Set in one of Buffalo, New York’s historic urban districts, this project is a story of transformation: From a traditional 1930 house with limited daylight and many discrete spaces, to a contemporary art lover’s ideal dwelling.

Sitting among the conventional neighboring houses on the street, the public front of the Gallery House presents its original architectural identity but distinguishes itself with a modern landscape design. The side yard is visually open to the street and doubles as a contemporary sculpture garden and auto court, with a crisp modern garage as the backdrop.

Upon entering the front door, any sense of the traditional house is immediately overtaken by the soaring three dimensional volumes that unfold before you and invite exploration. Crisp and modern with abundant daylight, the extensive and diverse collection of paintings and sculpture happily inhabit the space, along with their fellow human and canine occupants.

The original floor plan was organized into three zones: a center hall flanked by rooms to each side. Working with that scheme, new additions extrude all three of those zones toward the back with full glass walls opening to the private rear gardens.  The upper floors above the center hall were carved out, creating a center atrium space with a skylit staircase that connects the scheme three-dimensionally, and scoops copious amounts of daylight into the heart of the house.

The new additions redefine the back of the house and fully express the contemporary identity of the interior spaces. Outdoor terraces extend the living space into the rear sculpture garden, offering a private sanctuary.