Located in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, the Narrow House is a self-initiated project, developed and occupied by the architects themselves. The project is sited on formerly vacant lot measuring only 13’-4” wide, where zoning typically prohibits most new residential development. The main problem in the design of the Narrow House is not exterior shape or expression, but rather daylight and circulation.

Aside from two lateral walls, the house is characterized by an absence of interior walls, rooms, and corridors. The openness—exactly 11’ clear inside—enables daylight penetration throughout, but also an unusual lack of separation. In lieu of walls, the split-level section creates spatial distinctions between different domestic functions.

The project represents a specific architectural proposition but is also a polemic on the greater potential for architectural invention in constrained, irregular, and/or narrow lots, demonstrating the viability of infill and possibilities for new formats of housing in residual, often overlooked urban spaces.