This article is part of our Design special section about making the environment a creative partner in the design of beautiful homes.
For decades the building had been owned by the same extended family, whose members created separate apartments on its four floors of living space.
Likewise, badly deteriorated plumbing and electrical systems needed wholesale replacing.
On the bright side, it was a generous size at 25 feet wide and had garden areas in the front and back.
It was also, atypically, attached on one side only, meaning there were three exposures for maximizing light.