In recent years, Palette has done a lot of work in historic districts, where they have strived to deliver modern buildings while still honouring the heritage of the neighbourhood. A recent project where they achieved that balance is the ‘100 Franklin Apartments’ – a 25,000 square foot project comprising two buildings in New York City’s Tribeca East Historic District. Located in the on an irregular shaped site created by the extension of Sixth Avenue in 1938, 100 Franklin is two triangular ground-up residential buildings constructed over ground-floor commercial space. The south building has six floors, including three full-floor units and a duplex penthouse with a private roof level. The north building has eight floors, including five-full floor units and a duplex penthouse. 100 Franklin The units in that project are a mix of two and three-bedrooms ranging from 1,400 to 3,700 square feet. Each unit is a fullfloor and is accessed directly from the elevator. Layouts were designed “to maximize the efficiency and open feeling of the triangular layouts,” Jeff says. Large windows and light tone wood flooring were selected “to maximize the sense of light and airiness of the units.” According to Jeff, the building “marries old and new.” It features a hand-laid brick façade with classically inspired masonry combined with modern architectural detail. The façade features a mixture of Danish hand-fired and large Italian wood-framed windows. The hand-laid brick is deployed expressively around entry points, windows, and points where the buildings merge together. “These details at times make the structure feel weighty and grounded, while from other perspectives it is light and dematerializes,” Jeff says. The client on 100 Franklin was DDG Partners – they also acted as designer, developer, and contractor for the project. Palette Architecture was brought in as the architect of record. Jeff describes their relationship with the team at DDG as “extremely positive.” “Everyone on that project was working together towards a common goal,” he says. “Everyone was aligned in their vision. Everyone worked together seamlessly. I think that shows in the result.” John and Jeff were particularly proud of that project because of howmuch it both “took from” and “gave to” the neighborhood. By ‘took from,’ they mean that it nicely fit within the existing character of the community and the street front. By ‘gave to,’ they are referring to how it enhances the street by being so visually interesting and dynamic. “It fit in with the neighborhood and it contributed to the neighborhood,” John says. “That’s what we try to achieve with every project.” DECEMBER 2023 THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AMERICA - EAST
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