All articles by Diane Pham

Diane is the founder and Editorial Director of 6sqft. After graduating from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Real Estate Finance & Development and a minor in Architecture, she enjoyed stints at SCI-Arc, the A+D Museum Los Angeles, Perkins Eastman Architects and Resolution 4: Architecture. She also previously served as Senior Editor of Inhabitat.com and spent several years as an analyst at CB Richard Ellis Investments in Milan, Italy.
Cameron Sinclair Launches ‘Dead Prize’ Competition Honoring Architecture That’s Caused Remarkable Environmental Harm
August 5, 2014

Cameron Sinclair Launches ‘Dead Prize’ Competition Honoring Architecture That’s Caused Remarkable Environmental Harm

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Architects and designers love getting and giving accolades, and rightly so—there are some stellar projects out there transforming the world that deserve recognition. However, Cameron Sinclair, the Executive Director of the Jolie-Pitt Foundation and co-founder of Architecture for Humanity, seems to be fed up with the lack of discourse when it comes bad design, and in response he's just kicked off a new competition that aims to "honor" works that have inflicted serious harm on our environment. Called "Dead Prize", Sinclair hopes that this award will recognize the bad, point out the failures, and hopefully inspire individuals to do something to rectify these designs against humanity.
More on the competition here
Studio Modh Transforms Former Servants’ Quarters Into a Modern Light-Filled Space
August 5, 2014

Studio Modh Transforms Former Servants’ Quarters Into a Modern Light-Filled Space

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Back in the day, in even the most luxurious of homes, sleeping quarters reserved for servants weren't much more than cramped, musty spaces that lacked light. Though the top floor of this landmarked Brooklyn Heights mansion probably hasn't seen a feather duster in years (a Dyson, maybe) this newly renovated space is anything but dim and dank. A total revamp undertaken by Studio Modh Archtecture, this modern apartment is the seamless fusion of two formerly disparate spaces that have been reconfigured to create a bright, beautiful and serene home.
Check out how Studio Modh Updated the space
Real Estate Wire: A Walker Tower Flipper Eyeing a 75% Profit; The Top 300 US Architecture Firms
August 4, 2014

Real Estate Wire: A Walker Tower Flipper Eyeing a 75% Profit; The Top 300 US Architecture Firms

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The owner of a 3BR/4.5BA duplex with a terrace in the Walker Tower is looking to sell their $14.26M duplex for $25M. [Curbed] Architectural Record has released its annual list of the “Top 300 Architecture Firms” in the United States. Results are based on architectural revenue from 2013. [Architecture Record] Developers are having trouble filling […]

Prices and More Images of the Landmark Beekman Hotel and Condo Conversion Revealed
August 4, 2014

Prices and More Images of the Landmark Beekman Hotel and Condo Conversion Revealed

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It was announced back in May that the Beekman Hotel would finally being seeing its rebirth as a brand new condo and hotel. Now, not only has pricing for the 68-unit tower been revealed, but we're seeing a few new images of what's in store for the historic structure that has been shuttered for the last 20 years. As seen in the new renderings, the landmark building will be topped off with a conjoining 51-story condominium tower, creating a 68 residential units designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen. Though fully integrated, residents of the Beekman will have their own private entrance and lobby, located on Nassau Street, and the lower levels of the building will host 287 hotel rooms with a separate access point provided on Beekman Street. All occupants will have access to the hotel's amenities.
Find out more here
Real Estate Wire: Three Towers to Top the East River Plaza; New Yorkers Vying for Homes on Busy Streets
August 1, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Three Towers to Top the East River Plaza; New Yorkers Vying for Homes on Busy Streets

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Meadow Partners has released a rendering of its Long Island City conversion project at 42-15 Crescent Street. The project will see an 11-story condominium with ground floor retail. [CO] The three towers planned to top the East River Plaza mall have been uncovered. The project is being developed by Blumenfeld Development Group and Forest City […]

New Renderings of What Will Replace Graffiti Art Mecca 5Pointz Emerge
July 31, 2014

New Renderings of What Will Replace Graffiti Art Mecca 5Pointz Emerge

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If you loved 5Pointz, grab a box of tissues because you aren't going to be happy with what's planned for the soon to be demolished building. NY YIMBY has gotten his hands on new renderings of what will replace the former art mecca, and unsurprisingly, the towers are as ho hum residential as they come. The new design is the work of New York-based HTO Architect, and once complete, will hold 1,000 apartments within two towers of 41 and 47 stories each.
More images this way
Real Estate Wire: Chelsea Market May Get an Extension; United Charities Building Could Fetch $128M
July 31, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Chelsea Market May Get an Extension; United Charities Building Could Fetch $128M

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Chelsea Market may expand with a 330,000-square-foot addition. New renderings see the brick structure topped off with a block of glass and steel. [Curbed] The city’s Economic Development Corporation will begin installing greenery and seating in Downtown Brooklyn’s Fox Square. The project kicks off in August and will take 6 months to complete. [CO] Queens Borough President Melinda Katz […]

Blue Chip Buys: 15 Central Park West Is New York City’s Most Expensive Building, Other Contenders
July 29, 2014

Blue Chip Buys: 15 Central Park West Is New York City’s Most Expensive Building, Other Contenders

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Even with the thousands of new residential units that have hit the market in the last year, there are still a handful of tried-and-true properties in Manhattan that will always be coveted by the rich, the famous, and those who just wish they were rich or famous. So which properties sit at the top of this list? We turn the CityRealty 100 for the low-down on what buildings have outdone all of the rest. Their latest report tracks the performance of Manhattan's top 100 condo buildings through the second quarter of 2014.
The top performers this way
First Look Inside Zaha Hadid’s Futuristic Condos Planned for the High Line
July 29, 2014

First Look Inside Zaha Hadid’s Futuristic Condos Planned for the High Line

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Whether or not you're a fan of Zaha Hadid, or Neo-Futurism for that matter, if you're believer that a building's interior should be a seamless extension of its exterior (read: not New York by Gehry), you'll appreciate Zaha's efforts to turn her High Line project into a work worthy of architecture history books. One of the most (if not the most) talked about starchitect projects planned for the elevated park, plenty of full view renderings have surfaced since it was announced just over a year ago. But it looks like we're finally getting a taste of what the inside could look like, courtesy of Curbed. Like its ultra-futuristic exteriors, Zaha's luxurious condos will be just as sleek and spaceship-like as the outside, with undulating surfaces all throughout, and featuring many of the mind-boggling forms we've come to appreciate Ms. Hadid for.
More views inside
Add a Pop of Color to Your Home with These Fun Legato Cabinets
July 25, 2014

Add a Pop of Color to Your Home with These Fun Legato Cabinets

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Storage space is usually a challenge for New Yorkers, but finding attractive cabinetry is even harder. If you've been looking for something more than what's on IKEA's showroom floor, look no further. This cool contemporary design called 'Legato' comes courtesy of the folks over at Claesson Koivisto Rune. The designers wanted to create a piece that was not only eye-catching, but functional and adaptable to a home's ever-changing storage needs.
Read more about the design here
Real Estate Wire: Pier 57 to Go from Super Fud to Superpier; Developers Want Crown Heights Rezoned
July 23, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Pier 57 to Go from Super Fud to Superpier; Developers Want Crown Heights Rezoned

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Building, business owners and, of course, developers want to see a rezoning of Crown Heights so that more light industry and residential buildings can be brought to the already rapidly-gentrifying neighborhood. [TRD] Ridgewood Lodge No. 710, a mysterious Masonic temple in Ridgewood, has received Landmark status. [Curbed] A look at the former Verizon buildings that have been […]

Greenwich Goes Industrial: Apartments in the Karl Fischer-Designed Nathaniel Now Up for Rent
July 23, 2014

Greenwich Goes Industrial: Apartments in the Karl Fischer-Designed Nathaniel Now Up for Rent

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Twelfth Street residents are about to get a flurry of new neighbors, as The Nathaniel launches leasing for its rentals today. The nine-floor building offers up 85 light-filled residences ranging from studios to three-bedrooms—all boasting some pretty nice living space. Though 'Greenwich Village' and 'luxury homes' pretty much go hand in hand these days, The Nathaniel brings a new typology for living to the neighborhood with an industrial exterior conceived by Karl Fischer, and modern interiors by McCartan.
Take a tour inside
Real Estate Wire: Juul-Hansen’s Condos Hugging the High Line; Own a Villa on Staten Island
July 21, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Juul-Hansen’s Condos Hugging the High Line; Own a Villa on Staten Island

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Juul-Hansen’s condos are on the rise and now flanking both sides of the High Line Park. [Curbed] Manhattan’s office buildings are being valued at pre-crash levels. [WSJ] Who owns New York? Chinese developers apparently. Here are four high-profile Chinese developers pouring their cash into Manhattan. [TRD] Own your own “Italian/French” villa… on Staten Island. [Curbed] New kid on the […]

Corcoran Broker Susan Lamia Sells Off Her Charming West Village Townhouse for $10.75 Million
July 17, 2014

Corcoran Broker Susan Lamia Sells Off Her Charming West Village Townhouse for $10.75 Million

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As the saying goes: If you want something done right, do it yourself. And that's exactly what Corcoran broker Susan Lamia did with her stunning Greek Revival townhouse at 54 Charles Street in the West Village. After just 21 days on the market, the property traded hands for $10.75 million, according to city records filed today. Susan and her husband originally purchased the home for $4.92 million nine years ago, turning a pretty nice profit on the recent sale. Though the buyer has yet to be disclosed, whoever they are, they've sure lucked out with their purchase. The spacious home not only sits along one of Manhattan's most picturesque streets, but also boasts many of the building's original, historic details.
See more of this lovely home here
Real Estate Wire: How to Turn a Bed-Stuy Church Into Condos; Another Real Estate Bubble on the Horizon?
July 16, 2014

Real Estate Wire: How to Turn a Bed-Stuy Church Into Condos; Another Real Estate Bubble on the Horizon?

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Smart adaptive reuse or an alarmingly bad design? A Bed-Stuy church conversion sees the historic structure all boxed up. [Brownstoner] Is the city’s booming real estate market a reflection of the city’s strong economy or a bubble driven by speculative investment? Greg David investigates. [Crain’s] A new hotel designed by Peter Poon will replace a […]

Citigroup’s Former Chairman Sanford Weill Sells His Maid’s Quarters for $5.34M
July 16, 2014

Citigroup’s Former Chairman Sanford Weill Sells His Maid’s Quarters for $5.34M

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It's great being Sandy Weill, and apparently it's also pretty good being his hired help. According to city records, the former Citigroup chairman just sold off his servants quarters, a lovely little sixth floor pad at celeb favorite, 15 Central Park West. The sale of 6H rang in at an impressive $5.337M — more than five times what Weill paid for it back in 2007. But Weill is no stranger to making big bucks on his real estate deals. Back in 2011 he sold his apartment in the same luxury tower for a record-breaking $88M to Katerina Rybolovleva, the young daughter of Russian billionaire Dmitriy Rybolovlev.
More details here
Real Estate Wire: Downtown Brooklyn is a Shining Example of Good Development; One of Greenwich’s Oldest Homes Could be Razed
July 15, 2014

Real Estate Wire: Downtown Brooklyn is a Shining Example of Good Development; One of Greenwich’s Oldest Homes Could be Razed

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Vornado Realty Trust and Crown Acquisitions have just paid $700M for 24,700 square feet of retail space plus air rights at the St. Regis Hotel and a neighboring townhouse. Insiders suspect they’re looking to get in on booming retail sales which could lead to higher future rents.  [TRD] Michael Stern’s JDS Development Group, together with […]

Real Estate Wire: New York City’s Tallest Skyscrapers; The Scary Outdoor Spaces of Craigslist Apartments
July 15, 2014

Real Estate Wire: New York City’s Tallest Skyscrapers; The Scary Outdoor Spaces of Craigslist Apartments

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New York City’s tallest skyscrapers [TRD] Rentals on North 10th Street in Williamsburg hit the market, starting at $2,385 a month [Brownstoner] A residential tower might rise on a controversial Park Place site [Curbed] Tour the former Sisters of Mercy Convent in Clinton Hill [Brownstoner] The horrifying outdoor spaces of Craigslist apartments [Curbed] Medgar Evers […]

What Are the World’s Top Soccer Players’ Salaries Worth in NYC Real Estate?
July 13, 2014

What Are the World’s Top Soccer Players’ Salaries Worth in NYC Real Estate?

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It's no secret that pro athletes make big bucks, but the world's best soccer players are raking in Benjamins that would even make an NBA star blush. With top players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo pulling in up to $75 million, we can't help but wonder what they're doing with all that money. While yachts and Italian villas are fine buys, our suggestion to these star athletes is to pour it in some swanky New York property. (The Marquand or the Puck Penthouses, perhaps?) If these soccer superstars ever decide to buy in New York, we've got each of their best bets ahead.
Check out our nifty infographic after the break
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