In this episode, we’re exploring the history of townhouses in New York City and unpacking how this housing type relates to gentrification, a hot-button issue at the intersection of race, class, and housing. We’re revisiting a conversation that I had with Lea Cloud, co-founder and partner of CDR Studio Architects, where she walks us through a thoughtful, innovative Bushwick townhouse renovation. 

Townhouses are single-family, multi-level homes that share walls with other homes on one or both sides and feature an entrance directly to the street. They’re most common in New York City neighborhoods like Harlem, Long Island City, and Park Slope, which also happen to be communities at the epicenter of gentrification.

Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents. On the surface, the new neighbors boost the local economy with restaurants, businesses, and housing. But, these upgrades are typically at the cost of longtime residents. This shift sparks feelings of resentment, frustration, and anger about who gets to own what and who gets to call a place home.

In our conversation, Lea Cloud and I touch on this issue through the lens of the townhouse renovation her firm designed for a client located in the southeast part of Bushwick. Lea describes how the neighborhood demographics have changed since it was first acquired by the Dutch in the 1600s and has now become a major hub for Central and South American immigrants. 

Lea and I also discuss the ethos behind passive homes, what it’s like to work with multiple firms on a single project, and how to manipulate designs to meet the client’s vision while still complying with standard code. 

Resources Mentioned: 

• Gentrification, Displacement, and Neighborhood Revitalization by J. John Palen & Bruce London
• The NYC TikTok Influencer to Gentrification Pipeline by Lily Alvarado

About the Guest:

Lea is a co-founder and partner at CDR studio architects, a full service design firm in New York. Prior to starting the firm, she was at PKSB architects, where she had an opportunity to work on the renovation of the famous Seagram building that was designed by Mies van der Rohe, Philip Johnson, Eli Cohn and Robert Jacobs. Lea serves along with me as a city planning commissioner in Hoboken, New Jersey. She's a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. 

Topics Covered:

• The implications of gentrification 
• How the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn has changed throughout the years
• Key features in the townhouse renovation 
• How to incorporate light and connectivity in a design
• Positioning stairs in a small spaces 

About Your Host

Atif Qadir is the Founder of Commonplace, a company dedicated to tackling one of the biggest barriers to more inclusive, affordable, and sustainable development: improving access to capital. Commonplace helps impact-driven developers and capital providers with shared values discover and connect with each other.

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