Jazzed Up in Harlem
A Compact Garden Kitchen with Gradient Architecture
Manhattan, New York
Architecture by Ben Krone, Gradient Architecture
Builder: Black Square Builders
Architecture by Ben Krone, Gradient Architecture
Builder: Black Square Builders
A cinematographer, director, and producer with a deep love for jazz was no stranger to complex compositions.
Rescuing a neglected townhouse in Harlem, required assembling a combo to create a home with soul. It was a trio of new and old friends: Ben Krone, Principal of Gradient Architecture, Henrybuilt, and Contractor Jim Valouch, Black Square Builders.
The house came with plenty of character and accompanying conundrums. It sat in a severe flood zone and atop an underground river. The building had to be lifted just to get it into habitable territory. That was the easy part. Where structure met everyday living is where the puzzle got really intricate.
The house came with plenty of character and accompanying conundrums. It sat in a severe flood zone and atop an underground river. The building had to be lifted just to get it into habitable territory. That was the easy part. Where structure met everyday living is where the puzzle got really intricate.
Fixed structural elements had to be worked around or within. At 15 feet wide, the house is on the skinny side of narrow. “Squeezing all the programming a typical townhouse has on one floor - living space, a dining area, a powder room, and a kitchen - into a slim envelope was a huge design challenge,” said Krone. “Nothing could give.”
This was especially acute in the kitchen. Pronounced steps in the wall, ventilation systems, and mechanical requirements made the kitchen inherently complex. The composition needed to be precise but embrace improvisation.
Both the client and the architect live with a Henrybuilt kitchen and know the quality and performance inherent in the system. They understand that it is the nature of the system approach itself that - seemingly contradictory - brings flexibility to improvise, while also ensuring a precise result.
“Besides the fact that it is beautiful, Henrybuilt's system ultimately feels flexible because of their design team,” said Krone. “They are experts in using the system to achieve the design intent and navigate the structural challenges inherent in construction.”
Ventilation was important - the client didn’t want the small space infused with big odors. And, this is a client who cooks. A decision was made to enclose the hood. But what to do with a deep and tall box in the middle of the wall? Especially when the tight space called for openness around the cooking area. The team knitted the space together using open elements of Henrybuilt’s system to create a bridge between the hood and the closed storage.
The layout of the kitchen wall pulled together disparate parts to feel like a whole.
The layout of the kitchen wall pulled together disparate parts to feel like a whole.
Its small size and big use demanded durability.
“This is a cook’s kitchen. It is massively used,” explained Krone. “The fact that I have a 10-year old Henrybuilt kitchen and our client has a 15-year old Henrybuilt kitchen that have held up is a testament to the quality.”
“This is a cook’s kitchen. It is massively used,” explained Krone. “The fact that I have a 10-year old Henrybuilt kitchen and our client has a 15-year old Henrybuilt kitchen that have held up is a testament to the quality.”
The project was an exercise in connecting dots. Literally and figuratively. The small peninsula provides a significant amount of storage, while also creating a quiet interlude between kitchen and living area. Moments of delineation were important because of the open plan.
Simplifying the number of materials used was a deliberate move to create calm in the kitchen. Walnut panels accent the technical gray fronts. They also bring touch of the natural world indoors.
A quiet composition masks big activity inside the corner cubby. The countertop continues behind the door where outlets and a coterie of small appliances used daily are at hand, but out of sight.
Individually sized to each drawer, full-length integrated pulls create a continuous line. They are reductive visually, while additive functionally - providing a positive grip.
Individually sized to each drawer, full-length integrated pulls create a continuous line. They are reductive visually, while additive functionally - providing a positive grip.
PULLS
Designed to integrate into the overall system, our pulls are handcrafted from solid brass, stainless steel, and leather.
An organic fixture over the island helps offset the long, directional space. A solo performer that adds a bit of play.
Like a jazz number, the project embraced irregularities. Celebrating them where their character prevailed. Working adeptly around them where their other attributes remained hidden behind the scenes. An artful composition that works for everyday living.
