Brooklyn’s ‘Space Age’ Townhouses Will Replace Dilapidated Wooden Homes

A rarity in Williamsburg, a modernist attached townhouse for rent has hit the market.

Instagram promotes “the newest space-age Brooklyn townhouse” that “breaks stereotypes” with its puffy windows.

Currently, two of the three attached townhouses are listed for sale at $5.5 million apiece (with taxes of about $18,000 a year), and the third is renting out for $18,000 a month.

“We had a lot of lease inquiries,” said listing agent Deborah Reeders of Corcoran. She added that due to the fact that there are so few townhouses or apartments with more than three bedrooms for rent in the area, the developer decided to rent one of the three.

The lot, 74-76 South Second St., is just two blocks from the East River waterfront. The site was once home to a ramshackle, three-story, timber-framed shack and a graffiti-covered one-car garage.

“Real estate developers are trying to bring a sublime style of architecture to an area filled with eclectic architecture, from old lofts to brick townhouses, frame houses and towers along the waterfront,” Rieders said.

The style is “modern functional,” said architect Murat Mutlu, founder and head of IN-OA Architecture. The area, which has developed rapidly over the past 20 years, includes so many architectural styles that “it has become a kind of architectural museum,” he said.

In this case, “we created three identical townhouses, but each needed its own personality,” Mutlu said. The V-grooves of the façade create a separation between each townhouse. This is not a porch, but just one step to the main living space.

Huge windows with curved corners create a “cohesive look with a uniform aesthetic,” Mutlu said. “The four edges blend into each other, so you only have one round object. You have fewer lines and distractions.”

The top floor with a summer kitchen has been moved back due to zoning requirements.

Each “mini-mansion” is about 3,800 square feet on six floors, including a basement with windows leading to the garden. Above the main floor is a mezzanine floor that creates high ceilings – 22 feet high.

“Unlike an apartment building, here everything is at your disposal,” Mutlu said. “It’s a different way of life. It’s definitely attractive for a wealthy person.”

COVID has taught people that “living in a townhouse has huge benefits,” Rieders said, “because everyone can have their own place to work, sleep, and be away from family members.”

The three townhouses were built by InvestMates, which specializes in Williamsburg and nearby Greenpoint, and bought the lot five years ago for $3.9 million. “We saw that there is a need for larger apartments,” said InvestMates owner Idan Shitrit. “We wanted to create something that would appeal to families.”

The rooftop kitchen allows you to entertain with a view without having to climb up and down stairs. The bathroom isn’t all that difficult to climb up the stairs – there are bathrooms on every level except the rooftop and mezzanine.

Sheetrit was inspired by the look of Soho’s classic cast-iron buildings, but wanted a modern iteration of them. Parts of the townhouses were made in Europe and shipped from there with panels made from a material called GFRC, which stands for fiberglass reinforced concrete.

In Williamsburg, there are fewer and fewer plots suitable for development. “This location was especially suitable for townhouses,” Rieders said. “It wasn’t a giant site. It was an intimate site.”