So yes, its another row house project (I’m on a ‘Row’ right now), but this time its a very smart and efficient renovation of a 110 year old, 7.5m wide row house in Brooklyn, with the intent to “create a home that could adapt to change over time”.
The redesigned home which was delivered by NY based Office of Architecture is meant to oscillate easily between a two-family and one-family configuration, giving residents the opportunity to gradually grow into and out of the house as required.  Two thirds of the building can be used as a 2 bedroom / 2 bath unit, while the remaining third of the building is given over to a 1 bedroom/ 1 bath unit.
The residents have the option to occupy any one of the units themselves, while using the other for rental income, depending on their priorities at any given time. It also offers the choice to combine both units to create a 195 sqm single-family home all by simply removing a small demising wall on the second floor. For more space, the Kitchen on the first floor could also be demolished if they so choose.
Intelligent positioning of bathrooms and kitchens, along with the addition of a second stair (which is very unusual for row-houses of this size) enable the house accommodate residents as their needs evolve from that of a young couple to a family of four. By so doing, the building becomes less of just a roof over head, but a more active ‘participant’ in the life of its residents.
I see this as a supremely viable typology for the Nigerian market, which with a few tweaks would be able to offer, slightly more affordable single room apartments that are not necessarily the ‘boys quarters’ we’re accustomed to.
