Stained birch plywood forms the storage throughout this compact Brooklyn duplex, which was renovated on a tight budget by New York studio Plan Plan.
The CC Residence was designed by Plan Plan for a couple and their child on a limited budget, showing what can be achieved with smart planning.
“CC Residence is a renovation that explores how affordable building materials and simple yet innovative spatial strategies can create functional, dynamic homes,” the studio said.
“This project serves as an example of how this approach can be extended to other families – small families, couples, or working professionals – to negotiate the needs of daily life.”
The connected kitchen, dining and living areas are on the upper level of the home, while two bedrooms are located on the ground floor.
The renovation work involved rearranging the ground floor and improving the public areas – all while incorporating as much storage as possible.
“Working under tight financial constraints, the project begins with its overall strategy,” said Plan Plan.
“Instead of spreading a small budget evenly, we focus resources where they bring about the biggest change in the environment and leave the existing conditions intact.”
To keep costs down, the floors, bathrooms and plumbing were kept, and only two new materials were chosen: stained birch plywood and stainless steel sheets.
Upstairs, the timber was used to build a kitchen cabinet and a peninsula, a dining table with a variety of chairs and stools.
The property also creates a shelf unit that separates the living area from a small home office, raised by two steps and placed in a niche.
Stainless steel countertops, fixtures and furniture accents provide a cool contrast to the warm wood.
Downstairs, the spatial configuration revolved around a Ryukyu tatami grid, which dictated the size of the rooms, the placement of doors and the size of the carvings.
“The same tatami also introduces warmth and intimacy in bedrooms,” said Plan Plan.
Additional birch plywood creates floor-to-ceiling storage in the master bedroom and nursery, and lines the bottom of the staircase.
“CC Residence shows how thoughtful, budget-conscious design can produce flexible, comfortable urban living,” the studio said.
With a team that includes architects Cheung-Wei Lee, Buzz Wei and Yu-Hsiang Lin, Plan Plan also completed a light-filled Chinese restaurant in Brooklyn.
Other recently renovated apartments in the New York City area include a loft that combines industrial and playful elements by Batliboi Studio, and a Bureau Tempo residence with a subtle green kitchen and frosted glass partition walls.
Photo by Chung-Wei Lee.
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