Light and Air’s Winder House is a 1,600-square-foot renovation of a wood-framed townhouse in Brooklyn’s Windsor Terrace neighborhood, set along a tree-lined block southwest of Prospect Park. The project is rooted in the area’s historic urban fabric, drawing on traditional building practices while supporting contemporary modes of living.
Because the existing structure was severely deteriorated and required extensive reconstruction, the design reimagines the house with careful attention to its character and context. At its center, a new white oak stair replaces the original winder stair, which was structurally compromised, noncompliant with code, and no longer usable. Interpreted as a refined architectural element, the stair introduces warmth, clarity, and a contemporary reading of traditional detailing. Like the original design, its L-shaped form organizes circulation through the core of the house.
A slender skylight aligned above the stair draws daylight deep into the interior, illuminating circulation and reaching the dining area below. This intervention makes the stair a luminous anchor within the home.
