Skinnyside
Skinnyside is a new townhouse on a narrow 10’ wide lot in Sunnyside, Queens. Nestled between two larger
developments, the previously abandoned lot had sat empty for over 100 years. Overgrown and filled with trash,
the unmaintained property had become an eyesore to the community. By creating some innovative design solutions,
we were able to turn the once-forgotten property into a modern 1,800sf townhouse with private garden and roof
deck – all within a desirable NYC neighborhood.
Skinnyside is now available for pre-construction purchase. Let us build a new vision for our cities for your family!
For over a century, the densely-packed NYC neighborhood of Sunnyside had overlooked a small property that was just ten feet wide. Surrounded by a thriving business district, near good schools, and just a block from an efficient subway line that reaches downtown Manhattan in 15 minutes, the infill lot became overgrown and began to collect garbage and debris.
Our team of architects and designers didn’t just see a slender, unusable property. We saw an opportunity to reimagine the neighborhood eyesore and create valuable housing on the tiny footprint. We saw a way to provide a generous space for modern city living in a diverse, desirable community. So, we bought it!
The new, modern townhouse takes its cue from the growing movement of tiny home living, but builds upwards to create an ample floor area on the thin, narrow site. We took the typical 20' wide 2-story townhouse, cut it in half and stacked it on itself. The resulting design provides 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and capitalizes on a private roof deck and garden for additional living space in good weather.
Join us in this short film as we walk you through the modern townhouse and explain some of the key design concepts that informed our architectural and interior design choices. The animated video allows you to experience the scale of the unique in-progress home.
The modern townhouse interior architecture is primarily designed around a custom wood stairwell that
connects the three stories and roof deck in a single gesture. A skylight sits above the stairwell and helps
bring natural light into the center of the floor plan. White walls and light wood floors help brighten the
narrow home and make it feel wider than it is. Additionally, custom millwork in the living room and primary
bedroom provide unique storage solutions without overpowering the space.
In addition to the 1,800sf of living space, the townhouse also includes a garden and roof deck for an
additional 800sf of space for private entertaining when the NYC weather permits. The floor-to-ceiling glazing
on both sides of the home allows light to travel through at all times of the day, and also creates a line of
sight to the terraced greenspace from nearly all spaces in the home.
The proportions of a typical Queens townhouse were split in half and stacked on top of eachother to create a slender, modern home that fits nicely within the limitations of the narrow property.
While the location and amenities of the home are highly desirable, marketing such a unique property comes with its own series of challenges. Being able to design the architecture, interiors, and brand design in unison allowed our team to create striking visuals prior to construction that helped build awareness of the unique real estate asset prior to even breaking ground. These branded marketing assets include a custom website, real estate brochures, and an active social media campaign.
In September of 2023, we held an event at our design studio in Long Island City to celebrate the listing launch of Skinnyside. The event included large scale renderings of the upcoming townhouse, a 3D printed model, and a panel discussion with a local realtor, zoning expert and one of our partners – John Patrick Winberry. However, the most exciting feature of the evening was a 1-to-1 scaled floor plan which we taped out on the floor so that guests could experience the scale of the space in true scale.
