2024-12-18T23:00:03-05:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/61409571/the-city-s-vintage-town-houses-aren-t-getting-any-younger Nam Henderson 2012-11-15T00:14:00-05:00 >2012-11-15T09:00:25-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/px/pxiri0xhyvdmwtzg.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>&ldquo;In historic districts, the commission always regulated the entire lot,&rdquo; said Sarah Carroll, the director of preservation at the agency. &ldquo;But in the last decade we&rsquo;ve been seeing more applications for rear-facade changes, particularly in Brooklyn, where there hadn&rsquo;t been as many changes in the rear yards as in the past. And so we&rsquo;ve been focusing more on the interiors of blocks.&rdquo;</p></em><br /><br /><p> Constance Rosenblum reviews a number of recent examples of "contemporary" brownstone renovations in NYC. The article refers to work by Michael Rubin Architects, Rafael Vi&ntilde;oly, Rogers Marvel Architects, Kinlin Rutherfurd Architects, David Hecht and Brendan Coburn Brooklyn architects. One basic point is that the town-house typology, proves very adaptable. However, there is a tension between flexible accommodation and rigid preservation-ism, in terms of aesthetic conservation.</p>