The design problem to solve in this project was how convert a 120-year-old basement of an existing rowhouse into an additional sleeping/living quarters for the client, concealing existing utility services along the exterior wall and ceiling while maximizing an unusually high 8' ceiling height. The design mandate of combining industrial, vintage, and mid-century elements was also a challenging mash-up for this below-grade renovation.

Our approach was to create a space that embraced its moody and quasi-subterranean nature while avoiding an aesthetic that was overly bright and overly white. Architectural cement board panels with exposed black fasteners were selected for the ceiling plane and paired with a black stained Pennsylvania oak wood floor. Existing drainage piping along the exterior wall was concealed in a linear painted wood ledge that transitions to a work alcove. Low overhead utility piping parallel to this exterior ledge was clad in the same cement board panel system.