Search Results:
February 10, 2013
Good Housekeeping Green House
This townhouse, designed and gut renovated with impeccable craftsmanship, luxury green features and modern layouts, is located on a sunny tree lined brownstone block within the proposed extension of the gorgeous Mount Morris Park Historic District. With a central stairwell atrium, four large skylights and oversized windows, the home is stunningly light and airy, and combines the gracious proportions of a traditional brownstone with a contemporary loft-like configuration. Gas fireplaces are cozy and warm and recessed lighting allows a customized mood, highlighting expanses of exposed brick and clever alcoves. No expense was spared to optimize usable square feet and ceiling heights – countless interior windows and wall cutouts cleverly extend natural light into each room.The expansive 20’ x 61’ 4-story single family home offers 4,750 square feet of interior space plus a roof deck, two terraces and planted garden. It includes an owner’s 3,519 SF triplex PLUS a 1,232 SF self contained garden apartment with separate entrance. This private 2-bedroom guest suite is perfect for the in-laws or college age children but could easily be converted into an income generating rental unit as its smart design integrates kitchen ready hookups.
The dramatic parlor floor is designed for entertaining as the living space, dining room and kitchen flow graciously into the exterior deck and patio. A compact alcove contains a floor to ceiling pantry, a private powder room and a wet bar with plenty of storage and a full height wine cooler. The chef’s kitchen features all Bosch stainless steel energy efficient appliances, custom cabinets and the large slate tiles top a radiant heated floor. The 2nd floor boasts a family friendly configuration as the living space below extends into this large sun drenched family/media room. At the other end of the 60+ foot deep house are two spacious bedrooms, two full baths, a children’s computer work station and a large dedicated laundry room.
The top floor master quarters feature a spacious bedroom with private terrace, cozy gas fireplace, his/hers walk-in closets with full height built-in custom storage and fittings, and a separate office/sitting room complete with wet bar. The luxurious spa-like bath is outfitted with slate tiles over radiant floors, various lighting options, soaring ceilings, 3 skylights, separate Jacuzzi tub and glass stalled rain shower. The open stairway, flooded with natural light from the skylight above, flows to the rooftop where a private deck extends the home’s usable space. The finished cellar boasts two south facing windows and 8+ ft ceilings, allowing this space to function as a private office and or home gym.
Premium quality finishes include reclaimed wide plank hardwood floors and large slate tiles (as seen in the MOMA) and custom recessed lighting throughout the home employs dimmable energy efficient lamping.
Did we mention this is the first LEED silver certified house in NYC? The entire building is designed, carefully constructed and verified to superior green standards. Your electric bill is covered, courtesy of the 3 integrated solar panels which are likely large enough to generate a recurring ConEd rebate! A 300 gallon cellar cistern collects rainwater for all of your gardening needs. Eco friendly wall insulation made from surplice blue jean fabric keeps the house warm in winter, cool in summer, and blissfully quiet. VOC-free paints and primers optimize indoor air quality, and ultra efficient appliances and multi-zoned systems minimize energy loads and maximize comfort.
The contextual facade is impeccably restored and complements the other 19th century houses in the district and on this notable block, which includes a stretch of Landmark Queen Anne Townhouses designed by the late renowned architect Francis Kimball. The landmark-quality Low-E efficient windows and bright red cornice complete the picture.
At the end of the block are many new boutiques and restaurants along Lenox Ave and around the corner is the restored Marcus Garvey Park with its brand new Richard Rogers Amphitheater, dog run and playground. The location is convenient to both the #2/3 express at Lenox & 125th, the A/B/C/D at St Nicholas & 125th and nearby Metro North.
Brooklyn House Remodel
This project renovated the rear of an existing wood house, including replacing the non-functioning kitchen, adding a second bathroom, replacing the collapsing steps to the rear yard, increasing daylight in the kitchen and center of the house, and maximizing connection to the small rear yard. The green-ness of this project this represents an accumulation of relatively small choices across all the aspects of the work. All of the green materials we chose are readily available and did not require any special sources to obtain. Although much of the house, including the heating system, was beyond the project scope, we nonetheless took care to upgrade the portion within the work area to current best energy-conserving practices, including tight windows and doors, air sealing at the exterior walls, and making sure insulation was installed on the hot-water pipes. Photo: (c) Robert LowellEl Jardin de Selene
Nos Quedamos/We Stay, is a non profit that was created by residents of Melrose Commons, a community in the South Bronx, NY, in response to the city’s plan of redeveloping the area. Emphasizing that there was more to save than to destroy, NQ, with the support of Melrose Associates and Magnusson Architecture and Planning PC, worked with community members to create a cohesive, compelling alternative to the city’s vision. Realizing the need to provide not only affordable housing, but sustainable housing in Melrose Commons, Nos Quedamos, Melrose Associates, and Magnusson Architecture and Planning have created a long standing partnership to provide that and were joined in this venture by MJM Construction Services (GC and development partner), and Forsyth Street Advisors (development consultants).El Jardin de Selene is a mixed-use, mixed-income building, providing both residents and businesses a healthy environment. Designed to achieve a LEED-Silver rating, Energy Star certified and Enterprise Green Communities compliant, El Jardin is one of the first buildings of its kind in the Bronx.
With the GC, design architect and all consultants on board from the beginning, the entire process was able to be as healthy and sustainable as possible. Design features such as thru-plank ventilation, the elimination of window sleeves, energy efficient windows, lighting and appliances, recycled content in construction materials, low VOC paints and sealants, bamboo flooring and kitchen cabinetry were complimented by best practices during and after construction by MJM with the objective to increase the overall health of tenants in an area known for disproportionately high asthma rates. This will also be enhanced through the use of green roofs and high-albedo roofing in order to decrease the overall urban heat island affect in the area. Native planting is used at all street, site and green roof planting to bring back natural life to the neighborhood as well.
At 12 stories, El Jardin de Selene is one of the tallest buildings in the Melrose Commons Urban Renewal Area, and MAP used this to bring back the rich art deco heritage of the South Bronx, while maintaining and furthering the existing fabric of the neighborhood. A modernized art deco aesthetic is highlighted at various parts of the building, from the cast stone elements at the towers, to the mosaic tile elements at the residential entry to the pattern of the bathroom tiling in the residential units.
Brooklyn Childrens Museum
A pioneer in education, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum was the first museum created expressly for children when it was founded in 1899. Its success sparked the creation of similar institutions around the globe, and today the Museum continues as a world-class institution with community roots. The expansion is designed by Rafael Vinoly and the NYC Department of Design + Construction, and brings the museum above ground for the first time in 25 years. The $42 million project will double the 103-year-old Museum’s size, increasing its capacity from 250,000 to 400,00 visits annually. The enlarged entrance at the corner of St. Marks and Brooklyn Avenues in Crown Heights will feature an entry hall that can accommodate the simultaneous arrival of families and several school groups. State-of-the-art technologies will make it the first ‘green’ children’s museum in the nation.Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at BLDG 92
The mission of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at BLDG 92 is to celebrate the Navy Yard’s past, present and future, and to promote the role the Yard and its tenants play as an engine for job creation and sustainable urban industrial growth. By providing access to exhibits, public tours, educational programs, archival resources and workforce development services, BLDG 92 reinforces the Yard’s unique bonds with the community and inspires future generations to become industrial innovators and entrepreneurs.The Nonprofit and Philanthropy and Thoreau Center for Sustainability New York
The Nonprofit and Philanthropy Center and Thoreau Center for Sustainability New York is a green interior renovated, 90,000 sq. ft., multi-tenant nonprofit office building, which provides quality work and program space for 15 to 20 nonprofits. Located at 55 Exchange Place in the historic JP Morgan Building, across from the New York Stock Exchange, it is the first green community and conference space for nonprofits in Lower Manhattan. Developed by Tides Shared Spaces, Thoreau Centers for Sustainability, located in both New York and San Francisco are green nonprofit centers named after the writer and naturalist Henry David Thoreau, who believed in the importance of democracy and advocated living in harmony with nature. Awarded the LEED-CI Silver certification, Thoreau Center for Sustainability New York’s green renovation incorporates elements such as recycled building materials, non-toxic paints, and energy efficient mechanical systems.Urban Horizons II / Intervale Green
Urban Horizons II is a 160,000 square-foot mixed-use development that includes 6,800 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, a public sculpture garden and three-quarters of an acre of vegetation including parks and greenroofs.
Urban Horizons II is a project of WHEDCo, a nonprofit Bronx-based organization that, in 1997, opened Urban Horizons I, a successful mixed-use economic development center that provides low-income rental apartments as well as social services, youth education, Head Start, adult job training, microenterprise and a commercial kitchen business incubator. This development, which has won multiple national awards, restored what was the abandoned Morrisania Hospital, closed by the City in 1976 and shuttered for over twenty years. WHEDCo is again raising the bar by demonstrating that affordable housing can be beautiful, must be healthy, and should be wired for high-speed Internet access.
The design of Urban Horizons II recalls a historic Bronx building, while at the same time incorporating 21st century features like high-speed Internet in each apartment and the latest in green building technologies. In a community where asthma rates double the city’s average.
Urban Horizons II offers one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom apartments, along with some studios. The project is underwritten so that applicants must earn at or below 60% of area median income, or $42,450 for a family of four. Rents will be set at $660 for a one-bedroom, $794 for a two-bedroom, and $921 for a three-bedroom.
WHEDCo assembled $45 million in financing from various public and private sources. $19.6 million comes from the sale of tax-exempt bonds issued by New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC), for which Citibank Community Development issued a Letter of Credit. Additional financing came from: New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Mixed Income Rental Program ($7.5 million); and, federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits ($16.8 million), syndicated by Richman Housing Resources, Inc. An addition $7 million was provided from HPD’s Supportive Housing Loan Program and additional tax credits. Green building grants come from the Energy Star Multifamily Program through New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), as well as The Enterprise Foundation’s Green Communities initiative, The Home Depot Foundation, and Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión, Jr., through his Bronx Initiative for Energy and the Environment. The project has also been awarded a $1.5 million capital appropriation from the New York City Council.