11 West 11

Nestled in a historic residential neighborhood this 1950s Baptist Church was outgrown by its congregation. The building was left unused for 12 years until it was adapted for reuse as a single family home. The home, for a young family of four, was designed with the healthy building principles in mind. The completed house is net zero ready, meaning that all of the systems necessary to convert this house to a net zero home are in place, all that is needed are solar panels. Though the original building was in very rough shape, the design team worked hard to retain as much of the original form as possible. The addition distinguishes itself from the original through materiality and structural articulation. The new form hovers on cantilevers, creating a light touch with the ground plane, in contrast to the heavy form of the original masonry structure. Even though the new building has a modern aesthetic it had to conform to some of the historic neighborhood ordinances of the city. The completed product is loved by the neighborhood, with many people taking their evening walks to pass by their new favorite house.