Multifamily Residential

Category Subtitle

Clinton Avenue

Project Manager/Designer: Ilana Kushnir

Completion Date: March 2006

Location: Clinton Hill

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Utilizing existing buildings can be a daunting undertaking when the aesthetic character contradicts a modern vernacular. This existing structure presented such a challenge. Built to house a population of 50 children, this modest 1930's two story brick building, represented an institutional style inherent in buildings of that period. By maintaining the original facade and enveloping it in the new addition, its historic nature could be preserved and a design was created that acts as a backdrop to this small jewel. A simple palette of modern finishes, including brick and metal panels, provide a clean, minimalist backdrop to the remaining structure. Large expanses of glass and high ceilings give the new apartments a light and airy feeling. Other amenities include a full service parking garage, exercise and meeting rooms, outdoor recreation decks, Italian kitchen and bath cabinetry, European fixtures and marble and granite finishes. A large medical office at the first floor makes this a mixed use development. These new residential opportunities into the Clinton Hill Historic District will assist with the stability of the area.

32nd Street

Project Manager/Designer: Robert M. Scarano jr.

Completion Date: May 2006

Location: Greenwood

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Designed to fit in with neighboring brownstones, this small new building has a stoop with wrought iron railings, a front yard and wood framed windows.

Bay Parkway

Project Manager/Designer: Ilana Kushnir

Completion Date: October 2005

Location: Bensonhurst

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Bensonhurst is an older area of Brooklyn, with solid housing and commercial strips. Many of its residents are first and second generation immigrants, who settled here for its excellent public schools, variety of housing styles and eclectic mix of commercial establishments. Bay Parkway and 65th Street have long been a stable residential intersection in the neighborhood. Sites for new buildings here are rare, and when one comes up it serves as a recipe for a successful development. The creation of a mixed-use building containing two levels and a cellar, with a commercial base and apartments above, ensured a successful economic mix within the building. Masonry, metal panels and curtain wall allowed the building facade to fit into the neighborhood, and make its own individual statement as well. Giving all the apartments outdoor space and large rooms, the waiting list for purchase grew while the building was still under construction. Its close proximity to public transportation and shopping areas added to the demand for this development.

Powers Street

Project Manager/Designer: Ronny Cohen-Piotraut

Completion Date: November 2005

Location: East Williamsburg

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Comprised of three existing two story buildings on three separate zoning lots, this new development created two ten family buildings that total in 11,000 square feet and appear as one building on a 75 foot by 100 foot parcel in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The construction cost was $2.2 million, at $200 per square foot. In an attempt to preserve the brick base of the buildings, a complex interlocking of old and new is achieved through the anchoring of the base of the previous building’s front and imposing an entirely new addition over it. Stucco and glass curtain wall played upon the elements to relieve what otherwise might have been a heavy looking top. A stone arched entry marks a special place on the building and, through color and simplicity of detailing, shifts the eye down toward street level. This created a unique façade, which uses the original material (brick) at the base of the building, and introduces a modern material throughout the two additional stories (stucco). Aluminum panels highlight the connection between brick and stucco, and articulate these meeting points. Double height windows with large single sheets of glass express the integrity of this articulation and act as tall, slender cuts that are inserted at the place where old and new meet. These windows provide the top floors with a fantastic view of the Manhattan skyline.

Bedford Avenue

Project Manager/Designer: Robert M. Scarano jr.

Completion Date: September 2006

Location: Williamsburg

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Bedford Avenue is fast becoming a prime housing and commercial area for this burgeoning group. Long a major traffic artery, the avenue was modified to one- way northbound traffic several years ago in an attempt to relieve congestion and move vehicles to the downtown Brooklyn core. A housing stock of older prewar apartment buildings, row houses and a mix of commercial and industrial buildings make the avenue an eclectic palette of facades, uses and materials. It was paramount to create a mixed-use building, able to house large families and provide much needed commercial space. A building facade integrating contextual detailing in a modern package allows new and old to co-exist together. Traditional materials of masonry and stone blend together with metal paneling and synthetic stucco. Distinct facades create a look attractive to residential as well as commercial owners. Outdoor space, including large roof terraces and balconies, provide an amenity, which is more a necessity within this religious culture. The success of the project is enhanced by its ability to be contextual with its neighbors, helping to make a transition between the heights of the adjacent buildings.

Park Avenue

Project Manager/Designer: Robert M. Scarano jr.

Completion Date: March 2006

Location: Williamsburg

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Building in this community of Williamsburg, Brooklyn requires a knowledge of lifestyle that dictates the program and layout of the units within. Families numbering eight to twelve members typically reside in one apartment. Four to five bedrooms give the necessary space to these rapidly growing families. At 15 - 1900 sq. ft., they are larger than the majority of apartments being provided today and fill a niche that has been ignored by most builders. All apartments have expansive kosher kitchens with separate Passover kitchens and dinette areas to accommodate the families. A separate dining room is the focus of the design layout. An oversized utility room containing a full size washer/dryer, water heater, furnace and air conditioning turns each apartment into a self-contained unit. A variety of masonry colors and simple detailing and a stone base provide a contemporary look to this classically laid out building.

West 9th Street

Project Manager/Designer: Alex Zhitnik

Completion Date: January 2004

Location: Carroll Gardens

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Built on a busy street in Carroll Gardens, this 10 unit building creates a transition between two very different zoning districts. As a result of regulations that varied the maximum allowed height, this structure takes its cues from the stepped forms around it. Simple, crisp lines with bold details create the concept for the façade. Masonry, metal panels and stucco as surfacing materials accentuate the striking forms. Utilizing the maximum amount of area required the excavation of almost two levels of earth. Seven floors were then constructed above, making the buildings highest point 70'. This created an instant neighborhood landmark which added to the Brooklyn skyline as seen from the adjacent expressway and many of the streets. The unique design of this mixed-use building can help generate the sales necessary to make it a success.

South 3rd Street

Project Manager/Designer: Robert M. Scarano jr.

Completion Date: January 2006

Location: East Williamsburg

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Building a multifamily, elevator building on a 25 ft. lot requires utilization of space achieved in naval design. Every foot of space must be conserved to allow for a minimum of circulation and a maximum of apartment area. A front and rear layout further reduces the circulation to allow for greater room size. Large windows flood the apartments both front and rear with natural light. A simple palette of materials including wood veneers, stone, stucco and metal panel make a modern composition that is striking and elegant. The verticality of the building is dramatic and helps to seal the gap between the two existing buildings. The layering of material is continued on the rear using window bays to dramatize the feel of the spaces and this motif is continued on the inside spaces. An unusual feature in this development is the fully excavated yard, which has a small two story studio space accessible only through an outdoor garden space from the rear apartments. Stone bathrooms with wood vanities and glass shower enclosures are standard features in all apartments and modern kitchens with European cabinetry and stainless steel appliances add to the custom look of these units.

East 13th Street

Project Manager/Designer: Robert M. Scarano jr.

Completion Date: July 2005

Location: Midwood

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Development in the Midwood section of Brooklyn has long since included the construction and alteration of many single and two family homes. Few if any small multi-family condominium projects have been developed since the majority of the community did not embrace this lifestyle. However, with the costs of land and homes at an all time high, the prospects of finding affordable housing has cultivated a demand for this building type. A 40 x 100 city lot is the staple for residential development, and if zoned for higher density it can take advantage of the Condominium Development trend. With twelve units in total, these two six-family four story walk up buildings share a common elevator and a continuous facade. Square footage is use to a maximum through efficient use of space, high ceilings and loft spaces, complimented by large expanses of glass and state of the art equipment. Each unit has access to outdoor recreation space or balconies. Metal paneling on the façade provides a traditional contextual relationship while introducing modern design touches. Parking garages are used as a buffer from the street and relieves some issues of parking off site. With the guidance of the quality housing program, 1014-1016 East 13th Street, fills the gap in the market, allowing entry level single or young couples or partly retired empty nester's a location with a bold architectural statement.

335 Warren Street

Project Manager/Designer: Robert M. Scarano jr.

Completion Date: December 2007

Location: Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn

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The double height apartment's interior spaces are expressed on the exterior in the large separation that exists between the floor decks. Influenced by the neighborhoods architecture and the roots of the modern architecture movement, the building stands as a testimony to its diverse roots. All units are duplexes, with either storage lofts or cellar recreation rooms. High speed access lines, green building components and a landscaped roof enhance the livability of the units. Giving this common green roof ensured that every unit owner would have some out door space. Chimneys for the mechanical within certain units are expressed on the façade as an element of industrial. Tradition aside, the building has helped fill the gap in its urban fabric with a daring façade.

Leonard Street

Project Manager/Designer: Robert M. Scarano jr.

Completion Date: June 2005

Location: Williamsburg

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Along with comprehensive re-zoning efforts, McCarren Park's redevelopment and revitalization has spawned the interest of the local development community. One example for this trend in the building at 415 Leonard Street. Built as a phased development, it will be one of the first structures erected under this new urban plan. Its modest seven story height emphasizes its presence through extensive finishes: two colors of masonry, metal panels and large windows, which give the project its distinctive character. Defining elements such as folded metal roofs break down the length of the facade and accentuate the individual apartments beneath them. Balcony projections and tall window elements contribute to the overall design motif, while cut stone bands and a contrasting brick help ground the structure to the prominent corner on which it sits. Ample below and on grade parking are just the beginning of the amenities which include state of the art appliances, Italian designed cabinetry, imported tiles and specialty hardwood flooring. A doorman, fitness center, meeting room and individual cellar storage spaces complete the hi-end character of this project.