LEED TOWNHOUSE
NEW YORK, NY

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission has approved the design of the first LEED registered single family residence in Manhattan. The vote was 8 -2 in support of the design by Bridgehampton Architect Preston T. Phillips in association with Abelow / Sherman Architects of New York City.

The 8000 sq. ft., five story Limestone and glass townhouse will replace an historic 1881 brownstone destroyed in an explosion in 2006. The new townhouse will have a sunken living room, opening to a south facing courtyard. A waterfall forms the backdrop for the courtyard and will cascade into the level below which houses an indoor pool and spa. Light will filter into the pool from glass paving in the courtyard above.

Other notable features include a GeoThermal well which will eliminate any visible mechanical equipment on the roof which will be fully planted in native vegetation and trees. Cisterns below the cellar will collect rainwater from the roof and courtyard for irrigation. Limestone for the exterior will be quarried within 500 miles of the site in keeping with LEED guidelines for new residential construction.

Following are excerpts from The Landmarks Preservation Commission Certificate of Appropriateness Resolution dated October 30, 2007. Construction is projected to begin in March 2008.

EXCERPTS FROM THE NEW YORK CITY LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION
DATED 10/30/07

"In reviewing this proposal, the Commission noted that the brownstone rowhouse, designed by L. D. Russell and J. B. Wray and built in 1881 - 1882, which previously occupied the site was destroyed by an explosion in 2006.

With regard to the proposal, the Commission found that the construction of a new building on this vacant lot will enhance the character of the historic district by reinforcing the street wall, a significant, consistent feature of the historic district:......
that while contemporary in design and details, the new building will relate well to the streetscape and historic district through the use of scale, materials, and the hierarchy and organization of facade elements: that the prominent variations in planes at the front facade of the proposed building will be in keeping with the character of many of the district's modern buildings, which feature an emphasis on simple geometric forms and reflect a significant, evolutionary development of design within the Upper East Side Historic District:.......
that the placement and design of the ground floor entrance door, window and planter will be well integrated into the design of the building and consistent with the open and welcoming entrances of residential buildings throughout the district.......
that the projecting bay will be evocative of the vertical bays and other features found on the historic townhouses in the historic district and will create an animated facade that relates to the richly articulated historic townhouse facades in the district:.......
that the prominent horizontal divisions of the building will utilize the vocabulary of base, shaft, and termination/capital, common to the buildings throughout the district and those horizontal features, along with the vertical bay, will recall the traditional facade elements of townhouses in this historic district; that the cantilevered overhang at the roof will be evocative of the elaborate cornices and dramatic roof line treatment found on buildings in this historic district:.......
and that the work supports the special architectural and historic character of the Upper East Side Historic District. Based on these findings, the Commission determined the work to be appropriate to the building and the historic district and voted to approve the application."