Plan Plan renovates Brooklyn duplex with stained birch plywood on tight budget

New York studio Plan Plan has completed CC Residence, a compact duplex apartment renovation in Brooklyn for a couple and their child. Working within tight financial constraints, the design retained existing flooring, bathrooms, and plumbing, using only stained birch plywood and stainless-steel sheets for new elements. The upper level contains connected kitchen, dining, and living spaces, while two bedrooms are downstairs. Birch plywood forms kitchen cabinetry, a peninsula, dining table, shelving unit that divides the sitting area from a raised home office, and floor-to-ceiling storage in the main bedroom and nursery. Stainless steel provides countertops and accents. Downstairs, a grid of Ryukyu tatami dictated room sizes, door placements, and carpentry dimensions. The project demonstrates how affordable materials and strategic spatial planning can create functional, flexible homes. Plan Plan's team includes architects Cheung-Wei Lee, Buzz Wei, and Yu-Hsiang Lin.