Upper West Side Townhouse Renovation

Creating a Complete Home From a Gutted Building

The brief was to create a single-family townhouse for sale, establishing a coherent home across multiple levels.

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The design brought together additional living space, vertical circulation, outdoor access, and new building systems. A rear extension expanded the house, while a new penthouse provided space for entertaining. Within the existing building, the staircase and elevator organized movement between floors.

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Adding Space Within a Historic Setting

The rear extension and penthouse addition expanded the townhouse while requiring careful consideration of its landmark context.

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The project went through Landmarks Preservation Commission review, a mock-up, and public and community board hearings. These steps made the relationship between the proposed changes and the existing building a central part of the design and approval process.

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The penthouse was set back from the front façade and designed as a gathering space for parties and entertaining, giving the uppermost level a distinct purpose within the home.​

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Bringing Daylight Into the Staircase

The interior staircase was dark. Skylights introduced natural light from above, addressing a space used to move through the house every day.

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This intervention made daylight part of the circulation design, bringing light into the interior rather than relying only on windows at the front and rear.​

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Connecting Every Floor

A new elevator connected all floors of the townhouse, providing an alternative to the stairs for movement through the home.

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Planning the elevator alongside the interior layout allowed vertical access to become an integrated part of the residence.

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A Glass Bridge to the Bamboo Garden

A glass bridge connected the basement level to a new bamboo garden at the rear of the townhouse, giving the lower floor direct access to green space.

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The bridge and garden were designed together as part of the home’s circulation, extending the experience of the basement beyond its interior rooms.

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Updating Windows and Building Systems

New, landmark-approved windows were installed to address performance while respecting the townhouse’s historic setting.

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A completely new HVAC system was integrated into the renovation, coordinating heating and cooling with the redesigned interiors and expanded building.

 

Queenie’s Role: Design Through Construction

Queenie Tong served as project architect and project manager at Ogawa Depardon Architects, combining architectural design responsibilities with day-to-day project coordination.

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She was the primary contact for the client and contractor and attended all project site meetings. Her involvement maintained continuity between the design work, project communication, and questions arising during construction, with additional construction administration support from the firm’s principal.