59 South 4th Street

Location: Brooklyn, NYC

Architect: Arcus Design Group

Finished: 2015

Photos: Dean Kaufman

Petersen Magazine: Petersen 48

Products: D54

Categories: Housing projects

The ‘Wythe Lane Townhouses’ on 59th Street are situated close to the East River and Williamsburg Bridge. The four-storey development houses six attractive terraced homes with back gardens connected by a private path – Wythe Lane – which acts as the main point of entry. All of the homes have a full-size basement and their own roof terrace.

One of the principal ideas behind the project was to integrate greenery. Black, stainless steel trellises run up the gable end of the building and sweep along over the roof terraces. Over time, they will increasingly resemble a lush, green frame around the development.

The man behind the project, Roger Bittenbender of Arcus, has a true passion for Flensburg bricks and used the bright yellow D71 at 150 Wooster Street in SoHo a few years back.

According to Bittenbender, he opted for D54 FF because the dynamic brick almost has a life of its own as well as an inbuilt patina. The countless beautiful shades range from dark grey to green and are complemented by the foliage all around the building. In addition, the façade and window dimensions fully conformed with the format of the brick. This meant not a single brick had to be cut, which further elevates the harmony of the brickwork.