All articles by Diane Pham

Diane is the founder and Editorial Director of 6sqft. After graduating from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Real Estate Finance & Development and a minor in Architecture, she enjoyed stints at SCI-Arc, the A+D Museum Los Angeles, Perkins Eastman Architects and Resolution 4: Architecture. She also previously served as Senior Editor of Inhabitat.com and spent several years as an analyst at CB Richard Ellis Investments in Milan, Italy.

December 19, 2014

Hilarious Architecture-Inspired Holiday Cards to Hand Out This Season

By Diane Pham

Giving and getting holiday cards is always fun, but every so often you'll receive one that really gets you giggling. This year, be the person handing off clever cards to your friends and family. ArchDaily has just announced their 2014 Holiday Card Contest winners, and for all of you design-minded folks and architecture nerds, they've got plenty of punny—and just downright cool—cards to choose from.
get the cards here

December 18, 2014

INTERVIEW: HS2 Architecture’s Tom and Jane Talk Residential Design and Their 20-Year Collaboration

By Diane Pham

HS2 Architecture's name may not ring all that familiar, but you've certainly come across their projects before—and we're not just talking on 6sqft. HS2's power pair, Tom Hut and Jane Sachs, have been working together since 1994, enduring the ups and downs of the NYC market and putting some spectacular and very recognizable designs out there while at it. Does the Gramercy Park Hotel ring a bell? Maybe the Palazzo Chupi? Or maybe you've shopped at the Ralph Lauren Store on Madison and 72nd. Easily one of the most underrated architecture firms working today, HS2 is really a force to be reckoned with when it comes to the built environment. In celebration of their 20th anniversary, we recently sat down with founders Tom and Jane to talk about their studio, their work, and the roller coaster ride that has been New York City architecture over the past two decades.
Read the interview with HS2's principals here

December 18, 2014

Couple Fills a 242-Square-Foot Village Apartment with Brilliant Interior Design Ideas

By Diane Pham

This home may be smaller than the average of those we showcase on 6sqft, but when it comes to incredible design details, it definitely doesn't come up any shorter than the rest. Jourdan Lawlor and her fiancé Tobin Ludwig purchased this sweet West Village pied-à-terre a few years ago for just $270,000, and after a $33,000 renovation, they turned their cramped 242-square-foot studio into a comfy home with brilliant, smart space-saving techniques like built-ins and space-maximizing illusions like white walls and good lighting. But a subdued color palette doesn't hurt this home. What it lacks in wacky wall coverings it makes up in the delightful interior touches all throughout. Curbed's Hana Alberts recently visited the apartment with photographer Max Touhey in tow—see some of their images ahead.
Tour the home here

Distinctive Homes

December 18, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Downtown Brooklyn Landmark for Sale; All The Ways You Can Describe One57

By Diane Pham

The Dime Savings Bank has just hit the market. The building, located next door to Junior’s diner and owned by JP Morgan, could fetch more than $100M. [Crain’s] An ongoing struggle… Here are all the ways the New York Times has tried to describe One57’s sales. [NYO] Developer Ben Shaoul sells his West Chelsea townhouse for $8.5M. He […]

Real Estate Trends

December 17, 2014

Explore NYC in 3-D with Google Maps’ Latest Update

By Diane Pham

For those of you who remember the quirky Times story featuring a Google team's attempt to document every inch of Ellis Island, here comes the the payoff. The awe-inspiring world of Google Maps and Google Earth is growing into an even grander time suck with a slew of new city sites rendered in 3-D. Their latest update now lets us explore New York's landmarks from top to torch to spire, and all the details in between, right from our desktops. Some of the most impressive sites worth a gander include the Statue of Liberty and One World Trade Center.
READ MORE

December 17, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Ridgewood Apartments Going for Over Half a Million; The Condo Replacing Clinton Hill’s White Castle

By Diane Pham

Units in a brand new five-story residential building in Ridgewood are going for $339,000 all the way up to $769,000. The listings have only been live a day and two units are already in contract. [Curbed] Here are some renderings of the condo replacing Clinton Hill’s White Castle on Myrtle Avenue. [Brownstoner] The Naftali Group has sold The Bergen for […]

Real Estate Trends

December 17, 2014

Vote for 2014’s Building of the Year!

By Diane Pham

There is no shortage of towers on the rise in Manhattan, but amongst these glass and stone beauties are a handful that stand head and shoulders (and several hundred feet) above the rest. A red hot real estate market and cutting edge building technology have paved the way for towers of both unprecedented heights and prices. But worthy of equal credit are the visionary developers and architects who dare to change the NYC skyline. Here we've handpicked 12 of the most newsworthy buildings of 2014; these towers boast groundbreaking designs and record-breaking (or soon to be record-breaking) prices. But we ask you: Out of the dozen, which deserves the title "Building of the Year?" Cast a vote above to help us decide which is 2014's most important tower! Extended by popular demand… Voting ends TODAY, December 12th at 11:59 PM WEDNESDAY, December 17th at 11:59 PM and we’ll reveal the winner on Friday, December 19th. And if you’re still torn between two (or all), jump ahead for the low-down on each, from height to 2014 news highlights.
More on each of the buildings here

December 16, 2014

Real Estate Wire: ‘Poor Door’ Building Has Private Pools; WeWork Now Worth $5 Billion

By Diane Pham

Check out the private pools at Extell’s “Poor Door” building, One Riverside Park. [Curbed] Co-working is cool! Shared workspace startup WeWork is now worth a staggering $5B. [WSJ] Not all of the city’s rising residential buildings are in a race to the finish line. This Brooklyn project has been stalled for nearly a decade. [NYT] Retail, […]

Real Estate Trends

December 16, 2014

Brand New NYC Water Taxi Stop Makes It Easier to Explore Red Hook

By Diane Pham

Those who've been dying to check out up-and-coming Red Hook will now have a much easier, much more comfortable way of getting to the cozy, cute nabe. The New York Water Taxi Commission has just added a brand new stop that will ferry passengers to Van Brunt Street from Lower Manhattan, DUMBO and Midtown on the West Side. Locals residents have been championing for a stop for the last few years, citing that it would be a boon to business development in the area, particularly for those still hurting from the effects of Superstorm Sandy.
Find out more here

Transit

December 15, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Jean Nouvel’s MoMA Tower Gets a Teaser Site; New Extell Mega Tower Coming to Times Square

By Diane Pham

Jean Nouvel’s MoMA tower at 53 West 53rd Street is back on track and it’s got a teaser site. [Curbed] Extell may bring a mega tall hotel tower to Times Square. [NYDN] Gowanus is also hot with hotel developments. There’s a seven-story project joining the already sizable list of accommodations on the rise. [DNA Info] You’re not […]

Real Estate Trends

Google-Backed Pedal-Powered Pod Cars Coming to a City Near You?

By Diane Pham

JPods, East River Skyway, an expanding Citi Bike—if one thing is clear, New York City's rapidly growing population has gotten a lot of people worried about how our already taxed infrastructure is going to account for all of these new bodies. The latest transportation idea to come out of the woodwork is not necessarily a new one, but it's one that's recently found a new boost thanks to interest and funding provided by everyone's favorite search giant: Google. Called "SkySMART," this new idea for mobility utilizes a series of sun- and pedal-powered pods that run along an elevated rail high above city traffic.
More on Skysmart here

December 15, 2014

QueensWay Elevated Park Moves Closer to Reality, State Allocates $444K for First Phase

By Diane Pham

It looks like the city is one big step closer to getting its second elevated park. DNA Info reports that the state has just allocated nearly $444,000 to the design of the first phase of the QueensWay, an urban renewal project that would transform 3.5 miles of abandoned elevated railway into a park akin to the High Line. The money was awarded to the Trust for Public Land via Governor Cuomo’s $709.2 million Regional Economic Development Council initiative. The first phase will consist of the design of the "Northern Gateway," which comprises a 1.5-mile-long stretch starting at Rego Park. The park is set to extend from Rego Park to Ozone Park.
Find out more here

December 15, 2014

EVENT: Here’s Your Chance to Check Out Billionaire Peter Brant’s Converted Con Ed Station

By Diane Pham

Now's your chance to get a look into one of the city's coolest spaces. EV Grieve tells us that from now through Sunday, the curious yellow brick building located at 421 East 6th Street will open its doors to the public for its first art show featuring Dan Colen. The former Con Ed substation was recently purchased for $27 million by billionaire Peter Brant from the estate of the late Walter de Maria, the famed sculptor who converted the 16,402-square-foot structure into an incredible home and studio back in the '80s. The event is sure to delight, if not for the artist's work (which ARTnews dubs "deeply mediocre"), then at least for the chance to get a first glimpse into the extraordinary space. Nondescript and gritty on the outside, the building’s cavernous interior spaces boast ceilings as high as 32 feet, and plenty of the near-century-old substation's original details remain intact.
Find out more here

Mayor De Blasio Builds a “Privacy Fence” Around Gracie Mansion to Keep Curious Eyes Out

Image: Gracie Mansion before the extra four feet of fence was added. © wallyg via photopin cc

December 12, 2014

Mayor De Blasio Builds a “Privacy Fence” Around Gracie Mansion to Keep Curious Eyes Out

By Diane Pham

“Man of the People” Mayor De Blasio seems to be getting a little annoyed with his constituents’ nosy nature. The Post reports that De Blasio has just erected a “privacy fence” adding another four feet to the home’s existing barrier. The new fence was constructed inside an existing red brick wall and a wrought-iron fence that […]

Celebrities

December 12, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Curious Pink Brooklyn House Wants $900K; Zaha Hadid Launches Teaser Site for Her High Line Condos

By Diane Pham

So bad, it’s good: Live in a bubblegum pink house in Gravesend, Brooklyn for $900K. [Curbed] Check out the teaser site for Zaha’s High Line condos. [520W28] Greenland, USA and Forest City Ratner will break ground on the second 100 percent affordable building for the Pacific Park Brooklyn development (formerly Atlantic Yards) on Monday. [6sqft inbox] Billionaire Steven Cohen […]

Real Estate Trends

December 12, 2014

6sqft Gift Guide: Insane Big Rig Exer-Desk Generates 100 Watts of Electricity

By Diane Pham

Do you have a friend who, year after year, promises that they'll work harder and exercise more? Pedal Power's kick-ass Big Rig exer-desk might be exactly what they need to stick with those new year's resolutions. This cool desk is totally "off-grid" and has the potential to generate up to 100 watts of electricity for one motivated user. And because it's modeled off an actual high-performance bike, it features an ergonomic seat for comfort, quick adjustments for different riders, a flywheel to smooth pedaling, and a wide range of gearing—meaning your giftee could easily go from tubby to Tour de France cyclist before the new year's close.
Find out more about the bike here

December 11, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Museum of Natural History to Expand; Bklyn House Is a New Bushwick-Themed Hotel

By Diane Pham

Lovers of the Museum of Natural History, rejoice! The city favorite will be getting a brand new addition in the form of a $325M research center designed by Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang. [NYT] Check out Bklyn House, a new Bushwick-themed hotel said to be inspired by the neighborhood’s “raw feeling of creativity.” [DNA Info] Cushman & Wakefield may purchase Massey […]

Real Estate Trends

December 11, 2014

6sqft Gift Guide: High-Tech ‘Tile’ Helps Those Who Constantly Lose Their Keys

By Diane Pham

There are fewer things more annoying than waiting for a friend or family member as they frantically search for their keys. Help them in their hunt (and preserve your sanity) by gifting them a Tile this holiday. This simple but brilliant device takes the mystery out of finding one's most important belongings and takes advantage of something we all have: a smartphone.
How it works

Policy
Shop

December 10, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Loathed UWS Church Conversion Rejected; A Sutton Place Condo for the Poorly Read

By Diane Pham

A plan to convert a historic Upper West Side church into condos gets a thumbs down from the Landmarks Preservation Commission. [Curbed] This Sutton Place condo features some wacky wallpaper masquerading as floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. [Curbed] New York is expensive, but it’s still the country’s most “livable” city. [Brick Underground] Is Queens the #1 travel destination in the […]

Real Estate Trends

December 9, 2014

6sqft Gift Guide: Wacaco’s On-the-Go Espresso Maker Can Fit Inside a Purse

By Diane Pham

If you've got someone on your gift list that's overworked, under-caffeinated and looking for a better way to get their fix (this is New York, after all), look no further than Wacaco's Minipresso as the perfect present. This portable hand-held device is a godsend for those who frequently need a boost but don't have the time to wait in long coffee shop lines—or simply for those with a more discerning taste for the finer grounds in life.
More on this cool high-caf design here

December 9, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Brooklyn Getting Its First Apple Store; $500K/Month Apartment Finds a Tenant

By Diane Pham

There’s a brand new Apple store coming to Williamsburg right along Bedford Avenue where the Bagel Store and Kings Pharmacy used to be. [NYP] The city’s most expensive rental, a $500K doozy at the Pierre, has found a taker. [WSJ] A look at the benefits of living in a NYC home that hasn’t been landmarked. [NYT] A One57 unit sells […]

Real Estate Trends

December 9, 2014

Don’t Forget, One World Trade Was Supposed to Be the Greenest Building in America

By Diane Pham

Since the opening of One World Trade Center just a few weeks ago, the world has been in an uproar over the design and the incredible cost of making New York's tallest tower a reality. But one feature that we all seemed to have forgotten was the promise that the tower would be the greenest building in America. A recent City Lab article looks at what went wrong, and why, in a race to meet contractual obligations to its anchor tenant, Condé Nast, the development dumped a major part of its plans to go green, currently leaving the building in a state of noncompliance.
Find out more here

December 8, 2014

Ben Hansen’s Gorgeous State Street Townhouse Brings a Bit of California Modern to Brooklyn

By Diane Pham

Architect Ben Hansen’s State Street townhouse is a contemporary masterpiece located in one of Brooklyn’s most charming neighborhoods. Originally a dated townhome with a dysfunctional floor plan, Hansen used this project as a chance to reinterpret the classic brownstone typology as a modern home suited for a young couple and their three small children. Hansen gutted the interior and joined the parlor floor rooms to create a space that both allows the home's inhabitants to move easily between spaces and enjoy their verdant surroundings from within.
Take the tour here

December 8, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Barclays Racks Up Building Violations; New Renderings of NoMad’s Virgin Hotel

By Diane Pham

The Barclays Center has racked up a slew of federal and city building violations. [NYP] New renderings of the Virgin Hotel coming to NoMad have been unveiled. [CO] Two Trees drums up $168M in financing for its BAM South tower. [TRD] NYCHA will sell its public housing stake to developers. [WSJ] Supply and Demand: The building […]

Real Estate Trends

December 6, 2014

New Rendering of 190 Bowery Gives Us a Look at the Mysterious Building Graffiti-Free

By Diane Pham

One of the city's most mysterious buildings has become a whole lot less intriguing with this newly released rendering from Massey Knakal. The image, which was pulled from the marketing materials of the broker by Bowery Boogie, shows a very pristine 190 Bowery totally free of graffiti and all lit up. Formerly the Germania Bank Building—and formerly the home of photographer Jay Maisel—the massive 72-room building was reportedly recently purchased by Aby Rosen of RFR Realty for an undisclosed amount (the sale has yet to hit city records) and, to much surprise, was put back on the market just a couple of weeks ago as a flip.
Find out more here

Architecture And Design

All articles by Diane Pham

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