CWB Architects
Since 1995, Coburn Architecture has been designing residential and commercial spaces throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Westchester, New Jersey, and the Eastern End of Long Island. To respond to increased client demand for interior design and decoration services once the architecture of a project is completed, we opened a full-service Interior Design department in 2005. We are currently working on both residential and commercial Interiors projects.
Our strength lies in residential architecture adapted for modern living and commercial spaces crafted for collaboration and productivity. Equally adept in historic renovation and modern design, we harness our substantial practical experience and sophisticated design sensibility to arrive at imaginative solutions for our clients. We strive to strike a balance between economic feasibility and our clients' needs and tastes, and in the end, create spaces that seem effortless.
As a mid-sized firm, we have the ability to provide daily, hands-on project management at the principal level. In this way we cultivate a productive dialog with clients and are able to execute on the quick turnaround they often require.
Coburn Architecture is located in Brooklyn's historic waterfront district in the heart of DUMBO. Our collaborative team of 12 consists of three principals, five licensed architects, two interior designers, and assorted draftspersons, model builders, and administrative staff.
Selected Projects
This was a gut renovation of a three-story row house in dilapidated condition in Williamsburg. Its location afforded spectacular views of the East River, midtown Manhattan and the Empire State Building, but much of the interior was "landlocked" without exposure to any natural light. Our scheme had a single goal: increase the level of natural light filtering into the home.
Located on a quiet lane in Amagansett, Long Island, this 1960s single-family house was an exercise in spatial economy. The challenge was to remodel its 2,800 square feet without expanding the footprint, while both respecting the house's scale in the context of neighboring homes and retaining its barn-like feel.
GRACE CHURCH SCHOOL | HOPE LIBRARY
This adaptive re-use of a once awkward, resultant space between historic Grace Church and its parish hall helped expand Grace Church School without the purchase of new space. The primary form is a bulkhead that appears utilitarian but is fitted with three dormer windows with cozy interior seating. Complex sectional relationships among the surrounding buildings were resolved by creating a mezzanine, beneath which book storage and additional seating was fitted.
ATLANTIC THEATER COMPANY | STAGE 2
The Atlantic Theater Company sought Coburn Architecture's expertise in designing a new performance space on Manhattan's West 16th Street. Intended for use as a second stage for student productions, the building houses additional rehearsal spaces available for rental to outside companies.
Coburn Architecture was commissioned to design 50,000 square feet of space that serve as the headquarters for the home furnishings retailer, West Elm, a division of Williams-Sonoma. Much of this space is used as a retail showroom and product test center. We leveraged large saw-tooth skylights as an organizing principle for the space and endeavored to maximize the natural light they provided by arranging the work stations in a U-shape directly beneath them.
