Architecture And Design

April 12, 2016

Miko Mercer Is Building a 160-Square-Foot Tiny House in Crown Heights

Brooklyn resident Miko Mercer, 30, joined the Tiny House Movement, and she's done more than just take a passing interest. The New York Times recently visited Ms. Mercer and the 160-square-foot DIY dwelling she's constructing, not on a homesteader's plot, but inside a big Crown Heights warehouse. Mercer, who runs the skin care division at popular beauty subscription service Birchbox and draws a six-figure income, still found that, as a single person, she couldn't afford to buy a home in a city where the average price of an apartment is $1.7 million. She ordered a trailer bed, leased the warehouse space and got to work, designing the house herself using a 3-D modeling application called Sketchup, meticulously managing the budget using a spreadsheet. She puts the estimated cost of her tiny house at about $30,000.
Find out what's in the plans for this tiny home

Architecture And Design

April 12, 2016

Wood and Copper Wardrobe Provides a Streamlined Alternative to Bulky Dressers

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Minimalists who've gotten a little carried away accumulating a few too many clothes, shoes and other goods will appreciate this streamlined wardrobe design by Rianne Koens. Called Otura Dirsek, this beautiful storage solution is inspired by, and named after, the copper gas pipes seen in Turkish homes. Rather than placing the pipes behind walls, Turkish people instead run them along the exterior, conveniently creating extra space to hang household items.
Learn more about this minimal wooden wardrobe

April 11, 2016

Last Chance to Apply for 282 Middle-Income Apartments at Downtown Brooklyn’s 250 Ashland Place

By Ondel Hylton

Today is your last chance to apply for 282 affordable housing units at 250 Ashland Place in Downtown Brooklyn. The 52-story skyscraper rises from the heart of Brooklyn's cultural district and is near a multitude of subway lines, the Atlantic Terminal transit hub, and the Barclays Center. Developed by the Gotham Organization, the skyscraper encompasses 580,000 square feet of space and soars 568 feet into the burgeoning Brooklyn skyline, making it the second tallest in the borough after the nearby rental tower AVA DoBro. Designed by New York-based FXFowle Architects, the building is sheathed in a contextual brick and glass exterior, relating both to the charming brownstones of Fort Greene and the dynamism transforming Downtown Brooklyn.
Find out if you qualify

April 11, 2016

One of Manhattan’s Last Wood Frame Homes Is Up For Rent Asking $13K/Month

By Emily Nonko

There are very few wood frame homes remaining in Manhattan -- with some sprinkled throughout neighborhoods like the Upper East Side and the Village -- but here's one at 312 East 53rd Street, in Turtle Bay. It was constructed in 1866, right before the city prohibited further construction of wooden buildings due to the fire hazard. Since then, this home, and its wood-framed neighbor next door, amazingly still stand. Residents of both homes can be traced all the way back to 1866 -- No. 312 was once occupied by Lincoln Kirstein, who would go on to found the New York City Ballet. Its latest owners are Jessica and Robert Nacheman, a principal at the engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti, who bought it back in 2012 for $2.275 million and put it up for rent.
See more of the interior

April 11, 2016

Decorative ‘Blokosha’ Nests Paper Replicas of Post-War Buildings Like Matryoshka Dolls

By Rebecca Paul

Much like New York, after World War II, European cities found themselves in need of additional housing. In response, large estates were built and the post-war urban landscape began to take shape. In the 1950s-1980 these "house factories" were in their prime and advancements in building methods and technology allowed developers to build entire districts from scratch especially in the Eastern Block (the former communist states of Central and Eastern Europe). Inspired by this type of architecture, Designer Zupagrafika's Blokosha is a playful look at these concrete modernist estates, where paper replicas can be tucked away much like Russian nesting dolls.
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April 11, 2016

Did You Know the MTA Uses Pantone Colors to Distinguish Train Lines?

By Dana Schulz

It's likely that every subway rider can name the colors that mark each train line -- blue for the A, C, E, red for the 1, 2, 3. But did you know that these aren't just arbitrary hues pulled from some MTA Crayola box, but rather 10 Pantone® spot colors? Even E-Z Pass and the LIRR and Metro-North lines have their own specific colors. The color coding dates back to the mid '60s when the city was in an economic downturn and people were staying off the rundown, haphazardly organized subways. To give the system a fresh, user-friendly look, the Transit Authority turned to graphic design, then an up-and-coming profession. They hired Italian designer Massimo Vignelli and Dutch designer Bob Noorda, both of whom were proponents of the popular "Swiss" style that featured solid, bright colors, simplistic illustrations, typographic grids, and the sans-serif font Helvetica. The men combined these elements into the 364-page New York City Transit Authority Graphics Standards Manual, forming the basis for the subway design we know today.
Find out more this way

April 10, 2016

Robert Young Gives an Outdated ’80s Home in East Hampton a Mid-Century Mod Makeover

By Rebecca Paul

This East Hampton home was originally built in the 1980s, but was recently renovated with a modern and airy flair reflective of its inhabitants' colorful personalities. Led by Robert Young Architects, the transformation included new roof lines, as well as the addition of a small dining room and an outdoor living space, strategically placed to open up the existing space and bring in more natural light, which was the secondary goal of the update.
READ MORE

Architecture And Design

April 8, 2016

Judge Gives the Go Ahead to Barry Diller’s Pier 55 Offshore Park

By Dana Schulz

Billionaire media mogul (and husband to Diane von Furstenberg) Barry Diller just had a big victory in his road to constructing Pier 55, a $130 million futuristic park off 14th Street in Hudson River Park. As reported by the Post, the Manhattan Supreme Court dismissed a case against the development that claimed it could have a negative environmental impact, wiping out local species such as the American eel and shortnose sturgeon. Justice Joan Lobis, who noted she enjoys biking along the Hudson, said the project did go through the appropriate environmental review process, which found that it "would not cause significant adverse impacts on the aquatic habitat." Though the plaintiffs, the civic group known as the City Club of New York, have vowed to appeal the decision, construction is currently set to begin later this year.
More information ahead

Architecture And Design

April 8, 2016

New Renderings of Park Slope’s Parking Garage Condo Conversion at 800 Union Street

By Ondel Hylton

In 2014, plans were announced to convert a cherished Park Slope parking garage at 708-804 Union Street into residential apartments. Slopers complained that the 260-car garage's removal would increase traffic and that the underway development would overcrowd schools. Nonetheless, the longtime property’s owner Lewis Meltzer secured a zoning variance and building department approvals to convert the 85-year-old structure into residential units with retail space at ground level. Now, Midwood Investment & Development and Hailey Development Group are bringing the project to fruition, redistributing the parking garage's 52,000 square feet of bulk across six high-ceilinged floors and carving out 28 high-end condo units and 11,153 square feet of retail.
Learn more about the new condo

April 8, 2016

Bruce the Juicer Adds a Splash of Personality to the Mundane Task of Juicing

By Rebecca Paul

It's zero fun when you catch a squirt of citrus in your eye, but that doesn't mean the juicing process can't be a good time. Thanks to the design team at Monkey Business, and their friend 'Bruce' the juicer, the kitchen task just got a bit friendlier. Made out of a single piece of wood, Bruce's favorite activity is to delve head first into citrus of all kinds, using his conveniently shaped dome to extract every last drop of liquid.
Find out where to get your own Bruce

$12M Chelsea Townhouse Has a 30-Foot Saltwater Pool in the Living Room and a Two-Story Waterfall

By Michelle Cohen

This week brings another superlatively funky dream home, both totally unique and impossible to sell on a grand scale, both getting a thorough market-friendly renovation. This particular property has been in and out of the media spotlight for the past decade and with reason. A five-story historic townhouse in Chelsea has plenty of dream house potential to begin with, but the house at 232 West 15th Street also has a 30-foot long, eight-foot deep heated saltwater pool (in the living room) under a two-story solarium. Also, a cascading waterfall. Also a poolside wet bar, self-irrigated planters and seven fireplaces (six wood-burning and one ethanol) and a roof deck with an outdoor shower. And two top-floor two-bedroom apartments ready to rent if you don't need the entire 4,800 square feet. Though the home has been freshly re-imagined as a sleek, contemporary vision in white, pale wood and glass, part of the fascination has been with the fabulously eclectic interiors that its current owner's family maintained, where turtles swam in the pool and a suit of armor looked on.
Tour this amazing townhouse

April 7, 2016

New Looks Inside Tribeca’s $50M Mega-Mansion With 18 Toilets and a Rooftop Farm

By Ondel Hylton

Tribeca's 30,000-square-foot, potential mega-mansion is still up for grabs for $50 million. As reported by the Journal last year, the 52-foot-wide, landmarked building at 71-73 Franklin Street would be delivered vacant by its longtime owners to a suitor who could transform the property into a single, seven-story mansion. The project has launched a website with a handful of renderings prepared by Turett Collaborative to give us a better idea of of what the enormous abode could look like. Last year, Curbed gave us a 43-point rundown of the ridiculous amenities and spaces provided in the plan, which includes more than seven bedrooms, 18 toilets, a nearly 60-foot-long swimming pool, climbing wall, rooftop farm, half basketball court, 20-seat home theater, and a two-floor walk-in closet for the missus of the house.
Get a look at all the renderings

April 7, 2016

Lenox Hill’s Rose Modern Nears Completion; Homes Range from $2,850 to $6,650 Per Month

By Ondel Hylton

At the northeast corner of York Avenue and East 74th Street, a glass and metal pile of floors is nearing completion. Developed by Golden Asset LLC and designed by Stephen B. Jacobs Group, the thin-skinned tower soars 20 stories above its characterful block of brick and fire-escape adorned context. Named Rose Modern, the building anchors a corner site at 501 East 74th Street and will be near the 72nd Street station of the Second Avenue Subway, anticipated to open later this year.
Get a look inside

April 7, 2016

The Updated but Still-Funky UWS Penthouse Atop the 1920s Level Club Returns for $2.6M

By Michelle Cohen

The crimson Venetian plaster-dappled interior walls are gone, done in minimalist white emulsion; the tiger-skinned boho pasha’s palazzo decor has been swapped for restrained, contemporary pasha’s pre-war. The interior's more impetuous elements have likely been pared down so it doesn’t scare the hell out of anyone, but also to show off the home's enormous 25-foot arched windows, 360 degree views, and stylized 1920s architecture. The overall effect is loft-meets-Palm-Beach-mansion, and though it doesn't exactly say Upper West Side, it no longer says magic carpet warehouse—and it's certainly still unique. This $2.6 million piece of New York City history sits atop a building that’s even more unique. Known as the Level Club, the building at 253 West 73rd Street served as the 1920s private social club of the Levelers, a group of Freemasons. The landmarked exterior is definitely a conversation starter, with a Romanesque-style facade designed in the image of King Solomon’s temple bearing carved Masonic symbols: the all-seeing eye, the hourglass, the level, the hexagram and the beehive.
Find out more about this fascinating penthouse

April 6, 2016

Rafael Viñoly’s Meatpacking Building to Include World’s Largest Starbucks, See New Renderings

By Dana Schulz

News broke back in May that a low-rise Rafael Viñoly-designed building was coming to the former site of Prince Lumber at 61 Ninth Avenue in the Meatpacking District. Until now, no design details have emerged for the nine-story office and retail building, but 6sqft has uncovered Viñoly's renderings, which show a stacked cube design with many terraces along its asymmetrical glass facade. The address also made headlines today because its base will hold the largest Starbucks store in the world. The 20,000-square-foot facility known as the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room will be "part of a push to bolster growth with larger locations that offer experiences to customers," reports Crain's.
See more

April 6, 2016

1846 Townhouse Featured on the Brooklyn Heights House Tour Asks $4.95 Million

By Emily Nonko

This picture-perfect Brooklyn Heights townhouse, at 2 Sidney Place, has been around since 1846 but is still in great shape. Since then, it's gone through a major remodel and modernization although it retains six of its fireplace mantels, all of which add an elegant and historic touch. The landmarked townhouse, in fact, is impressive enough to be featured on the popular Brooklyn Heights House Tour. But now the question is if it'll impress a buyer enough to bring in nearly $5 million.
Take a look around

April 6, 2016

Herzog & de Meuron’s 215 Chrystie Street Reaches Full Height; Only Three Units Remain

By Ondel Hylton and Heather Cooper Vivares

Last November, 6sqft reported that Ian Schrager and the Witkoff Group’s upcoming hotel/condominium building 215 Chrystie Street had just made its way past the midway point. Now, the “tough-luxe” Bowery development has reached its full apex, 314 feet to the mechanical bulkhead, dominating the low-slung skyline of the Lower East Side. The mixed-use development will have a 356-room PUBLIC Hotel from Ian Schrager along its lower levels, topped by 11 limited condominium residences. Pritzker Prize-winning firm Herzog & de Meuron, with Beyer Blinder Belle as architects of record, designed the arthropod-esque, concrete-framed building.
More views and details this way

April 6, 2016

Flower District Getting 35-Story Moxy Hotel With Affordable Rooms for Young Travelers

By Ondel Hylton

The remainder of Chelsea's flower district continues to shrink, blossoming new hotels instead of floral shops. This latest stalk will rise mid-block at 105 West 28th Street and will be the largest lodge yet, growing 35 stories and budding 343 rooms, according to recently approved building permits. The tower is anticipated to be among New York's first batch of Moxy hotels, a new Marriott brand focused on affordable three-star accommodations for young travelers. Last year, Bloomberg reported that Lightstone is committing $2 billion to develop and invest in lodging properties over the next few years, and will be building five Moxy hotels in New York. Recently, financing was secured for a 618-room Moxy flagship at 485 Seventh Avenue in the Garment District.
More views and details

April 5, 2016

First Look at $45M Single-Family Mansion Replacing New York Foundling in Greenwich Village

By Ondel Hylton

In September 2014, the foster and child-care agency New York Foundling, one of the city's oldest charities, sold its Greenwich Village building for a staggering $45 million to an unknown buyer with the intention of converting it into a single-family mansion. It will be among the most expensive single-family residences ever purchased in Manhattan. The four-story, limestone and brick property on the northeast corner of Christopher Street and Waverly Place sits within the beloved Greenwich Village Historic District, and currently the owner is seeking approvals from the Landmarks Preservation Commission to add a pergola, mechanical equipment and an elevator bulkhead to the roof. Yet-to-be-approved permits were filed in November by HS Jessup Architecture, detailing a sprawling home of five floors and 15,000 square feet of floor area. Plans on Jessup's website show the mansion will have six bedrooms, two kitchens, its own elevator, a dressing room and walk-in closet larger than most apartments, a 50-foot lap pool, and more than 4,000 square-feet of outdoor space that will include a rooftop terrace. The architect also handled the neo-traditional penthouse addition atop 345 West 13th Street in the Meatpacking District.
More details right this way

April 5, 2016

New Views and Video of David H. Koch Center for Cancer on Manhattan’s Upper East Side

By Ondel Hylton

On a far-eastern block of the Upper East Side's Lenox Hill neighborhood, a unique venture is underway to build new facilities for Hunter College and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Now wrapping up its cavernous foundations, the 1.15 million-square-foot development will accommodate two separate towers: an East River-facing building that will house a 730,000-square-foot, 23-story outpatient treatment center for Memorial Sloan-Kettering; and a slightly smaller, 400,000-square-foot mid-block building for CUNY-Hunter College's schools of nursing and physical therapy. Hunter will trade its current nursing school facility at First Avenue and East 25th Street to the city where they will build a new sanitation facility. In 2012, then-mayor Michael Bloomberg awarded the institutions the right to to build upon the half-block parcel fronting the FDR Drive between East 73rd and 74th Streets. The site was previously home to a sanitation facility that was demolished in 2008 and was sold to the college-hospital for $226 million. The mammoth, 455-foot-tall structure is being designed by Perkins Eastman in collaboration with Ennead Architects and required special approvals to rise more than the as-of-right floor area and height limit. Aside from the project's size, neighbors took issue with the project's shortfall of parking spaces and the resulting congestion of a community loaded with medical facilities.
Find out more this way

6 Easy and Inexpensive Ways to Fake a Rustic Interior

6sqft’s series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. This week, Gabrielle Montoute of Fueled, a digital product design and development incubator, shares six ways to create a rustic interior in your apartment without spending a lot of money.

April 5, 2016

6 Easy and Inexpensive Ways to Fake a Rustic Interior

By Gabrielle Montoute

If you haven’t noticed, rustic is all the rage. From restaurants to weddings to clothes, it’s all about taking something old and giving it new life—or taking something new and making it look vintage. While recreating this style at home may seem like an expensive undertaking, it’s only deceptively so. We’ve dissected the trend and determined six simple and inexpensive ideas that will help you achieve this look at home.
All of them here

April 4, 2016

For $1.5 Million, Live in an Upstate Red Victorian Lighthouse

By Emily Nonko

New York City has its own Little Red Lighthouse, but it's definitely not a place you could live in. You'd have to go way upstate for that -- this historic red lighthouse, perched on the shores of Lake Ontario in Hilton, New York, is now on the market for $1.5 million. (Surprisingly, it's not the only lighthouse property that's been offered as living quarters!) Known as the Braddock Point Lighthouse, it was built in 1896 and fell into disrepair in the 1950s. A buyer eventually restored the building to its original Victorian glory and the lighthouse has since been occupied by only three families. You might be tempted to be the next.
See the restored interior

April 4, 2016

Screw Smiles Bring Happiness to Your Hardware and Polio Vaccines to Children in Need

By Rebecca Paul

Most of the time we're trying to hide that unsightly hardware that keeps our furniture together and our pictures hanging on the wall. But what would happen if it became part of our decor instead? Enter "Smile Screws." These cute little home accessories were developed by designer Yuma Kano and are currently being manufactured by Komuro Industry in Osaka, Japan. Kano's innovative new take on the screw replaces the traditional cross or slot with a smiley face, giving a sense of expression and emotion to a mass-produced product. It's no longer just a utilitarian piece of metal. Now it carries a positive message easily understood all over the world.
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April 4, 2016

MAD Transforms Multi-Family Building Into One Glamorous Six-Floor Home

By Rebecca Paul

This beautiful Greek revival building, located at the Northwest corner of Washington Square Park, dates all the way back to the 1850s and previously functioned as a multiple family house. However, with new ownership often comes new ideas, and the current owners recently transformed the apartment building into a single-family residence. The renovation was led by the design team at Matiz Architecture & Design (MAD) and included a complete rebuild of the rear exterior, as well the addition of an central elevator providing easy access to all six floors. MAD's focus during the renovation was to conserve the existing details and restore the building's exterior while also giving the home an modern update. In addition to the architectural components, MAD was also responsible for all of the interior furnishings.
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April 1, 2016

An Art Collector’s $14.5M West Village Carriage House Is Both Private Gallery and Family Home

By Michelle Cohen

Purchased in 1996 for $950,000 by French music producer, newspaper publisher, entrepreneur and passionate lifelong art collector Jean Lignel, this West Village carriage house received a renovation by architect Jeffrey Flanigan that transformed the 1834 landmark into both a family home and a made-to-order art gallery with 6,700 interior square feet and 1,825 square feet of outdoor space. Lignel’s collection includes many works by Keith Haring, Warhol, and celebrated contemporary artist (and mother of filmmaker Beth B) Ida Applebroog among many others. In addition to being able to showcase large art pieces, modern conveniences–like an elevator and a garage–abound. Lignel first listed this "West Village Arthouse" (as the current listing calls it) in 2007 for a whopping $20 million, possibly fresh from its extensive–and no doubt expensive–renovation. Since then, the home has been on and off the market, with broker swaps and price chops happening each time. In this latest go-round, the three-story historic home with an artistic pedigree is listed at $14.5 million.
Take a look inside this private gallery and family home

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