Additions & Alterations

99 Gold

Project Manager/Designer: Eugene Drubestskoy

Completion Date: November 2005

Location: DUMBO

Visit: www.99goldstreet.com

99 Gold is a renewal pioneer within the area's industrial landscape. An upscale loft conversion is the latest trend in stylish city living, which redefines the 19th-century concrete and block building, originally designed to house and supply New York's souvenir market. Following that industry's decline and decades of misuse and neglect, vast quality-of-life improvements are assured by this adaptive reuse. Given the value of its location, breathtaking views of both Brooklyn and Manhattan and its close proximity to public transportation, the building is being converted into 88 sleek, spacious 1 and 2 bedroom loft-style apartments with cutting edge design and state of the art finishes. All apartments, ranging from 600 sq ft studios and 2000 sq ft penthouses, have high ceilings, floor to ceiling windows and large balconies. As a result of this project and others that will soon follow, the area has been transformed into the ideal neighborhood for successful artists and professionals with a taste for urban living, and it provides another link in connecting Brooklyn's downtown neighborhoods.

Grand Street

Project Manager/Designer: Robert M. Scarano jr.

Completion Date: June 2005

Location: Williamsburg

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A modest two story brick factory building converted to apartments under a previous application is expanded to create three modern penthouse units with roof terraces and double height ceilings. Constructing an addition on a previously converted building, (which remained occupied during construction), can be a major inconvenience to the existing occupants if not handled properly. Further, the attachment of the new structure to the old building can be logistically difficult if the integrity of the roof membrane has to be compromised. This project presented these problems because the budget for the work was only $100 per sq. ft. To keep the weight down for the new floor heavy ganged steel joists were used for the structural walls and floors instead of traditional steel skeleton or masonry bearing wall. This not only saves load on the existing structure, but reduces cost as well. A mixture of stucco and metal panel exterior cladding was chosen since they provide lesser pounds per square footage than traditional masonry products. The design acts as a capping to the facade, which prior to the installation was a simple brick exterior. The taller windows framed in metal and inclined, flood the interior with light and contribute to the loft like feel of the apartments. By providing a cap to the elevation, the facade takes on a completed look and appears to have been constructed at one time rather than in phases. The contrast between materials compliment rather than fight each other, creating a façade of interest and distinction.

7th Avenue

Project Manager/Designer: Robert M. Scarano jr.

Completion Date: May 2005

Location: Park Slope

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Keeping this neighborhood strong and vibrant is not only the strong school system, but also the Landmarks of large sections of the neighborhood. This particular building also falls within the Historic District, meaning that all exterior features are protected from change unless a "Certificate of Appropriateness" is issued. The front facade of the building is being maintained (with the exception of the excavation of the front yard) to permit additional light and air to enter the lower level of the basement duplex unit. The rear facade, however, will have the existing one story addition expanded two additional levels and the fenestration altered to permit larger windows to capture the views on the upper levels to Manhattan. The entire interiors will be gutted to allow floor plans to be reconfigured, splitting floors into smaller one bedroom units above the second floor. The incorporation of individual heating and cooling units for each apartment and the modernization of the entire infrastructure ensures the marketability of the units as modern apartments.