DUOS home is where their hearts are
2 ben hansen architect Ben and Christine Hansen
IN PRACTICE SINCE: 1998 | HOME BASE: Boerum Hill, Brooklyn
BREAKOUT BUILDING: 471 Washington, a 2010-built TriBeCa condominium. “That was a very successful project,” notes Ben. “It literally sold out in six weeks.”
DESIGN ETHOS: The firm specializes in navigating the complexities of the city’s zoning laws and creating spaces in which families can grow. “Architecture is the perfect model for married couples, because like marriage, it’s a symbol of connection,” says Christine. “You are literally building something that contains all the permanence and the anchoring features that human beings need. And, at the same time, you’re capturing all the elements that a successful marriage craves. You need that yin and yang.”
SWEET SPOT: Single-family townhouses. “We built our own townhouse four years ago for us and our three kids, so we are very familiar with what goes into family life, and how to orchestrate that in a built structure,” says Christine.
BALANCING ACT: “From the get-go, you have to have a few basic core similarities,” says Christine. “We have the same contemporary taste and a fascination with the cool, clean-lined version of modern architecture.”
NEXT UP: State + Bond, five single-family, ground-up townhouses in their ’hood of Boerum Hill, with prices starting at $4.49 million ( stateandbondtownhouses.com).