A 140-year-old landmarked brick townhouse, reinterpreted as a light-filled contemporary home.
The Aperture Home
Photography by Pepe Molina & reBuild Workshop
The Plan
To bring more daylight into the garden level of this 1880s masonry structure, reBuild removed the non-historic brick façade at the first floor and reconstructed a storefront based on historic photographs from the 1940s. This approach allowed the new addition to be clearly legible as a contemporary intervention, while remaining respectful to the original.
At the parlor level, we created an uninterrupted, flexible open plan that maximizes daylight. Given the home’s location on a relatively busy street, the kitchen was positioned centrally, with the primary living space shifted toward the quieter rear of the house, which takes full advantage of the floor’s width and its relationship to the garden.
To further enhance daylight and strengthen the visual and physical connection to the outdoors, a 10-foot-wide opening was introduced at the rear of the parlor level. Custom steel doors open onto a steel-and-cedar deck, to provide a seamless transition to the rear yard.
Sustainability
The home is equipped with a high-efficiency, concealed heat-pump system that provides heating and cooling, with outdoor equipment located discreetly on the roof. Mechanical units and ductwork are carefully integrated within the architecture to preserve ceiling heights while ensuring efficient air distribution throughout. The exterior building envelope was comprehensively air-sealed and insulated well beyond code requirements, and new high-performance windows were installed throughout, significantly improving energy performance, comfort, and year-round thermal stability.
