Chelsea Triplex Apartment

Three awkwardly combined apartments are transformed into an elegant and sophisticated Chelsea Triplex family home.

Through the application of tightly curated details and a palette of colors and finishes that infuse the clients’ vibrant and sophisticated style, the apartment was transformed into a welcoming and modern loft befitting the chic neighborhood. A three story tall ribbon of blackened steel forms the spine of a sculptural stair that anchors and unifies the apartment.

Energy-Efficient, Narrow Brownstone

The Owners chose Bespoke Architecture to help them convert their 3-Family Brownstone from a dark, poorly laid-out developer-grade building into a bright, spacious Owner’s triplex plus Garden floor rental. We gutted the building, gave it an entirely new spacious feeling layout, used super energy-efficient building techniques and systems, all within a 14-Foot wide building that now feels much more generous than the Owners ever thought possible.

Brownstone Renovation – Upper West Side

Full Brownstone Renovation, Upper West Side, New York, NY

The client wanted to restore the house to a more historically appropriate style to the original brownstone with rich architectural details. The program included gut renovation of the four story living space, with new plumbing, mechanicals and electric. All cabinets and millwork, including stairs, had to be custom designed and detailed. New outdoor spaces such as a backyard patio and a roof deck were designed and built as extension of the living spaces.

NYC Loft and Penthouse – Tribeca

5,000 Square Foot Triplex Tribeca Loft & Penthouse

For this NYC Loft & Penthouse, the owners wanted a dramatic yet comfortable home, to capitalize on a stunning view of downtown Manhattan, and to celebrate the existing building structure. The glass façades of the penthouse and courtyard provide two levels of open space that allow rain, snow, sun and skyline ‘into’ the interior.

This home interacts with the environment while maintaining the privacy of a traditional house and the openness of a loft.

Tribeca Loft Renovation & Penthouse

4,600 square foot Tribeca Loft Renovation & Penthouse Addition

DDA was approached to renovate the top-floor of a Tribeca loft building, add jewel-box like penthouse and grand roof deck with sweeping, lower Manhattan views.

The almost 4,500 square foot loft is a nod to the classic Tribeca warehouse building’s architecture, while also exemplifying a spacious, modern, luxurious, and very livable home. The grand living / dining / kitchen area has ample room for all manner of entertaining, while the rich, cozy private spaces are tucked in the back. A floating wood sculptural stair invites you upstairs to a finely detailed wood and glass pavilion that slides open to flow into the 1,400 square foot roof deck with commanding views of the Woolworth and WTC 1 towers.

Harlem Brownstone II

Harlem Brownstone The owners of this lovely but run-down Harlem Brownstone approached Bespoke Architecture to help them restore and update this gracious building with original details, into a two family home for their multi-generational family. BA created an elegant, spacious and light-filled triplex home on the top three floors. Restoring much of the original detail,…

Manhattan Townhouse

4,500 Sq. Ft. Single Family Mansion with two gardens, luxurious finishes, and fine-tuned for entertaining.

The Owners came to Bespoke Architecture having just purchased a recently renovated Manhattan townhouse with amazing bones, but a poorly executed plan and renovation. BA worked with the Owners to alter the layout to suit their needs, utilize the space more effectively, and create a truly elegant single-family home that lives up to the promise of the building and how they envisioned living there. The renovation included all new finishes throughout, the relocation and crafting of a true Chef’s Kitchen and family Great Room that opens onto the rear garden via an opened up rear wall; the creation of a luxurious Master Suite including a fully renovated bath, the creation of the kids’ bedroom floor each with their own bath, and turning the Parlor Floor into a grand space for entertaining including a new working fireplace, tall french doors opening onto a balcony overlooking the garden, with rich details such as dark herringbone floors and dentil crown-moldings.

Apartment Combination – West Village

An Apartment Combination of three studio apartments into one loft-like two bedroom, West Village Apartment.

The owner came to us to help her combine her apartment – itself a combination of two small studios – with the adjacent studio next door which she had just acquired.

We tied the spaces together seamlessly to create one unified whole with no clues to the previous arrangement. In the process, we created an additional bedroom, a new and updated full bath, a new hall closet, additional kitchen storage, and a new sitting area/foyer at the relocated entry which allowed a more elegant entry to the apartment over the previous entry through the kitchen. Exposed brick, landmark approved windows, and industrial details help craft a unique home that is greater than the sum of its parts, and truly reflects the desires of the Owner.

Harlem Garden Townhouse

A beautiful townhouse garden brought indoors by opening up the rear of the building.

The Owners of this Landmarked Harlem Townhouse approached Bespoke Architecture to help them alter their building to allow them to indulge their love of gardening and to truly make the most of that rare Manhattan luxury – green space. The primary tasks in this were to upgrade a dark and awkward Master Suite, improve the connection of both the Master Suite and Kitchen/Dining area to the rear townhouse garden, and design a new rear yard fence for the garden.

Bespoke Architecture opened up a large portion of the rear exterior wall and installed wood and glass doors and an iron deck to blur the line between interior and exterior spaces to create a lush haven intimately connected with their home.

The Porch in Sugar Hill

2,500 Sq. Ft. Cafe/Restaurant/Bar/ Music Venue. Gut Renovation of empty retail space.

The owners came to Bespoke Architecture with a vision of creating a community hub for entertainment, casual dining. By daytime – a neighborhood coffeehouse, by nighttime – a jumpin’ bar/restaurant and music venue. As with all new restaurants, Speed, Budget, and the ability to adjust and pivot as the plan developed were key to the owner.

As the space was completely raw, Bespoke’s design allowed for a full new Kitchen, Bathrooms, a Front Service Bar, a Stage, efficient utility space, ample back-of-house storage, as well as maximizing seating. That this was a music venue also brought issues of sound isolation for neighbors which was highly successful.

Opening night was a packed success, and we hope this venue will continue to be a valued and enjoyed member of the community.

P.S. 6 Eric Dutt Eco Center

5,000 sq. ft. rooftop addition of greenhouse and environmental education center.

The Eric Dutt Eco Center in New York City has been selected as a winning project in the 2014 Green Roof and Wall Awards of Excellence.

The Eric Dutt Eco Center at New York City’s renowned P.S. 6 – The Lillie Devereaux Blake School, was an idea conceived by PS 6 Science teacher, Eric Dutt. Eric wanted to build a rooftop greenhouse to teach students the importance of environmental awareness and hands on experience on ecological science. Soon after he started gathering support for his dream, he passed away suddenly, in the prime of life. The PTA, students, and faculty took up the mantle of this project as a tribute to this beloved teacher and his dedication to students, school, and the environment. The program includes greenhouse classroom, outdoor classroom with sun-shade canopy, planting area, turtle pond, solar panels and wind turbine which provide supplementary electricity to the school.

Tonic

Audio Production Facility Peter acted as a Staff Designer on this project with The Downtown Group/Downtown Designworks Architecture (DDA). Tonic (formerly known as Cool Beans) asked DDA to design a new home in their raw space. The client’s objective: a space with cutting-edge acoustic resources that exudes the playful creativity they promise clients. A structural theme of deep…

Kitchen Renovation – SF East Bay

California Kitchen Renovation

We were approached for the kitchen renovation in this 1927 East San Francisco Bay Area mansion in California. The kitchen had a poorly executed late 1980s renovation that left the kitchen dark, with cheap looking and feeling cabinetry, low-end appliances, and very awkward circulation. The clients liked the basic kitchen arrangement, but wanted to improve the connection and circulation between the cooking area and the breakfast nook. The clients sought to improve the appliances, finishes, lighting, and overall quality of the space, but needed to keep the budget reasonable.

Tribeca Loft & Penthouse – No. Moore Street

4,000 square foot Tribeca Loft Renovation & Penthouse Addition

This top floor loft in a former warehouse building has been dramatically converted into a spacious multi-level loft with penthouse and roof deck. After various considerations, sophisticated multiple levels were created as a result of careful study of the zoning and the landmark regulations to maximize the square footage allowed. The open stairwell was designed and located at the center of the apartment with skylights to bring in abundant natural light to the otherwise dark interior of the apartment. This multi-level exposure to ample daylight has given the loft space an expansive sense of space and drama.

Harlem Townhouse II

Modern Gut Renovation of Landmark Limestone Harlem Townhouse

We worked with the owner to create a spacious, light-filled, and thoroughly modern two-family residence in this grand, historic, limestone Harlem townhouse. The building was, quite literally, a wreck – with pre-existing unsafe building violations, no roof, and collapsed or removed floors throughout. A full gut renovation was required with all new floor and roof structure, completely new plumbing, electrical, heating, and air conditioning systems, as well as a new layout and all new finishes.

Our experience with the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission allowed the owner to get the stoop and facade restored quickly, with a minimum of bureaucratic headaches. We created an elegant, minimal set of spaces with a dramatic sculptural stair day-lit from above – maximizing natural light and creating a spatial anchor for the home. A generous roof deck atop the residence allows commanding views of Historic Harlem and the skyline Downtown.

Landmark Harlem Townhouse

~ 3,000 Square Foot Landmark Harlem Townhouse Gut Renovation

Two couples bought this beautiful landmark Harlem townhouse building to divide into two duplex apartments. We designed and filed the entire division and layout of the building, and completely detailed and managed the construction process for one of the duplexes. The client wanted to update the living spaces for a more contemporary lifestyle while working with and matching the traditional architectural details.

The program includes drastic renovation of four story living space with new plumbing, mechanical and electrical work. New cabinetry, millwork, and stairs had to be detailed and custom designed.The backyard was completely redone with a patio that seamlessly connects the living and outdoor spaces.

Eclectic Sugar Hill Brownstone Duplex

The owners approached Bespoke Architecture to take over a project that had gone astray, and help turn a utilitarian set of spaces into a lovely home that expressed their eclectic “cozy industrial” style. The project scope included major work on Plumbing, Electrical, Mechanical systems as well as new fixtures and finishes throughout.

Landmark Tribeca Storefront

Landmark Storefront Renovation The owners of this landmark warehouse building on one of the prime blocks in Tribeca, sought to capitalize on the changing fate of the neighborhood and completely renovate the ground level retail space. Previously a crude and funky disco, DDA renovated the entire space, creating two retail spaces, one office space, and a portion…

Harlem Townhouse Rental

3-Family Harlem Townhouse Rental

An elegant Hamilton Heights corner townhouse renovated into a higher-end three-unit rental building needed a full gut-renovation to improve energy efficiency, replace all building systems, and perform minor structural repairs.

Careful attention to the building layout allowed for efficient use of the space with a minimum lost to circulation. The final product is a bright, spacious building with a 4 Bedroom / 3 Bath duplex with a rear terrace and a generous great room ideal for entertaining, and two 2 Bedroom / 1 Bath Apartments, one with a large roof deck with gorgeous views of a nearby church and City College.

Franklin Street Loft I

An owner/developer approached DDA to design several lofts in his Franklin Street loft building in in Tribeca. The project involved a complete gut renovation of the entire floor and the creation of a large luxury loft apartment including all new mechanicals and services. Grand flowing spaces and luxurious finishes combine with the charms of the historic 19th century warehouse building “bones” to make a truly unique and impressive residence.

Fulton Street Residence

Two Bedroom, Brooklyn Loft Peter acted as a Staff Designer on this project with The Downtown Group/Downtown Designworks Architecture (DDA). The owners of a formless “developer white box” two bedroom loft approached DDA with the desire to reconfigure their space to have better flow and include a guest room, an office, expanded and improved storage…

Martha’s Vineyard House

Martha’s Vineyard Family Cottage, East Chop

The design sought to tap into the family history of the house, rich with memories. We wanted the additions to be romantic and fun and tied to the ever-present sense of history inside and outside of the house.

The scope of this project included, long deferred maintenance and renovation of the existing kitchen, guest room and four bathrooms in the interior. The exterior of the house was dramatically improved by the reconstruction and expansion of porches to wrap around three sides of the house – expanding the functional space of this summer home.

Children’s Therapy Center

Children’s Therapy Center – 15,000 sq.ft. School addition & renovation to school for children with special needs, Fairlawn NJ

The Children’s Therapy Center provides educational and therapeutic services for children with developmental disabilities. The challenge was to design a facility that creates a nurturing and caring environment to enrich the lives of students and maximizes their potential while lending support to their families. The new expanded center was opened at autumn 2005 with five new class rooms, therapy rooms, a staff lounge, offices, a conference room, lobby and improved parking and landscape.

Harlem Townhouse

Gut Renovation of Two-Family Harlem Brownstone

The owners of this Harlem brownstone came to us help them realize their dream home in what was then a blown-out brownstone shell. The gutted interiors suited the clients well because they wanted to have a thoroughly modern home – both in amenities and aesthetics.

The Dalton School – Martin Theater

The Dalton School, Interior and Exterior Renovation, Upper East Side New York, NY

The theater restoration, recreated a classical interior and an extraordinary new performance space that honors the history and tradition of one of New York’s most renowned schools.. Working from original 1912 drawings, DDA created a beautiful, ornate proscenium that is virtually identical to the original. Lighting and acoustics were upgraded to professional standards.

Imaging Consortium

The Imaging Consortium, a national multimedia company, selected DDA after hosting a competition to select an architect of record for their New York 30,000 sq.ft. office and production house facility. The program included offices, conference rooms, audio and video booths, shooting stage, photo studios, digital post-production rooms, graphic design studios and printing/ processing facility. The character of the project came from the bold use of industrial fixtures and materials that unified the various spaces with uninterrupted walls of concrete board, translucent glass, metal paneling and dramatic lighting.

Spaces Made to Order

Bespoke Architecture, PLLC – Firm Profile

People respond to their surroundings in profound ways – often unconsciously. The chance to design one’s built environment is a rare and powerful opportunity. The spaces we inhabit shape how we live. These spaces can be designed to enhance not only our lives as they are but how we ideally want them to be. Clients placing a priority on family, privacy, or entertaining guests, have desires that can be enhanced by creating the spaces that support them. This is the essence of Bespoke Architecture.

Bespoke Architecture is dedicated to obtaining exceptional results in custom crafting designs for our clients while being a mindful guardian of their budgets. We bring over 23 years of experience in New York City architectural design, as well as NYC Zoning and Building Code expertise. We have ongoing relationships with structural & mechanical engineers, landscape architects, interior designers, and expediters to ensure your project has access to any expertise required. Our hands-on approach has led us to develop a level of practical construction knowledge unusual for many architecture firms.

Peter Holtzman, RA / CPHD / NCARB – Founding Principal

Peter is deeply attached to notions of “Home” and how the design of the built environment can play a crucial role in creating or enhancing that – both in concept and in practice. He enjoys collaborating with clients to craft solutions ideal for them. He has spent the past 23 years working in the New York City Architecture field thoughtfully creating and enhancing a range of projects including, custom Loft residences, Townhouse gut renovations, Penthouse Additions, School and Non-Profit Facilities, and Commercial spaces.

In 2005, Peter undertook the design and gut renovation of his own townhouse in Harlem, doing a substantial portion of the construction work himself. By living the roles of Owner and Builder as well as Architect, he has first-hand insight into the Owner’s concerns of Budget, Time, and Quality as well as real-life knowledge of the “nuts and bolts” of construction and the various trades. This was an invaluable learning experience that he draws upon every day in his practice.

Before starting Bespoke Architecture, he worked on several award-winning and published projects in both Oregon and New York. He worked for James Givens Design in Oregon through the end of 1999, then moved to New York, working with The Downtown Group (Later to become Downtown Designworks Architecture). Throughout his career, he has enjoyed working on diverse project types such as Media Facilities, Schools, Commercial Spaces, Private Apartments, Multi-Family Residential Buildings, Townhouse Renovations, and from-the-ground-up new Single-Family Houses.

Peter started Bespoke Architecture in 2016 as a side project. In 2020 his partner at Downtown Designworks Architecture, Peter Willcox, decided he wanted to scale back and enter semi-retirement, bringing a wonderful 20-year working relationship to a close. Peter Holtzman, misses working with Peter Willcox but understands he just can’t compete with the grandbabies. By 2021, Peter Holtzman took over Downtown Designworks and folded it into Bespoke Architecture, continuing to provide excellent service to new and long-standing repeat clients.

Peter received his Master of Architecture from the University of Oregon in 1998, and his Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1992. At the University of Oregon Masters of Architecture Program, he was awarded a Graduate Teaching Fellowship in 1997 and taught courses in Urban Design Principles. His primary areas of focus were architectural composition, detailing, and urban design. During and after his graduate education, he assisted in teaching Design Studios and was a frequent reviewer for Design Studios.

Peter is a Registered Architect in New York State, NCARB Certified, and a Certified Passive House Designer. Peter has particular expertise in Design, Architectural Detailing, Construction Management, as well as a comprehensive knowledge of NYC building and zoning codes.

Peter lives in Harlem, where he makes overly elaborate meals for his kids, and designs and builds furniture rather slowly.

Carrie Rothfeld, RA / AIA – Project Architect

Carrie is a New York State Registered Architect who works at the intersection of Architecture and Interior Design. Her focus is on creating environments that sensitively reflect the needs of its occupants, utilizing context and materiality in tandem with functionality to elevate spaces beyond the ordinary.

Past work has included Commercial and Institutional work at Gensler with such noted clients as the New York Times, KPMG, Lazard Freres, and 2 Park Avenue. Her work in the residential sector includes full apartment, loft, and townhouse renovations, kitchen and bath renovations, landscapes as well as single-family houses. In addition, she has worked on projects with an historic focus including the adaptive reuse of the Richmond Old Library and exterior restoration of several New York City public schools.

Ms. Rothfeld earned her Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics from Cornell University and worked in the retail apparel industry before embarking on her design career; first earning an Associate’s Degree in Interior Design from Parsons School of Design, and then completing an internship in Architecture. Following the internship, she entered what was then called the Graduate School of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania, earning a Master of Architecture and being awarded the Will M. Mehlhorn scholarship in History and Theory.

Having the opportunity to participate in a semester-long exchange with the Architectural Association in London and travel to Goiania, Brazil to work on a housing project with Habitat for Humanity were deeply meaningful experiences that helped round out her understanding of the role of Architectural Design.

Ms. Rothfeld resides in Manhattan with her two daughters and dreams of future adventures in more distant lands.

PHIseals_bluescale

Passive House Design

Passive House is an ultra-low energy construction standard originating in Germany and becoming increasingly popular in the US. It is a voluntary standard of performance that results in 75%-90% less energy use in passive buildings compared to typical new construction – the comparison to older buildings is even more dramatic. The key points of Passive House design are:

Super-insulated
Airtight construction
Mechanical Ventilation with heat-recovery
Thermal-bridge free construction
High-performance windows and building components

Improved indoor air quality, thermal comfort, reduced exterior noise levels, and reduced operational costs are all benefits of passive house design. To learn more about the passive house standard, see the following resources:

Bespoke Architecture

22 West 130th St. #3

New York, New York 10037

Phone: 347-688-2724

info@bespokearchitecture.com


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