only needed to cater for its city locale but also the interior’s functionality and form. The home’s restored street façade is steadied by the warmth found within its considered interior spaces. Moments such as the delicate mahogany detail on the front door design reference the residents’ familial roots. As descendants from India, the residence needed to reflect an architectural connection to nature, with less boundaries between exterior spaces to emphasise this strong relationship.

Located in Brooklyn, New York City, the brownstone rowhouse idyllically balances the neighbourhood streetscape alongside its restructured interior character.

Z House embraces a distinct vertical connection, providing visual links within its walls and to the outside world. The structure – once three storeys, now four – uses levels as boundaries between spaces. The bottom two levels are comprised of the kitchen, dining, living and media spaces, while the top two levels house the children’s bedrooms, main bedroom and study. The rear addition is comprised of the kitchen and dining spaces; despite being an extension of the original, it is joined to the home through a visual connection to the parlour floor above.

Upstairs, the study takes advantage of its multiple sightlines within the dwelling alongside windows that face out to the Brooklyn street below. The main bedroom on the fourth floor also extends beyond the interior, as it has access to a terrace, which is made possible due to the rear addition; it provides a private and elevated space that is not traditionally seen in rowhouses. The main bedroom also features a white oak bed and integrated bookshelf, adding a warmth and sense of permanence to the space.

Z House embraces a distinct vertical connection, providing visual links within its walls and to the outside world.

Timber features heavily throughout the interior, providing a visual consistency between spaces while also complementing the home’s textured and exposed brickwork. Light also plays an important role within Z House; the staircase features a 40-foot-high, light-filled void, which runs uninterrupted from the parlour floor to the bulkhead roof above. This is harmonised by the large windows that punctuate the rear façade, providing a further connection to the garden and bringing light deep within the structure.

With considered purpose, Z House explores the relationship between exterior and interior spaces. Light and Air pays homage to the city’s traditional streetscape character while also injecting contemporary and magnetic connections within the family home.