Elizabeth Roberts converts Brooklyn building to offices with "clarity and modest presence"
New York studio Elizabeth Roberts Architects has restored a historic commercial space for a creative agency in Brooklyn, retaining original features while adding contemporary touches.
Sandwiched between blocks of red-brick rowhouses, the Degraw Street Office is located in the borough's Cobble Hill neighbourhood.
The single-storey structure sits on a lot that Elizabeth Roberts Architects traced back to 1855 using historic maps.
While residential development on the site was present in the 1870s, the first clear record of an active storefront shows up in a 1940 tax photograph, when the structure was used as a barbershop.
"Over the decades, the space likely supported a series of modest commercial uses, each leaving subtle traces of its past," said the studio. "This layered history shaped a preservation-minded approach to the renovation."
The building is now home to production company Arts & Sciences, which also has offices in Los Angeles, Chicago and London.
The new office is designed to support a variety of functions, from focused writing and editing to collaborative sessions and client meetings.
During the renovation, the studio restored the black front facade, which includes a trio of set-back doorways and large windows.
"Much of the storefront's original character had been lost through successive alterations, so the renovation sought to restore a sense of clarity and modest presence," said Elizabeth Roberts Architects.
"The preserved black facade maintains the understated rhythm of the block and keeps the building visually connected to its historic neighbours."
Inside, the expanses of glass fill the spaces with natural light, showcasing the exposed wooden ceiling beams and other characterful elements such as picture rails and panelling.
The central reception room includes tan-hued lounge furniture – arranged atop layered, textured carpets – and a disco ball above the doorway.
An office featuring a wood-topped desk and black leather chairs occupies the room to the left, while a meeting area furnished with a large table and green seats is housed in the space on the right.
Deep window ledges are utilised for storing books and displaying plants, which, together with beige cafe curtains help to create privacy for the occupants.
A curated collection of artworks and patterned rugs also adds colour and personality to the compact offices.
"This complete gut renovation transforms the once-humble commercial room into a warm, inviting environment suited to today's creative practice, carrying forward the modest and welcoming character of Cobble Hill through a contemporary lens," said Elizabeth Roberts Architects.
The Brooklyn and Bellport-based studio has previously completed a cedar alpine house in the Catskills Mountains that connects two gabled forms underground.
Other New York offices we've featured recently include a space designed by Charlap Hyman & Herrero for Mouthwash Studio, in which antique Persian rugs are blended with modern furniture.
The photography is by Chris Mottalini.
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