Williamsburg Townhouse Reconstruction
Brooklyn, New York
Some projects demand a single team with full command of the process — from first design intention to final construction detail. This Williamsburg townhouse is one of them. Andrés Cortés led the complete reconstruction as architect and builder, delivering a five-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot urban residence that treats sustainability not as a feature set but as a foundational design philosophy.
TYPE
Private Homes
SIZE
3,000 sf · 5 bedrooms · 4 levels
PROJECT SPECS
Solar: 7.56 kW canopy · ~9,000 kWh annually · ~70% electrical offset Envelope: Shou Sugi Ban charred timber · High-performance OITC-rated windows · Vitrocsa floor-to-ceiling rear system Vertical circulation: Custom steel circular stair · Residential elevator Millwork: Single-tree custom cabinetry throughout Rooftop: Solar canopy · Vegetable garden · Hinoki soaking tub
The building announces itself through its skin. Charred Shou Sugi Ban wood clads the exterior envelope — a traditional Japanese preservation technique providing natural durability, water resistance, and fire retardancy without the chemical dependency of conventional treatments.
The building announces itself through its skin. Charred Shou Sugi Ban wood clads the exterior envelope — a traditional Japanese preservation technique providing natural durability, water resistance, and fire retardancy without the chemical dependency of conventional treatments.
It is grounding and distinctive, connecting the home to a material culture older than the neighborhood surrounding it.
It is grounding and distinctive, connecting the home to a material culture older than the neighborhood surrounding it.
Inside and above, every system was designed in concert. The rooftop integrates a solar canopy, a vegetable garden, and a hinoki soaking tub — a permaculture-driven program developed directly from conversations with the clients about how they wanted to live.
Inside and above, every system was designed in concert. The rooftop integrates a solar canopy, a vegetable garden, and a hinoki soaking tub — a permaculture-driven program developed directly from conversations with the clients about how they wanted to live.
The solar canopy offsets approximately 70% of the household's annual electrical demand.
The solar canopy offsets approximately 70% of the household's annual electrical demand.
Performance governs the envelope throughout: high-performance windows filter the noise of a former truck route at the front, while a floor-to-ceiling Vitrocsa system opens the living area completely to the back patio.
Performance governs the envelope throughout: high-performance windows filter the noise of a former truck route at the front, while a floor-to-ceiling Vitrocsa system opens the living area completely to the back patio.
The interior is finished with the same discipline. A custom steel circular staircase and residential elevator connect four levels with quiet efficiency.
The interior is finished with the same discipline. A custom steel circular staircase and residential elevator connect four levels with quiet efficiency.
The kitchen cabinetry and millwork — crafted from a single tree — embody the project's commitment to mindful procurement and craftsmanship at every scale.
The kitchen cabinetry and millwork — crafted from a single tree — embody the project's commitment to mindful procurement and craftsmanship at every scale.
This is what Project Assembly's design-build practice makes possible: a home conceived and constructed as a unified act.
This is what Project Assembly's design-build practice makes possible: a home conceived and constructed as a unified act.
Discover more projects
Position, Design, Realize.
Andrés Cortés Architecture Office, PC + Agencie Group LLC
©2026 Project Assembly
Position, Design, Realize.
Andrés Cortés Architecture Office, PC
Agencie Group LLC
©2026 Project Assembly
Position, Design, Realize.
Andrés Cortés Architecture Office, PC + Agencie Group LLC
©2026 Project Assembly