commoncraft's 545 Metropolitan Avenue in Brooklyn features mica-chip stucco and cantilevered form

Local firm commoncraft has completed 545 Metropolitan Avenue, a six-story residential building in Brooklyn, New York, that maximizes a previously underused lot. Rather than demolishing an adjacent three-story structure, the architects and client chose to develop only the one-story lot, cantilevering the upper floors over the neighboring building's roof. This approach optimized floor area ratio while adding a sculptural presence to the avenue. The facade is finished with StoCreative Lux, a specialty stucco containing thin slices of mica aggregate that glimmer in sunlight. The rounded corners were achieved using a Clark Dietrich curved metal framing system layered with mineral wool insulation for fire safety, following a fire study assuming a blaze on the roof below. The fenestration follows a near-perfect linear grid, with an inverted-arch window on the street-facing facade adding whimsy. All four sides are visible, especially from the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, making the building's monolithic form read sculpturally. The stucco finish was applied one face per day over four days to avoid seams and color variation. Cofounder Tony-Saba Shiber noted that the cantilever allowed optimization of the zoning lot and informed the architectural language. The project team includes structural engineer JAG Engineering, MEP engineer Ryan Soames Engineering, civil engineer Hidamari Engineering, code consultant Metropolis Group, fire consultant SLS Consulting, and general contractor Patoma.