demolition

The demolition phase is now in full force at the townhouse. Not only have all the interior partition walls been removed but there is substantial excavation at the garden level where the kitchen and family room will be.

Removing all of the existing interior walls, joists, and the exterior rear wall itself though is quite a daunting task. It is of crucial importance that we maintain stability of the existing street facade along with the east and west walls which we share with two other townhouses. We also must allow construction and demolition crews access to all levels of the house, which is of course easier when there are still some existing floor joists for everyone to clamber around on. For these reasons, a well orchestrated balance of demo and construction will be going on in the house for the next few weeks. As new steel and wood joists are put in the existing ones can be removed- as part of the existing rear garden wall is removed a new concrete foundation can be poured and so on.

welcome!

We couldn't be more excited about sharing one of our current projects with you: the complete gut renovation of an existing townhouse in Manhattan. This blog will attempt to cover all aspects of renovation from demolition to furniture selection and everything else in between.

The scope of work includes making the house suitable for a single family, the addition of a penthouse floor, the expansion of the rear of the house, as well as a sizable amount of excavation of the existing garden level floor to achieve a greater head height. We will also be adding a new rear wall, a new staircase and elevator, and a new garden level entry way.

All that will remain of the existing townhouse is the street facade. All interior finishes, walls, and floors will be removed along with the existing rear garden wall to make room for new structure and a better, more functional design.

the existing street facade to remain (although all doors and windows will be replaced)

the existing garden facade (which will be completely removed in order to build the house out to where the existing "tale" is).