Architecture And Design

An aptly located residential building called the Marx is getting underway in Astoria. The seven-story building at 34-32 35th Street is a "stone’s throw away" from the Museum of the Moving Image and directly across from Kaufman Astoria Studios (think Sesame Street and Saturday Night Live). The building will replace two small houses and a parking lot and sits adjacent to a stalled construction site slated to give way to its own seven-story residential building. The Marx is designed by Fogarty Finger Architects, who also designed One Murray Park, and will contain 33 units, likely rentals. It will feature a dark grey brick façade of large, evenly gridded square windows (the latest rage in NYC architecture) whose angled metal panels and glazing variations will create an interesting play of light and shadow.
More on the project here

November 18, 2014

Viking-Inspired Barca Bench Fuses Furniture with Boat Building Techniques

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Here is a design we'd like to get cozy with. Perfect for a lazy autumn afternoon, the sculptural Barca Bench fuses furniture with boat building techniques. The piece is the work of Danish designer Jacob Joergensen, who constructed the bench from bent pieces of wood that are meticulously joined together into a sculptural, organic shape. Designed for easy assembly and disassembly, this unique seat is a modern Viking-style seat for utter relaxation.
Learn more about this Danish bench

November 17, 2014

Barry Diller Pledges $130M for Futuristic Offshore Park on the West Side

Floating space in New York's waterways is not a new concept. Take the +Pool, for example, the public pool proposed for the East River that was recently supported by Kanye West. But a new offshore park proposed for the Hudson River off 14th Street seems exceedingly ambitious, as it would cost $170 million, be located 186 feet off land, and contain wooded nooks and three performance venues including an amphitheater. Barry Diller, sponsor-to-be of this ambitious plan, gives the project a much more realistic outlook. The billionaire chairman of IAC/InterActiveCorp, former head of Paramount Pictures and Fox–and husband to Diane von Furstenberg–was the single largest donor to the High Line. He's pledged $130 million from the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation to make the 2.7-acre park a realty, as well as agreed to run the outdoor space and cover operating expenses for 20 years. He and his wife have starchitect-designed offices in the Meatpacking District and are clearly becoming king and queen of the neighborhood.
More on the futuristic park ahead

Architecture And Design

November 17, 2014

One Vanderbilt: New Images of Midtown East’s Zigzag Supertower

Recently at the Municipal Art Society's 2014 Summit for NYC, James von Klemperer, FAIA , a principal at Kohn Pederson Fox & Associates, briefed the audience with new details on the architecture firm's upcoming supertall project known as One Vanderbilt. In case you haven't been paying attention, the 68-story, 1,514-foot zigzag building is expected to become the tallest office tower in Midtown and third tallest in the city behind One World Trade Center (1,776 feet to spire tip) and Extell's Nordstrom Tower (1,775 feet to spire tip).
Check out all the new images of the supertall tower here

November 17, 2014

Jane Kim Creates a Rustic Ski Lodge-Like Urban Loft Using Recycled Materials

Located on Franklin Street in Tribeca, the interior of this loft, by designer Jane Kim, is a cool combination of rustic elegance and industrial modernism. The wooden floors and brick laid walls warm up the expansive space that's somewhere between urban loft and mountain ski lodge. If you happen to be one of those New Yorkers charmed by the use of raw materials and luxury amenities, this might be the perfect bit of inspiration for your next home makeover.
Have a look inside

November 17, 2014

New Rendering for 111 West 57th Street Shows Ethereal Views

Move over 432 Park, there's a taller, slimmer and sexier ultra-luxury residential tower coming to Midtown. At the Municipal Art Society's 2014 Summit for NYC, Simon Koster, Principal at JDS Development Group, provided the audience with a compelling presentation on how our ideals can serve as the basis in how we shape our city. The restored crown of Stella Tower, the East River mega-rental project at 616 First Avenue, and 111 West 57th Street's discretionary approval by the Landmarks Preservation Commission were used as relevant examples. And the 57th Street project really caught our eye. The 1,400+ foot tower will also become the slimmest building in the world with a slenderness ratio of 1:23. Its narrow profile and stepped crown evoke the romantic art-deco towers of the 1920s and '30s and other timeless city landmarks. SHoP Architects are the designers and WSP Group are the engineers/magicians making sure things remain upright.
More on the tower here

November 17, 2014

VIDEO: Architect Robert A.M. Stern Talks 15 Central Park West and How It’s a “Background Building”

15 Central Park West is frequently in the news—whether it's because a new celeb has moved in, or that it's recorded yet another blockbuster sale. But standing far from the limelight is the building's architect, Robert A.M. Stern, who, like his buildings, opts for the stately, subdued and classic over the winding and twisting standalones of his contemporaries. "We have a lot of silly buildings being built, in my opinion. The buildings should not look like Lady Gaga,” the architect says. In the latest installment of the Louisiana Channel Stern discusses what might be his most famous project, 15 CPW, and why he strives for buildings that complement, not dominate.
Watch the interview here

Architecture And Design

20 Years from Now We May Sorely Regret Building All of These Glass Towers

What Manhattan will look like in 2018. Many of the buildings going up will be wrapped in glass. Image via CityRealty

November 14, 2014

20 Years from Now We May Sorely Regret Building All of These Glass Towers

Providing more affordable housing to New Yorkers is at the top of the De Blasio administration's agenda, but greening the city is certainly a major concern as well. It is anticipated that a new bill aimed at cutting the city's greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 will be signed in to law, much of which is expected to center on green building. Ambitious, yes—but is 2050 too late? The Globe and Mail recently interviewed Canadian architect and journalist Lloyd Alter on the glass condo obsession, which, as with NYC, is taking the cities of Vancouver and Toronto by storm. What Alter shares for the future of glass towers worldwide is quite bleak, but he also proposes a number of measures and case studies that NYC developers should certainly take note of if they want to reduce costs and keep property values up in the long run.
Find out more here

November 14, 2014

Checking In on the Progress of Zaha Hadid’s High Line Condos

Of the condos planned along the High Line Park, one of the most—if not the most—anticipated addition comes via Zaha Hadid. One of our intrepid reporters recently stopped by the construction site located at 520 West 28th Street to see how works are coming along, and it looks like the site is near-ready for its starchitect treatment. […]

Even More Skyscrapers Set for NYC: Living in the Sky Part III

We recently brought you parts one and two of our tallest residential skyscrapers series, which totaled 63 projects poised to scrape the sky. But this list doesn't even take into consideration the development boom occurring in Jersey City, unreleased plans on the drawing board, and the numerous office and hotel projects also rising throughout the city. So here you have it, part three of the series to complete our look at NYC skyscrapers.
Check out the list here

November 13, 2014

HOPPETEE Is a Multifunctional Soft Cabinet That Hides Clutter in an Instant

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Is your apartment full of stuff lying around everywhere? Do you wish you could just make it disappear? This strange yet functional object can help make your cleaning dreams come true, whether you need to quickly stow away your dirty clothes on the floor, random knickknacks that don't have a place or your kids' innumerable toys. An idea by designer Nicole de Bie, HOPPETEE is a soft box that can playfully hide clutter inside in an instant, but can make it reappear in no time.
Learn more about this soft storage box

November 13, 2014

Designer Robert Couturier’s Midtown Apartment Could Double as a Modern Art Museum

This gorgeous midtown home says mod from top to bottom. Designer Robert Couturier is responsible for the apartment's impeccable interior design, and according to Couturier, "décor above all else, must be appropriate to the architecture, to the clients, and to the setting." Keeping that in mind, the cool stylings and playful details infused throughout this apartment have us convinced that the owners are the kind of folks we'd like to meet.
Tour the mod, colorful apartment here

November 13, 2014

118 East 59th Street: Boutique Skyscraper To Rise in Hybrid Area Between Midtown and the UES

An exclusive condo tower is set to rise within the quickly changing area where Midtown East's commercial bustle tempers down into the elegant residential blocks of the Upper East Side. Located at 118 East 59th Street near Park Avenue, the unassuming site is being developed by Hong Kong-based Euro Properties, their first foray into the Manhattan market. The mid-block tower will soar 38 stories yet contain only 29 units–another example of the city’s new and somewhat oxymoronic building type, the boutique skyscraper, which typically contains fewer units than a standard six-story co-op building, and even fewer inhabitants. This 59th Street project will join the ranks of 432 Park Avenue (1,398 feet/104 units), 520 Park Avenue ( 781 feet/31 units), and 125 Greenwich Street (1,375 feet/128 units) as buildings with the greatest height-to-unit-count disparity.
More on the tower here

November 12, 2014

INTERVIEW: Amy Norquist of Greensulate Talks Green Roofs and Sustainable Design

6sqft is no stranger to green design, and more and more buildings throughout New York City are implementing eco-friendly features, from providing electric car chargers to utilizing geothermal energy systems. A major component in sustainable development is the addition of green roofs. Whether they're merely for environmental purposes, or if they provide a usable outdoor space, green roofs are the next big thing in green design. So, we decided to chat with Amy Norquist, CEO and founder of Greensulate, a leader in integrated design, engineering, installation and maintenance of green roof systems for the residential, commercial, and industrial markets.
Read our full interview with Amy here

November 12, 2014

Your Brain on Architecture: Neuroscientific Proof That Design Matters

If there were ever a case to hire an architect and not skimp on design, a new study revealing that certain styles of architecture can have a measurable effect on one's mental state might be a good foundation. The new research, conducted by a team of architects and neuroscientists, uses a fMRI to capture the effects of architecture on the brains of a set of subjects as they thumb through images of "contemplative architecture" such as churches and temples. The fact that architecture can have an impact on well-being may be a "duh" conclusion to you, but for most it is not. And this architectural neuroscience team is making it their goal to turn the way in which individuals experience slight nuances in our built environment into scientific observations that can be applied to the design of buildings and urban planning.
More on the study here

November 11, 2014

QUIZ: Which Starchitect Are You?

By Alyssa Alimurung

Are you an OG architect that doesn’t care what other people think? Or a rising star who cares deeply about design? Or would you rather build structures than design them? This architecture-nerd turned the hallmarks of your favorite starchitects into a fun BuzzFeed quiz. Take it now and find out which starchitect you are. TAKE THE […]

Architecture And Design

November 11, 2014

Stamberg Aferiat Update a 200-Year-Old Farmhouse Using Japanese Palace Architecture

Stamberg Aferiat + Associates was given quite the challenge–to bring together their client's love of Japanese palace architecture, their large-scale modern art collection and the existing architecture of a 200-year-old farmhouse, all while respecting and enhancing the property's 32 acres with two ponds and wooded islands. The resulting Sycamore Creek house maintains the feel and scale of the farmhouse from its primary vantage point, but incorporates Japanese palace architecture to create dynamic spaces among the original structure and a new addition.
More details on the house ahead

Architecture And Design

November 11, 2014

Beautiful Upper East Side Fairytale Mansion Now $2M Less

The fairy tale of New York City is constantly unfolding, and this one-of-a-kind Upper East Side townhouse will surely set the scene for a romantic urban happily ever after. This home, originally built in 1893 by A. B. Ogden and Son, is located at 5 East 93rd Street, a stone's throw away from 5th Avenue and Central Park. Within the last few years the entire property was completely restored, and the elaborate detailing that went into the design of this home is immaculate. The listing price for this property is $17.95 million—and yep, if you’ve been following, it's dropped almost $2 million from its February listing price.
READ MORE

November 11, 2014

Where I Work: Check out Chip Brian’s design empire (and coffee shop) in Long Island City

Chip Brian may look like he's all business, but he's a builder and a Californian with an inclination for all things sustainable. The founder of Design Development NYC (DD), Best & Co. and a new and experimental venture called Neue Atelier, Chip has managed to build a creative empire that, luckily for his busy clients, is a one-stop design/build shop that brings architecture, renovation and furnishings under one roof. We recently stopped by his Long Island City space where he gave us the grand tour of the studio.
Inside the studio here

November 11, 2014

2,000 More Bioswales Will Help NYC Absorb Stormwater

What's a bioswale? (We know that's what you're saying to yourself.) It's a curbside garden built to absorb stormwater. The city currently has about 255 of them, but will be installing an additional 2,000 throughout Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx to prepare for the possibility of more intense storms in the future. Not only will the bioswales absorb an estimated 200 million gallons of stormwater each year, but they'll therefore mitigate pollution in the Bronx River, Flushing Bay, Gowanus Canal, Jamaica Bay and Newtown Creek.
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November 10, 2014

Architect Steven Harris Builds a Floating Staircase to Heaven in This Tribeca Loft Renovation