The Java Street Townhouse is a study in building for family: a renovation designed to last, with the needs of sibling clients shaping every decision. Our design prioritizes durability, light, and privacy, so a two-family townhouse works for the people who live in it.

Light was a central challenge of this project. To reach the building’s innermost room, we added a lightwell by taking half of the upstairs guest bedroom’s closet to support the shaft; a small trade for a big return. The light well fills the primary bathroom with daylight and frosted glass on the door keeps the space private while allowing even more light to carry through. Due to the townhouse’s long and narrow form, opening the rear facade was critical in flooding both apartments in as much natural light as possible. In the upper residence, we opened the entire rear wall into an expansive windowed enclosure, which carries sun through to the central living room. In the lower residence, we enlarged the original kitchen window and added a new door, to draw daylight and garden views into the lower residence. 

The siblings differed in their design aesthetics and as such, each residence has its own character. The upper residence has a clean aesthetic with a touch of mid-century modern flair, built sturdy and kid-friendly for a busy household. Its kitchen and millwork are finished in a soft greige, a calm backdrop for contemporary pops of art and wallpaper and the colorful toys of everyday family life.

Preserved details like an exposed brick fireplace ground the living space in its original charm.The lower level became a minimalist one-bedroom apartment with a new private entrance. Its look is graphic, natural, and easy to clean, with a flexible open layout and glossy white cabinetry that lets one material lead: a deep green stone counter and backsplash, with intricate veining running up the wall around the window.