THE STORY
THE CHALLENGE: Transform a dark garden apartment with small rooms into a light-filled home that welcomes celebrations and time alone. The Kitchen was too small for a home this size, and the finishes were outdated. The apartment needed more connection to the garden and quadruple the closet space.
THE CLIENT: A Real Estate Professional and a Special Education Teacher left the suburbs once their children had grown and found a townhouse with a triplex owner’s apartment. They wanted to run their businesses from home and have room to entertain their growing family for holidays.
THE TRANSFORMATION: We removed walls and obstructions to connect the entertaining spaces with open views. Each entertaining area also focuses on the garden and shares a material palette selected to enhance the relationship with nature. We expanded the Kitchen to fit more food and people by blending its connection to the Dining Room. We added a bathroom on the ground floor and strategically shortened and removed corridors to optimize storage and craft a luxurious Prime Suite on the upper floor.
Bio AKA Insight is an award-winning Manhattan architecture firm transforming pre-war apartments into celebration-ready homes. We reveal hidden spatial potential by orchestrating light, views, and flow — preserving elegant proportions while creating seamless sequences for contemporary life. Strategic openings frame views, selective demolition creates sightlines, and thoughtful materials honor history while introducing modern luxury.
Founder Allegra Kochman, AIA, brings 30 years of NYC experience. We deliver full services from concept through move-in.
Other prizes Design awards recognize our commitment to revealing hidden potential in Manhattan homes and creating spaces that inspire celebration. Fire Island Bungalow Winner: GOLD WINNER Houzee Awards [2024]: Space Transformation in Architecture and WINNER BLT Design Awards [2023]: Interior Design / Residential Gramercy Pied à Terre: GOLD WINNER Houzee Awards [2024]: Compact Living Design – Interior and Honorable Mention: BLT Design Awards [2023]: Interior Design / Residential Upper West Side Townhouse: Honorable Mention BLT Design Awards [2023]: Architectural Design / Residential Post Graduate William Kinne Traveling Fellowship Prize: Columbia University [1996] Lowenfish Memorial Prize: Columbia University [1996] Kinne Summer Traveling Fellowship: Columbia University [1993] Honors Thesis: Dartmouth College [1992] Winner of Great Bear III Cabin Design: Dartmouth College [1990] AIA Annual Subway Exhibit: West 4th Street subway station, NYC [October 2010; 2011; 2012; 2013] Negotiation + Duration exhibit: Columbia University, NYC [Spring 2000] Exchanging Views exhibit: Columbia University, NYC [Spring 1994] Waseda University Studio Installation: Waseda University, Tokyo Campus [Summer 1993]
