Neighborhood Tours

February 11, 2015

CWB Architects’ Bug Acres Uses a Screened Porch to Bring the Outdoors In

Standing among an idyllic garden with centenarian trees, a stream and granite rocks, this beautiful Woodstock retreat is perfect for a relaxing weekend away. Dubbed "Bug Acres," it was built to replace an old property that used to stand on the same site, and it was exclusively designed for "amplifying the owner’s visual and auditory experience of the landscape from the interior spaces," according to CWB Architects. Our favorite part of the house is the screened cedar porch, which comes complete with minimal decoration and a sweet wood-burning stove, letting you be one with nature from the comfort of a warm home.
Learn more about this woodland retreat with a stream

February 8, 2015

Sebastian Errazuriz’s Bizarre Magistral Chest Hides Valuables Behind Its Spiky Skin

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Chilean-born, New York-based artist, designer, and activist Sebastian Errazuriz isn't happy simply designing nice things to please the eye. Through his work, the internationally acclaimed creator wants to provoke some thoughts and make exceptional pieces, tackling everything from political artworks to experimental furniture. Just take a look (but do you dare to touch?) at his Magistral Chest, a porcupine-like chest of drawers that can hide and protect your most valuable treasures inside its spiky shell.
Learn more about this spiky chest of drawers

February 5, 2015

Andrés Jaque/Office for Political Innovation wins the 2015 Young Architects Program at MoMA

By Dana Schulz

MoMA PS1 has just announced the winning design for this year's Young Architects Program (YAP), which will be featured this summer in the Long Island City museum's outdoor courtyard, setting the stage for the Warm Up summer music series. The top spot goes to Andrés Jaque of the Office for Political Innovation for COSMO: Give me a pipe and I will move/celebrate the Earth, a moveable environmental artifact made out of customized irrigation components that will make visible and enjoyable the typically hidden urbanism of pipes. According to MoMA PS1, COSMO "is engineered to filter and purify 3,000 gallons of water, eliminating suspended particles and nitrates, balancing the PH, and increasing the level of dissolved oxygen. It takes four days for the 3,000 gallons of water to become purified, then the cycle continues with the same body of water, becoming more purified with every cycle."
More on the winning design

February 5, 2015

Renderings Revealed for Sustainable Hudson Square Park by Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects

By Dana Schulz

Back in June, the Hudson Square Connection (a neighborhood BID) announced their plans to turn Soho Square, the half-acre open space at the intersection of Spring Street and Sixth Avenue in Hudson Square, into a public park. Since then, the Business Improvement District, in partnership with the city and neighborhood stakeholders, has been seeking input from the community to inform the $6 million renovation. Just last night, the design by Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects was presented to the Community Board 2 Parks Committee, and it features sustainable, green infrastructure, storm water management, and more.
Check out the renderings here

February 2, 2015

A 1960s Woodland Residence Gets a Modern Extension Set on Stilts

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Updating an old home comes with its challenges, but when you're faced with an unconventional site like the one seen above, adding a room isn't as easy as pouring some foundation. When approaching this project in Pound Ridge, Method Design wasn't afraid of thinking outside the box, and they applied a clever, eco-friendly design solution to the challenging renovation: a new room set on stilts. This beautiful addition is not only functional, but it also perfectly mirrors and melds with its sloped and wooded locale.
Learn more about this striking eco-extension

January 30, 2015

‘Workplace of the Future’ Winner Attaches Health-Conscious Sky Gardens to Existing Buildings

By Dana Schulz

Wouldn't it be great if you could stock up on kale during the workday without having to wait on the lunchtime line at Whole Foods? If Organic Grid+, the winner of Metropolis magazine's "Workplace of the Future" design competition, comes to fruition you'll be able to grow your own greens at the office while taking in the various other health benefits that the proposed sky gardens afford. Conceived by London-based interior designers Sean Cassidy and Joe Wilson, Organic Grid+ proposes a flexible office layout, health-conscious technology, and glass sky gardens that latch onto existing buildings–all with the goal of improving the physical and mental well-being of employees as well as changing "the negative associations of working in open-plan offices."
More details here

January 30, 2015

RES4 Brings a Beautiful Prefab Home to the Hamptons with the ‘Swingline’

By Alyssa Alimurung

When a brownstone-living couple were looking to build an idyllic family home in the Hamptons, they turned to Resolution: 4 Architecture to create a place the could call home far from the city. Called “Swingline,” this wonderful retreat was completely prefabricated and assembled on site. And with six bedrooms, seven baths, a pool house, a rooftop deck and numerous […]

January 29, 2015

Stephen Moser’s Luxurious Renovation of a 1950s Ranch Was Inspired by a Treehouse

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Architect Stephen Moser gained thirty years worth of experience by working in contemporary luxury projects, including a hotel/spa in Beirut and private residences in New York and London, as well as by creating fashion boutiques in Asia for the likes of Chanel and Armani. He recently set up his own practice, translating that experience into refined homes like the Mamaroneck Residence. This family home is actually a beautifully renovated 1950s ranch that features stylish interiors, custom-made wooden furniture, an indoor pool, and even a treehouse, which served as the inspiration for the whole redesign of the house.
Learn more about this treehouse-inspired home

Living Breakwaters: An Award-Winning Project Brings ‘Oyster-tecture’ to the Shores of Staten Island

Image courtesy of SCAPE / LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PLLC

January 28, 2015

Living Breakwaters: An Award-Winning Project Brings ‘Oyster-tecture’ to the Shores of Staten Island

By Michelle Cohen

We know what you're thinking: what is oyster-tecture, anyway? Just ask Kate Orff, landscape architect and the founding principal of SCAPE Studio. SCAPE is a landscape architecture and urban design office based in Manhattan and specializing in urban ecology, site design, and strategic planning. Kate is also an associate professor of architecture and urban design at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, where she founded the Urban Landscape Lab, which is dedicated to affecting positive social and ecological change in the joint built-natural environment. But the Living Breakwaters project may be the SCAPE team’s most impactful yet. The “Oyster-tecture” concept was developed as part of the MoMA Rising Currents Exhibition in 2010, with the idea of an oyster hatchery/eco-park in the Gowanus interior that would eventually generate a wave-attenuating reef in the Gowanus Bay. Describing the project as, “a process for generating new cultural and environmental narratives,” Kate envisioned a new “reef culture” functioning both as ecological sanctuary and public recreation space.
Find out more about what oysters and other creatures can do for NYC

January 27, 2015

Ienami Bonkei Planters Are Tiny Houses with Green Roofs

By Dana Schulz

We're big fans of green roofs here at 6sqft, so we were pretty excited when we found these planters that let us have our own miniature green roof right on our desks. A design of Metaphys, the Ienami Bonkei planters are simplistic models of homes with actual planted green roofs or gardens. The Japanese art of Bonkei refers to 3D, miniature landscapes created using dry materials like rock, cement, or sand. They often feature tiny figurines of people, buildings, and other outdoor elements.
More details on the Bonkei planters

Hilla Shamia Blends Tree Trunks and Aluminum into Beautifully Imperfect Furniture

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Tel Aviv-based designer Hilla Shamia has a thing for what she calls "controlled imperfections." And this particular interest is what makes her Wood Casting furniture line so poetic and special. Hilla's unique tables, stools, and benches are made by casting molten aluminum into wood—an unusual pairing of two very different elements that when fused not only reveal surprising details, but a third element born from the unlikely marriage.
Learn more about these striking designs

January 26, 2015

New Residential Building in East Williamsburg by James Cleary Architecture Will Have a Double-Height Solar Shade

By Dana Schulz

A new residential building is going up on an East Williamsburg street that's already an eclectic mix of modern buildings, single-family homes with vinyl siding, and classic tenement apartment buildings. Designed by James Cleary Architecture, 237 Devoe Street will add some creative environmental design to the mix, thanks to its signature element--a double-height solar shade, clad with reclaimed barn wood, that opens onto the street.
More details on the project

January 23, 2015

La Cabine: A Hidden Bathroom Inside an Elegant Oak Wardrobe

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

It's hard to believe, but hidden at the heart of this elegant oak wardrobe is a fully functioning bathroom. Minimal, space saving, and very classy, this stand-alone design shelters everything an average bathroom has. Designed by French bathroom designers Line Art together with high-end product manufacturer La Fonction, "La Cabine" can bring the intimacy of a bathroom into any room.
Learn more about this innovative bathroom

January 22, 2015

Aviator’s Villa by Urban Office Architecture Was Built for a Pilot Using Salvaged Airplane Parts

By Dana Schulz

This house is about as close as one can get to living among the clouds, so it makes perfect sense that it was built for a retired pilot. Designed by Urban Office Architecture, the geometric Aviator's Villa in Dutchess County, New York "explores the thought of flight as a strong motivator for architectural darings." Through the use of salvaged airplane parts and minimal, glass-encased structures, the firm was able to create the feeling of flying through the sky. And like a plane, the home is exposed to the elements on all sides and appears to be soaring above water, as it's suspended on stilts, straddling a pool and a small lake.
READ MORE

January 20, 2015

Miito Reinvents the Way We Boil Water in a Minimal and Sustainable Way

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Meet Miito, one of those objects that makes you think, "Why didn't anyone think of this before?!" Innovative, minimal, sustainable, and most importantly, logical, it works by simply heating up liquids directly in one's mug as opposed to a kettle. Invented by Copenhagen-based Studio Chudy and Grase, Miito's clean, innovative design saves both money and time.
Learn more about this innovative boiler

January 18, 2015

Lovely Eco-Friendly Yurt in Newfield Offers a Unique Camping Spot in Nature

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

If living simpler is on your 2015 to-do list, a few days away in this delightful yurt might show you the way. Located just 12 miles south of Ithaca in Newfield, New York in a luxury glamping spot surrounded by greenery, this yurt-for-rent comes with a garden full of goldfinches and sunflowers visible from every window. Perfect for getting away from the busy city life, this Mongolian-inspired retreat offers the perfect spot for unwinding upstate.
Learn more about this yurt

January 8, 2015

Cozy Rustic Cabin Near the Finger Lakes Comes with a Sauna and Serene Surroundings

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Sweet, wooden and eco-minded, this small guest-home offers a humble retreat in nature not too far from the city. Perched on a ravine in the forest, the cabin is perfect for both nature and wine lovers as it's just a short walk from the Finger Lakes Wine Trail and National Forest. The compact escape is well-equipped despite its diminutive size and features a lofted bed area, a composting toilet, a sauna, and the perfect porch for relaxing and taking in those soothing woodland aromas.
Learn more about this charming wooden cabin

January 6, 2015

Gorgeous Sagaponack Stone House Gets a Brise-Soleil Addition by Martin Architects

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

This Daniels Lane residence consists of two contrasting parts—an existing stone beach house and a textured modern addition to its side. Settled atop a grassy site in the Southampton village of Sagaponack, this beautiful dwelling was re-designed by local studio Martin Architects, who not only created a striking second volume with a layer of wood screens, but cleverly lifted and rotated the old stone beach house to provide new views and more light.
Learn more about this modern contrasting home

January 5, 2015

The Twins: Otherworldly Upstate Vacation Homes Designed for Two Brothers

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Architect William O'Brien Jr. was approached by twin brothers to create two vacation homes that neighbor each other. Designed to be built on the same plot of land upstate, the homes, like the twins, are fraternal but not identical. Both of the structures are based on the polygon, and the black, futuristic dwellings are separated yet joined by a seasonal food garden.
Learn more about these futuristic twin homes

January 5, 2015

NYC Sees an Increase in Solar Energy

By Dana Schulz

We've been talking so much about real estate trends and all the swanky new condo developments that we can expect to see in 2015, but there's another, more subtle trend that's already taking shape. And it's environmentally friendly. As CNBC reports, "New York City is experiencing a solar renaissance." The city has seen a recent flurry of initiatives that advocate for green building, including Governor Cuomo's $1 billion commitment to solar projects and his law that doubles tax breaks for those who install solar panels on their properties. Plus, in November, the City Council passed a bill that says New York City must cut greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.
Learn how NYC buildings are incorporating solar energy

January 4, 2015

The Olnick Spanu House Is a Minimal, Modern Glazed Home on the Hudson River

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

The Olnick Spanu House is a modernist beauty on the banks of the Hudson River in Garrison, New York. Its simple design consists of a glazed box built on an extended platform and topped by a light cantilevered roof supported by an array of cylindrical pillars. The project is by Spanish architect and lecturer Alberto Campo Baeza, who sought to create a modest but modern home peacefully immersed in nature.
Learn more about this modern glazed home

January 2, 2015

A House in the Woods by William Reue Uses Locally-Sourced Materials and Bold Geometry

By Dana Schulz

Just one look at A House in the Woods by William Reue and you know this is not your average piece of architecture. Located in the Hudson Valley on a densely forested 8.5-acre lot at the base of the Shawangunk Mountains, the 4,800-square-foot, LEED-certified home was realized through the owner's request for "an artful home that responded to her values of order, beauty, and environmental stewardship." Reue arrived at this goal by using bold, locally-sourced materials to create a seamless transition between the built structure and its surrounding landscape.
Much more on A House in the Woods ahead

January 2, 2015

Space Flavor’s Minimal ‘Cube’ Provides Privacy for Studying, Sleeping and Meditating

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

"Cube" is a two-level minimal living space on wheels. A room within a room, it was originally custom-made for a Feng Shui teacher who wanted a separate, more private space at home for studying, sleeping and meditating. Designed by Californian studio Space Flavor, it follows the basic Feng Shui principles of yin (private and closed) and yang (public and open).
Learn more about this yin/yang space

Neighborhood Tours

December 31, 2014

Nomad Is a Portable Herb Planter Perfect for City Living

By Dana Schulz

Apartment dwellers are famous for turning their fire escapes into extensions of the home. From serving as a relaxing spot to enjoy a morning cup of coffee to drying wet laundry, the fire escape does it all. One of its most common makeshift uses is as a garden, since many New Yorkers don't have a backyard. But growing plants and herbs out there can be a bit challenging, especially when your upstairs neighbor insists on dropping cigarette butts or when you have to climb over the couch and out the window just to get a piece of basil. That's where Nomad comes in. A clever creation of the Garden Apartment, the portable herb planter was designed with the urbanite in mind. It can hang indoors from the ceiling or on a wall and can even attach to bicycle handlebars.
More on Nomad ahead

December 30, 2014

Slow Wood’s Teca Lamp Elegantly Combines Hand-Turned Wood and Blown Glass

By Dana Schulz

Typically, glass lamps border on the contemporary side, while wooden light fixtures lean more toward a rustic style. But for those of you who don't fit squarely into one of those boxes, we've found the perfect piece to light up any room. The Teca Lamp by Italian startup Slow Wood (in collaboration with Shiina + Nardi Design and Lorenzo Frenceschinis) is a sustainable ceiling fixture that beautifully combines hand-turned wood and blown glass. Each shade is made with a unique combination of raw cherry woods and is enclosed in a glass bubble.
More details on the Teca Lamp here

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