Brooklyn-based Office of Architecture has completely gutted and expanded a local row house for an architect, jewellery designer and their two children.

Having lived in the home for eight years, the family chose to stay in the up-and-coming neighbourhood and renovate the 1,000-square-foot (93-square-metre) home.

"The owners of this 11-foot-wide row house in Brooklyn were faced with a conundrum that many young families in New York eventually confront: the possibility of sacrificing location for space," said Office of Architecture.

Tucked away in South Slope near New York's harbour and Prospect Park, the Brooklyn row house was fully renovated and nearly doubled in size.

The narrowness of the site posed a challenge for Office of Architecture, who needed to create extra floor area without using more lot space.

Therefore, the studio added two new storeys to the original two-storey home: a rooftop master suite and a renovated cellar.

A staircase was moved to the opposite side of the building, and a lightwell was created to draw sunshine and air through the interior. A new entryway was also designed through the basement, along with additional laundry and storage space.

On the ground floor, an open-plan living space with a family room is located where the original entryway used to be. A dining space joins the area, and includes a built-in bench and shelving system.

A galley kitchen at the far end features a white cabinets and Carrara marble countertops. A long, narrow window runs along one of the counters, and a glazed door opens to the backyard.

White walls line the interior, with black and white accents throughout. Rustic walnut floors and wooden furniture add warmth to the otherwise monochrome interior.

Two children's rooms are found on the second floor, with a two-sink bathroom in between. In the rooftop extension, a master bedroom with en-suite has access to two separate terraces on either side.

"The result is a home that is not just larger, but livelier – filled with the possibility to do more and stay longer in a city that requires its residents to be resourceful and inventive," said the firm.

Many row houses are being renovated throughout Brooklyn for young, growing families seeking more space. In neighbouring Sunset Park, Bostudio has redesigned an open-layout row house, while Barker Freeman has added more windows onto a brick residence in the borough.