Tag Archives: Architecture

Developer, Featured, New Building

Manhattan High-rise

21-Story Manhattan High-rise

Scope

The EDG team initially performed a property analysis for this entire city block on 106th Street, between Madison and Fifth Avenues. The project aimed to unlock the property’s maximum value by utilizing the maximum allowable floor area, repurposing existing space, and increasing parking on the site. As a result, our work includes designing approximately 170,000 sq. ft. in total new floor area and renovating 48,000 sq. ft. as part of over ten projects throughout the development site.

Approach

The owner previously retained two other consultants who determined only 20,000 sq. ft. of the remaining FAR could be used. We revisited the original zoning analysis performed on the existing site and found multiple locations to construct approximately 170,000 sq. ft. of gross floor area. Our work also included navigating the Harlem-East Harlem Special Purpose District, recent rezoning, and the original zoning at construction. We looked at the site holistically, carefully examining the existing building’s operations while considering the seamless integration of the proposed buildings. We also considered structural considerations for all proposed work.

Impact

Our high-level understanding of zoning and building design experience gives us the advantage of having a complete picture of a development site. We navigated many zoning and code considerations for the project, including subdividing the site. We de-risked dozens of potential issues on an incredibly complex site to make the development possible. As a result of our initial work finding ways to capture the full underutilized FAR, we are currently designing the reprogramming of 48,000 sq. ft. of ground floor spaces, including retail, commercial, and community facility space; a 60-car parking garage expansion; additional commercial/community facility space; the consolidation of lobbies to recapture floor area; as well as the design of a new 21-story residential tower.

Client Type, Unbuilt, Work Type

The Generator

The Generator

Scope

The Generator is an urban waterfront tower development, rising out of the ground where a former power plant stood for three-quarters of a century. Nestled amongst a cluster of industrial buildings, the tower aims to create a unique office building that meets – and greatly exceeds – 21st-century energy goals.

Approach

EDG focused on careful analysis, location, and efficient design that leverages solar, wind, and hydrological energy sources. The elevated promontory the building sits on acts as an elevated parkland which anticipates water surges and mitigates wave action, allowing for hydrological filtration and phytoremediation. The team lifted the building body and office program 210 ft. above ground in anticipation for rising sea levels and to reveal the giant helical wind turbine. The sophisticated double skin is designed for modulated fresh air, with perimeter ERVs that manage intake and exhaust air much like gills. Interior spaces are heated and cooled via a radiant in-floor and ceiling hydronic system, using energy captured by the geothermal field in the park below. Further cooling is regulated by a deep-water cooling system drawn up into the tower’s heat exchangers.

Impact

The Generator, with its multitude of sustainable energy strategies, is beyond net zero. The dynamic tower capitalizes on natural, renewable elements of air, sun, and water from all around. It maximizes views of Manhattan and Brooklyn while referencing its surrounds in its own design. Intentionally playing upon the neighboring bridges, the Generator harks upon its past while looking optimistically towards the future.

Developer, Featured, Renovation

Brooklyn Co-living

Brooklyn Co-living Development

Scope

This Brooklyn project is a re-development of an existing three-story building with a commercial ground floor in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Working with a developer, the scope included a gut renovation and addition to transform the structure into an attractive co-living space. EDG provided zoning, financial models, help in fundraising through private equity, development analysis, planning, and full architectural and structural design for the 9,000 sq. ft. mixed-use building.

Approach

The objective was two-fold: create a “singular address” as a Brooklyn focal point and design a kit of parts adaptable for future developments. Given the building’s prominent corner location adjacent to McCarren Park, Bond and EDG aimed to refresh the outdated townhouse and maximize the buildable area. The team gutted existing spaces and added a fourth story, doubling the residential area. Leveraging in-house zoning and code expertise, EDG and Bond produced highly efficient floorplans, with a rentable area only 8% below gross area. The communal living units and amenities are economical and modular to support Bond’s long-term strategy.

Impact

The four-story revitalization features a diversity of social spaces, including a retail base with outdoor seating, interior courtyard, rooftop, and basement recreation area. The design opens the building to the neighborhood, playing to local elements while introducing a signature aesthetic. Paying homage to its eclectic and heterogenous orbit of an industrial warehouse legacy, Victorian fronts, and new residential projects, the building plays up this spirit with a dynamic façade with changes character from day to nighttime. Individual living spaces are elegant, comfortable retreats from the city. Carefully considering the desires of the target demographic, the color palette and material finishes evoke a cool sensibility balancing energy with calm. The innovative mixed-use development creates a community of shared value and sets a new standard for co-living.