Programmatic exploration into the fundamental use of space and materials for the South Street Seaport Loft was driven by the analogy of ship/yacht to house/apartment. The maritime history of the context in lower Manhattan provides for the reinterpreted materiality and textural nature of the design for a duplex residence with views of South Street Seaport and the Fulton Street Fish Market. Located on a 19th Century site, our investigation to define a residence examined the context of the site and era. The staircase is the icon of the realized design, conceived as a ship’s ladder. Bedrooms were developed as ‘cabins’ with efficient built-in furniture, sliding doors, and compartmentalized storage.