NYC Townhouse Garden

Backyard gardens are among Manhattan’s hidden treasures, but when NMA first encountered this uptown gem, it was badly in need of polishing. Typical of Manhattan brownstones, this one belies its ornate street facade with a handsomely minimalist rear elevation. For this project, NMA designed a custom porch and central-spine stair out of black-painted steel with a galvanized steel landing and treads.

Our design encloses the garden with an elegant yet functional mahogany plank fence, at a height that balances privacy with openness to the lively visual space of the surrounding yards. A patio of Delaware brick pavers in a basketweave pattern pulls away from the fence on two sides, creating a serpentine edge that is further softened by garden designer Roberta DiBisceglie’s lush, informal plantings.

NMA’s work also included subsurface drainage design and subtly integrated architectural lighting.

Photographer: Stefano Ukmar