Urban House A

Situated behind an urban row housing dating from the early 20th century in a developing district of Jersey City, the existing structure is an independent coach house constructed of masonry and timber frame. The client’s objective was to convert the existing coach house into a modern home and office. Our concept entailed removing the existing interior and upgrade-renovate-reinforce the external brick-masonry shell.

The exterior reflects the history and memory of the coach house. It remains anchored to its context and history.

The interior, organized along a vertical linear gallery that spans the length of the existing masonry wall, is an open and fluid space with an efficient program layout of the private living spaces. Private and separated from the living area, a full home office on the lower garden level has its own separate entrance.

The gallery atrium also organizes the vertical circulation linking the work space in the garden level and the living area on the 1st floor. Master bedroom suite with 2 guestrooms with a shared bathroom module are located on the 2nd floor adjacent to the vertical linear atrium gallery with a view down this linear vertical open space.

Natural resource conscience, the coach house incorporates photovoltaic panels installed on the upper portion of the house to generate and store energy for interior consumption and other power needs. Recycled materials would be utilized as much as possible with low energy consuming appliances. Maximizing sunlight during the day helps to diminish the need for artificial lighting and thermal energy from the existing brick masonry wall will help to provide cool mass during the summer and store warm heat during winter.