Architecture And Design

Say goodbye to that ugly key holder and boring mail basket. The aptly-named Kangaroo clock by David Raffoul conveniently doubles as a storage pouch that can function as the perfect entryway catchall, while letting you know if you're running late. The clock would also look nice with dried flowers or sparkly jewelry peeking out of its pouch. Really, the possibilities are endless!
More about the design here

July 18, 2014

MB Architecture’s Energy-Efficient Green Arc House is Mostly Buried Underground

Architect Maziar Behrooz is a big fan of airplanes hangars and his stunning Green Arc House takes inspiration from the airship shed's curvaceous design. Located in East Hampton, this luscious green home is not only grand and luxurious, but also extremely energy efficient. It measures a whopping 6,400 square feet, but you would never guess it because more than half the home is buried underground!
Learn more about this stunning sustainable home

July 18, 2014

NYC’s Threat of Earthquakes on the Rise, But Tall Towers Have a Lower Risk of Being Affected

You read it right, tall towers in New York City actually have a lower risk of being affected by an earthquake. The U.S. Geological Survey, the federal agency responsible for reporting and recording earthquake activity, recently updated their National Seismic Hazard Maps, which "reflect the best and most current understanding of where future earthquakes will occur, how often they will occur, and how hard the ground will likely shake as a result." One change to the maps since they was last updated in 2008 is that the east coast has the potential for larger quakes than previously outlined, but residents of NYC high rises are in a slightly lower risk bracket.
Learn why straight ahead

July 18, 2014

Swipe Left or Right? There’s Now a Tinder for Architecture

By Diane Pham

Don't get too excited. That's architecture, not architects. But either way, if you're an architect, or just an opinionated architecture enthusiast, you'll love "swiping" left or right on this fun new app developed by Daniele Quercia and her team at Yahoo Labs in Barcelona, Spain.
Find out more here

July 18, 2014

Another Studio’s Convert Vase Collection is Inspired by Architectural Geometry

As architecture buffs, we can't help but love that the Convert Vase Collection was inspired by architectural geometry, but even putting that influence aside, Another Studio's design is simply stunning. The trio of multi-faceted vases is made from a flat sheet of steel, folded and converted into shape by hand in the firm's London studio. The steel has a semi-matte finish and geometric patterns etched onto its surface, which creates an appealing aesthetic, a mix of hard and soft.
More about the design here

July 18, 2014

NYC Events 7/18: MoMA’s Pop Rally; Greenpointers Summer Market; Bohemia and Orthodox Judaism in Art

By Lori Zimmer

Another summer weekend with fabulous weather is upon us, and we can't wait to close our laptops and get out into the city. Start your weekend off right by catching a screening of Primal Heritage, a film exploring the world of Joseph Wolf Grazi, an artist juggling the Bushwick dream with his Orthodox Jewish roots. On Sunday, get your retail fix on at Greenpointers Summer Market, which will be chock full of artist- and locally designed goods you'll definitely want in your home. Greenpointers also invites you to sip on Brooklyn Brewery beers and Dandelion Wine sangria while you shop, so if you're looking to unwind with a drink in addition to some retail therapy, this is your best bet. And once you've hit your spending limit, mosey on over to the galleries in the 67 West building for some art... Want more? We've got a full list of events after the break.
All the best events here

July 17, 2014

Pulltab Design Brightens Up this East Village Duplex with a Living Green Wall

The green wall at the 7th Street Residence designed by Pulltab Design puts our few measly house plants to shame. The custom-made garden wall was installed as part of an apartment renovation to be a focal point of the home, as well as to give the contemporary space a mysterious quality. A shallow reflecting pool sits under the vertically planted wall and serves as a landing pad for water droplets that fall from the wall's concealed irrigation system. Additionally, the pool, fabricated from folded steel sheets and complete with swimming goldfish, adds a calming water element to the living room.
More about how this sleek apartment comes

July 17, 2014

Studio Allergutendinge’s Soul Box is a Portable Retreat for ‘Glamping’ in Nature

If you feel the need for a summer break away from the city but don't want to rough it in the great outdoors there is always the option of "glamping", or glamorous camping. For those want to keep the comforts of home in reach, this mobile wooden shelter by studio Allergutendinge is the ideal solution. It offers all the conveniences of home and can be transported just about anywhere.
Find out more about Soul Box here

July 17, 2014

Still Portzamparc-ish: New Images of Extell’s Riverside Center Uncovered

By Ondel Hylton

On the website of Extell Development's latest residential tower, One Riverside Park, we uncovered some newer, more realistic renderings of their massive Riverside Center project. The 8-acre superblock between West 59th and 61st Streets lies at the southern end of a string of 11 Riverside South buildings that have been underway since the mid-1990s. Developer Donald Trump had struggled since 1974 to redevelop the 77-acre rail yard, and he developed the first eight buildings as Trump Place before selling a substantial portion of the site to Extell Development in 2005.
See more images of this mega-development here

Quirky QLOCKTWO Clock Tells Time with the Written Word

Forget numbers, this quirky clock is using a far more innovative method to tell time. Instead of numerals, the QLOCKTWO employs common phrases — such as "It's half-past twelve" — to keep you up to speed with the hour.
Details on the unique timepiece here

July 16, 2014

Live Out Your Childhood Fantasies in This East Village Home with a Metal Slide by Turett Architects

It's not uncommon for NYC apartment buyers to snatch up two adjacent units and combine them into one space, but it is a bit unusual to request that your architect connect the spaces with a slide. And that's exactly what Turett Collaborative Architects (TCA) was tasked with in this East Village duplex penthouse. The previous homeowner, professional poker player Phil Galfond, bought two identical one-bedroom units, one on top of the other. They were transformed into a 2,400-square-foot, two-bedroom duplex with a new Italian-made Rintal stair. Clearly calling the bluff of this traditional mode of getting from one floor to another, Galfond worked with TCA to also install a stainless steel helical slide that descends through the double-height atrium.
More about the modern, playground-like feature right this way

July 16, 2014

See the Winners of the “QueensWay Connection: Elevating the Public Realm” Design Competition

Earlier this year, AIA New York's ENYA (Emerging New York Architects) Committee held its biennial design ideas competition, focusing on the elevated viaduct portion of the QueensWay, a community-led project that seeks to transform a blighted, 3.5 mile stretch of abandoned railway in Central Queens into a linear park and cultural greenway. The winners of Queensway Connection: Elevating the Public Realm were announced in February, and are now going public tomorrow, July 17th, with an exhibition at AIANY's Center for Architecture. There were 120 entries from 28 countries for Queensway Connection, from which four winning entries and an Honorable Mention were selected. The jury included architecture, landscape architecture, public space, and transportation infrastructure professionals who reviewed the designs based on how well they created an effective and welcoming transition between the street and greenway. Other factors included community involvement, preservation of the existing infrastructure, and use of ecologically sustainable elements.
Your sneak peek before tomorrow's event

July 15, 2014

Bates Masi + Architects Gives an Incredible Modern Update to a House They Built 35 Years Ago

When the new owners of this beautiful woodland home on Long Island decided they needed some extra space, they contacted the same architects that built the property 35 years before: Bates Masi + Architects. The New York-based creatives worked to update and expand the Re-cover House, preserving its original spaces, simplicity and rustic soul. Clad in beautifully aged silver cypress wood, the house's entire renovation re-uses materials from the original design.
See the impeccably designed interior here

July 15, 2014

DIY Smashing: Dragos Motica Wants You to Break Their Slash Lamp

That's right— this lamp comes in one piece but is expected to be broken upon purchase. This probably seems a little backwards for most of us, but the designer Dragos Motica wants to give customers the choice, and have them question what is broken and what is new while at it.
Learn more about this out-of-the-ordinary light fixture

July 15, 2014

From Luggage to Luxury Hotel: Grzywinski + Pons-Designed Mixed-Use Building Rising at 119 Orchard Street

The times they are a-changin. At least on Orchard Street, which used to be littered with affordable clothing and luggage stores and home to the famous Saturday street vendors peddling their wares. Today, upscale boutiques and trendy restaurants have moved in, along with rising rents, and 119 Orchard Street is the latest convert. For over 40 years, Fine & Klein Handbags operated out of the storefront, but closed their doors in 2007. Shortly thereafter in 2008, SAS Property Management bought the property for $4.22 million, filed plans for a new 40-room hotel, and tore down the building in November 2010. Three years later, the plans were amended for a 10-story mixed use space, containing 16 hotel rooms and four residential units. Interestingly, the building height was the same in both renditions. Construction has already commenced, and we've just spotted a few new renderings on architect Grzywinski + Pons' website.
Take a look at the construction photos as well as building renderings

July 15, 2014

551W21: Norman Foster’s Champagne-Colored Tower Rising Along Manhattan’s New Gold Coast (New Photos)

By Ondel Hylton

Many architects like to recycle their plans, reusing signature design elements from project to project. However, British architect Lord Norman Foster, with his firm Foster+Partners, enjoys keeping it fresh with designs that are unmistakably modern, yet profoundly contextual to their location. The firm's latest New York development is a 44-unit residential tower named 551W21 that rises in the once industrial—now art-gallery—hub of West Chelsea. The 551W21 team over at Foster+Partners recently sent us some new photos of the building under construction, which has surpassed its 19th-floor mark and will be topped off at the end of this month. And if you're still not convinced that buyers are willing to pay a premium for starchitectured spaces, we're told that the building is already over 50% sold.
See more photos and views after the break

July 14, 2014

Glass Towers to Go Green? Environmentalists Are Calling for Stricter Regulations for Supertalls

Two of the biggest trends in the current NYC real estate market are tall, glass towers and eco-friendly design. Oftentimes, though, these two architectural movements don't meet, and now environmentalists are calling for stricter regulations that would make this marriage a requirement, by way of decreasing the huge expanses of curtain wall windows that the towers have adopted as their hallmark.
More of the debate this way

July 14, 2014

Tim Seggerman’s Wooden Brooklyn Townhouse Extension Blends Nordic and Japanese Design

Architect Tim Seggerman renovated an extended a Brooklyn Brownstone blending Finnish and Japanese aesthetics in a beautiful way. Located in Cobble Hill, this family home was re-conceived in a modern way, respecting its traditional brownstone facade with a surprising extension at the back. Using a variety of wood that includes white oak, mahogany, bamboo, teak and ash, the local architect turned this Brooklyn dwelling into a stylish comfortable place to live.
Tour the home here

July 14, 2014

‘Human’ Smartphone App Tracks How New Yorkers Move Through the City

By Annie Doge

As New Yorkers we're constantly on the go and our movements are very much the pulse of the city. A new smartphone app developed by Human is tracking these movements and turning them into an incredible map that beautifully visualizes how we navigate our streets. Are you part of the pack?
Find out more here

July 14, 2014

Wooden Accents and Pops of Color Add a Dash of Coziness to This Industrial Loft by Design42

Space-efficient living is a must in New York City, where savvy residents build shelves into every nook and cranny of their tiny apartments. While the ad-lib additions often get the job done, they don't always work with a home's aesthetic. With some help from Design42 Architecture, the owners of this industrial loft were able to sidestep that problem and make the most of their space without sacrificing style.
Check out more shots of the space straight this way

July 14, 2014

Herzog & de Meuron’s Undulating Condo Design for the Hudson River Waterfront Revealed

By Ondel Hylton

Move over Greenwich Village, there's a new gold coast in Manhattan and it's nowhere near Fifth Avenue. Since former Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the far west side is the city's new Gold Coast and Manhattan's last frontier, a necklace of ravishing projects have been announced along the Hudson River waterfront. The latest reveal is for a new 12-story, 88-unit condominium coming from famed hotelier Ian Schrager and Herzog & de Meuron Architects. The Hudson Square site at 156 Leroy Street will replace a handful of low-slung buildings that include two auto-body shops, a gentleman's club and the former Lunchbox Diner.
More renderings of 156 Leroy here

Architecture And Design

July 13, 2014

Architect Andrew Franz Restored This West Village Townhouse to its Historic Glory

In recent years, the West Village has become one of the hippest areas in New York City, thanks to a slew of celebrity residents and its reputation as the epicenter of the cupcake boom. But at its heart, the neighborhood is still one of the most picturesque and charming in town, dotted with historic townhouses that have been around for decades. Tasked with restoring one of those iconic brick buildings, architect Andrew Franz sought to maintain its original character, while giving the owners a home that's both spacious and functional.
There's a gorgeous rooftop garden you just have to see...

July 12, 2014

The Cartier Mansion Shines Again with the Help of Andre Tchelistcheff Architects