Karen L. Jacobson Architects Studio

Carriage House

This unique project combined two favorite project types: a residential townhouse and doctor’s office. The original building was a carriage house on the Upper East Side. The first floor was a 2000 square foot space that was still being used for storage. The second floor apartment had been renovated ten years previously by Michael Graves. The new program called for a plastic surgeon’s office for the husband on the 1st floor and a 1000 square foot roof top addition with bedroom, bathroom and family room. The owners respected the colorful and personal renovation by the well-known architect and wanted the rest of the building to reflect the same style. The first floor entry was renovated with large swinging paneled doors, which hid the office when it was closed for business. The roof top addition, which is invisible from the street, is designed with the same barrel- vault ceiling that Graves introduced in the original apartment renovation.