The Extro/Intro project focused on the lower unit of a Brooklyn townhouse, a property co-owned by two sisters that is divided into two stacked duplex residences. The client was seeking to do a gut renovation of the lower unit, adapting it to accommodate a range of living use scenarios, while also opening up the rear façade with expanded glazing and a new outdoor deck and semi-private patio room as well as adding a new spiral stair to connect her sister’s family at the unit above to the shared rear yard.

A self-described “extroverted introvert,” the primary goal for the client was to have a home that suited a range of activities along this spectrum—integrating both open, loft-like living along with pockets for quiet isolation and privacy for family get-togethers and frequent overnight guests—all within a relatively modest area of 1,500 square feet. To expedite this agenda, the design concept is hinged to the sectional distribution of space across two floors, creating two distinct zones: one for extroverted and the other for introverted living.
 
This clear-cut programmatic divide in section led to a more nuanced approach to the planning of each floor: the upper level was opened up as much as possible with a fluid layout of interconnected zones anchored around key millwork elements, while the lower level consists of a series of nested spaces that allow for varying degrees of introversion and intimacy.