Brent Buck Architects Hand-Lays a Deeper Brick Facade in Boerum Hill

Brent Buck Architects has hand-laid the brick facade of 110 Boerum Place, a 21-unit residential building that stretches the full block between Dean and Pacific Streets in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. The project is nearing completion and is slated to open in spring 2027.

The site straddles two zoning districts, R6B and R6A, and the envelope responds accordingly: one section of the building rises 4 stories, the other 6. Each of the 21 units has its own unique layout.

The facade carries more depth than most new residential projects. BBA specified powder-red mortar between the bricks instead of the standard white, which makes the building read as older than it is. Hand-laid construction guarantees imperfections, and for firm founder Brent Buck, those were something to showcase rather than hide.

"In general, we wanted to utilize materials that exhibit the hand of whoever is installing it," Buck told AN on a site visit. "Brick ages well. So hopefully the building will look better 20 years from now than it does today."

Buck said the goal was to make the building read horizontally. A band of bricks turned on their side runs along every level, creating a horizontal shadow line. The effect registers when standing on Boerum Place looking at the long facade — the eye is carried down the street.

The horizontality is underscored by a traditional New York City detail: specific brick corbelling above window heads. The corbelling eliminated the need to place steel above the windows. A steel lintel supports the brick, and this component steps out to create depth in the facade.

The effect came at no additional cost. No extra significant structural support was needed. Just four inches of brick extrusion yields noticeable shadow lines and facade interest, making the detail both aesthetic and performance-driven.

At the street intersections, the brick corners are rounded. Buck designed this to combat what he calls the "rectangle problem" that produces harsh streetscapes in other buildings. Loggias designed by Brook Landscape on the upper level add visual relief, and frames around the windows accentuate their proportions.

Each unit has access to ample outdoor space. Because the loggias and exterior decks don't count toward the Zoning Floor Area, no bedrooms were lost from the units.

Inside, the 21 unique unit layouts required an innovative structural grid. Away from the street, the units face a courtyard that delivers multiple natural light exposures. Lightwells puncture the envelope at certain moments, bringing in more daylight.

"There's really just a few simple moves," Buck said.

Developer Avdoo & Partners Development contacted Buck for the project because of the firm's work on a mass timber residential building in Clinton Hill. Avdoo was impressed with how Buck innovates within one of the country's strictest building codes.

"This is a developer project," Buck said of 110 Boerum Place. "So if we came to developers with things like, really specific stone lintels or sills, or other specialized parts and pieces that generate additional cost, they would have said 'You're crazy. We're not paying for that. Let's come up with something more simple.' That's what we did with a basic kit of parts."

When 110 Boerum Place completes in spring 2027, it will test Buck's bet that standard materials, detailed with care, can hold a Boerum Hill streetscape without premium line items.