Before & After:
A Crumbling 1970s Building Is Revived as a Dual-unit Home with a Barbershop
An architect with a passion for urbanism converts an abandoned building-formerly a day care-into a thriving live/work space in Newburgh, New York
By Melissa Dalton
March 25, 2021
When Ali Höcek and Cynthia Corsiglia were looking at potential spots for a joint development project, the couple had many reasons for landing on Newburgh, New York, a 19th-century industrial city on the Hudson River. Cynthia, a securities lawyer, grew up next to a river and wanted to be near the water. Newburgh’s storied mix of buildings—from Revival-style churches to old factories—appealed to Ali, an architect who runs AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA) in New York City.
A historic glimpse of Newburgh, a city of about 28,000 people in New York state.
Courtesy of AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA)
Only 68 miles from the couple’s home in the city, Newburgh was also within easy driving distance. Then, there were the people.
"Cynthia remarked to me in the first few months of her explorations that she never encountered a closed door in her many walks through the streets. Always a nod, a welcome," says Ali. "There is a real beating heart in Newburgh. We were moved by the openness of the community."
The Dutch Reformed Church, built in 1835 in the Greek Revival-style, is a prominent architectural landmark in Newburgh. The church is about a block away from the building that Ali and Cynthia eventually bought.
Courtesy of AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA)
At the turn of the 20th century, Newburgh was thriving, with more than 100 factories in a range of manufacturing sectors from shipbuilding to clothing production. The city’s riverfront also provided a key maritime port. However, over the past 50 years Newburgh has experienced economic depression resulting in higher levels of unemployment and crime.
Many of Newburgh’s buildings, businesses, and homes were forsaken after the city "suffered the ravages of a poorly planned urban renewal project in the early 1970s," explains the couple. "When we first visited, its streets housed almost 800 abandoned buildings, in part caused by the unsupportable taxes burdening the remaining private property owners."
But the city’s rough exterior didn’t deter Ali and Cynthia’s interest. "Despite Newburgh’s blight, its bones remain magnificent," the couple adds.
Before: Exterior
Before: Cynthia and Ali call the single-story, slab-on-grade building an "anomaly" among the architectural styles in Newburgh, New York, and they appreciate some of its original details. "The original architect cleverly ran the vertical divider [on the windows] all the way down to the ground level, so it gives a verticality [in contrast] to the horizontality of the roof," says Ali.
Courtesy of AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA)
Since 2015, Ali and Cynthia had been on the lookout for a prospective development project, not only as a means to merge their complementary talents, but also to satiate Ali’s abiding passion for urbanism, notably as a professor for 30 years. "Ali has spent years teaching at City College in Harlem," says Cynthia. "His architectural and academic work are continuously informing one another."
The couple also noticed that Newburgh seems to be having a creative revival of sorts, with new modes of industry setting up shop in the city, including the furniture designers Atlas Industries. "We quickly became intrigued by what seemed to be a bit of renaissance in the making," say the couple. "Many Manhattan and Brooklyn [residents] had been arriving for years—woodworkers, craftspeople, and artists, and there was an enduring community of old-timers as well."
Unfortunately, the property search was proving fruitless for the couple, with buildings going under contract before they could even make an offer. So when Cynthia got a tip on a promising one, she made an offer immediately. "Without my knowledge, by the end of the day, we were in contract on a building that resembled a very neglected midcentury post office," jokes Ali.
After: Exterior
The brick shell of the 1,863-square-foot building was painted matte black, which "makes the roof float in a wonderful way and accentuates the white framing of the windows," says Ali.
Photo by Stefan Hagen
Photo Categories: exterior, mid-century building type, flat roofline, brick siding material
The front corner of the renovated building is dedicated to a commercial space, while the rear is a one-bedroom apartment with a studio and private exterior patio.
Photo by Stefan Hagen
Photo Categories: exterior, brick siding material, mid-century building type, flat roofline, house building type
For the renovation, Ali wanted to maintain the midcentury shell of the building—which was originally built in 1973—as well as its distinct contrast to the cityscape. A gut renovation stripped the interior of its bright purple shag carpeting and dropped ceilings, transforming the building into a dual-unit live/work space with a commercial space at the front and an apartment in the rear.
Before: Commercial Interior
Before: Previously used as a daycare, the midcentury building was "a little depressing," Ali says. "The purple carpet only made it worse."
Courtesy of AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA)
Before: "The original building appears to have been inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian houses," says Ali, noting that the interior walls were all made of concrete block. This view shows how the shell was stripped and the dropped ceilings were removed to expose the wood structure.
Courtesy of AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA)
After: Commercial Interior
The refreshed commercial space, which is now occupied by a barbershop, preserved the original building’s vernacular by maintaining the window openings and ceiling structure.
Courtesy of AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA)
Inside the 1,863-square-foot structure, newly revealed and refinished concrete floors and ceiling joists are juxtaposed with custom cabinetry and cherished artwork and furnishings from the couple’s past.
Still, history is ever-balanced with a promising future, as the renovation reconnects the building with the surrounding city and, perhaps more importantly, the community. The commercial space is now home to a busy barbershop, Lion’s Den, and the rear unit can be rented out when the couple aren’t using it in order to introduce new visitors to the evolving city.
"We wanted to activate this space, as well as the quiet, overlooked corner of Newburgh in which it nested," say the couple.
The Lion’s Den barbershop has taken up residence in the front of the building. Ali and Cynthia note how this business embraces the project’s community spirit: "The owner, Robert Espinosa, works with local artists to show their artwork, and is partnering with a local farm-to-table supper club, Lodger, for upcoming dinners and events." Courtesy of AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA)
Before: Kitchen
Before: The 1973 midcentury building was renovated with an entirely new layout.
Courtesy of AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA)
Before: The 1973 midcentury building was renovated with an entirely new layout.
Courtesy of AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA)
After: Kitchen, Living, and Dining Room
Stainless steel cabinets from IKEA were paired with a Corian countertop in the renovated kitchen. The custom cabinetry will be accessed by a rolling library ladder, which the couple will have fabricated by a local woodworker.
Photo by Stefan Hagen
Photo Categories: kitchen, refrigerator, range, metal cabinets, dishwasher, ceiling lighting, concrete floors, pendant lighting, undermount sinks
During the 2019 renovation, the building’s floors were refinished with Ardex. "In the process, two layers of color were added, which brought so much depth," says Ali.
Photo by Stefan Hagen
Photo Categories: dining room, chair, concrete floors, pendant lighting, table, ceiling lighting, storage, shelves
A partition wall separates the living space and kitchen from a small studio. Photo by Stefan Hagen
Photo Categories: living room, coffee tables, sofa, ceiling lighting, concrete floors
Before: Studio
Before: This room was opened up to connect to the main living spaces in the New York home.
Courtesy of AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA)
After: Studio
Ali’s artworks line the studio desk and a painting by his son decorates the wall.
Photo: Stefan Hagen
Photo Categories: office, bookcase, concrete floors, chair, desk, shelves, storage, study room type
Before: Bathroom
Before: The bathroom was relocated and updated during the renovation.
Courtesy of AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA)
After: Bathroom
Ali chose a wall tile that reflects the early ’70s era when the building was constructed. The oversized yellow wall lights are from IKEA.
Photo: Stefan Hagen
Photo Categories: bath room, concrete floors, accent lighting, wall lighting, wall mount sinks, full showers, ceramic tile walls
Before: Bedroom
Before: The original bedroom windows were removed as part of the 2019 renovation.
Courtesy of AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA)
After: Bedroom
A new door and window combination improve access to the private garden. Photo: Stefan Hagen
Photo Categories: doors, swing door type, wood, exterior
The yellow chairs are vintage pieces from Cynthia’s family.
Photo: Stefan Hagen
Photo Categories: bedroom, ceiling lighting, bed, chair, pendant lighting, concrete floors, storage, lamps, night stands
Before: Rear Yard
Before: The landscape was regraded and a dry well was installed to avoid chronic flooding.
Courtesy of AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA)
Before: A gabion wall was also constructed in the private garden.
Courtesy of AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA)
After: Rear Yard
You can see [with] this building how the design is in the small details and at the urban scale," says Cynthia.
Courtesy of AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA)
Photo Categories: outdoor, horizontal fences, walls, back yard, wire fences, walls, shrubs, grass, trees, side yard, stone fences, walls, pavers patio, porch, deck, hardscapes, large patio, porch, deck
The back garden is a perfect metaphor for what the couple hoped to achieve with their project. "We feel a part of the city, but there’s still this sense of privacy," says Ali.
Photo: Stefan Hagen
Photo Categories: outdoor, large patio, porch, deck, hardscapes, side yard, walkways, pavers patio, porch, deck, back yard, trees, shrubs, stone fences, walls, horizontal fences, walls, wire fences, walls
The existing floor plan for the 1970s midcentury building.
Courtesy of AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA)
The remodel plan for the Third Street house in Newburgh, New York. Courtesy of AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA)
Project Credits:
Architecture: Ali Hocek, AC Höcek Architecture LLC (ACHA) / @hocekarchitecture
Builder: AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA) / @hocekarchitecture
Construction Managers: SASRE Properties
Structural Engineer: Ciro Cuono, Cuono Engineering
Landscape Design: AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA) / @hocekarchitecture
Landscaping + Hardscaping: Jony Ramirez, JKE Contracting
Lighting Design: Mikael Charpin / @mikaelcharpin
Interior Design: AC Höcek Architecture (ACHA) / @hocekarchitecture
Cabinetry Design + Installation: Andrew Murphy + Dave Jones Designs
Contractor / Builder: Jose Pintado
Photographer: Stefan Hagen