Nelson Kwong Architect
“WHEN THE OWNER TOOK POSSESSION of the property, it was a rooming house, and the kitchen was beyond repair,” says architect Nelson Kwong. The kitchen and the eight apartments attached were unusable – in fact, how the owner, a copywriter, saw beyond the rotted wood, water damage and rat infestation is beyond me. But he saw potential in the long, narrow building, and sat down with his architect to tackle the problem head-on. Seating and work, it turns out, would factor large in the reinvention of the home, particularly in the kitchen.
The house was fully gutted and the original massing preserved; not an inch was gained or could be spared. “I wanted the space to accommodate a dining table that would seat eight, as the house…
