Once home to the Hanan & Son shoe factory, 220 Water Street, Brooklyn, was built in two phases: the first, in 1893, using heavy timber; the second, in 1905, with reinforced concrete. The historic building merges these two U-shaped structures together with a brick façade. The recent rehabilitation of 220 Water Street transforms it from a vacant manufacturing facility to a 134-unit luxury apartment building in Brooklyn’s DUMBO (“Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass”) neighborhood.
Led by developer GDC Properties, the Building Team completed the rehabilitation of 220 Water Street late last December in order to meet the deadline for New York City’s J-51 tax incentive program, which expired at the end of 2011 and is still facing renewal difficulties. The building was issued a temporary certificate of occupancy just three days before the end of the year.
PROJECT SUMMARY
220 WATER STREET
Brooklyn, N.Y.Building Team
Owner/developer: GDC Properties LLC (submitting firm)
Architect: Perkins Eastman
Structural/MEP engineer: Glickman Engineering Associates
General contractor: The Rinaldi GroupGeneral Information
Size: 196,000 sf
Construction cost: Confidential (at owner’s request)
Construction period: October 2010 to December 2011
Early plans called for the apartments to be laid out conventionally along double-loaded corridors, with half facing the street and the other half facing the interior courtyard. When it was decided to single load the corridors, the developers opted to create the apartments as deep units, whose interior rooms would receive daylight through the high windows along the corridors.
Also of concern were the several grade changes around the perimeter of the building. To ensure that first-floor units would receive privacy from pedestrian traffic, the Building Team elevated the first floor and created staircases leading upward into the building from Water and Front Streets. Inside, a 30-foot-high grand lobby that replaces the interior courtyard offers residents lounge areas, concierge services, and a coffee bar.
Due to 220 Water Street’s landmark status, the Building Team needed to manage stormwater runoff without adding scuppers or downspouts at the roof, which would have required perforations in the parapet wall. Instead, stormwater is taken through the building, and through the lobby’s copper piping, into three large custom retention vaults.
The new 220 Water Street has since become another hallmark of residential revival for the new Brooklyn. +
Related Stories
Green | Dec 22, 2017
Green builders can use ‘big data’ to make design decisions
More and more, green project teams are relying on publicly available “external datasets” to prioritize sustainable design decisions, says sustainability consultant Adele Houghton.
Reconstruction & Renovation | Dec 21, 2017
Interactive map includes detailed information on historic New York City buildings
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission launched a new, enhanced version of its interactive map, Discover NYC Landmarks.
High-rise Construction | Dec 20, 2017
Another record year for high-rise construction
More than 140 skyscrapers were completed across the globe this year, including 15 supertall towers.
Game Changers | Dec 20, 2017
Urban farms can help plant seeds for cities’ growth around them
Urban farms have been impacting cities’ agribusiness—and, on some cases, their redevelopment—for decades.
Market Data | Dec 20, 2017
Architecture billings upturn shows broad strength
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the November ABI score was 55.0, up from a score of 51.7 in the previous month.
Public Health Labs | Dec 19, 2017
10 takeaways from SmithGroup’s ‘lab of the future’ initiative
The LAB2050 initiative digs into the scientific trends, technologies, and economics that will shape tomorrow’s research laboratory environments.
Office Buildings | Dec 19, 2017
How do we measure human performance, and what does it mean for the workplace?
There are many new tools and methods that are beginning to look more comprehensively to evaluate organizational well-being.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Dec 18, 2017
Canada’s newest funicular makes Edmonton’s largest green space more accessible
The incline elevator is located in downtown Edmonton and was publicly funded.
Sponsored | Building Team | Dec 12, 2017
3 tips to address the top causes of budget overruns
The most cited issues are communication breakdowns, inadequate fees for the work provided, and unrealistic deadlines or schedules.
Multifamily Housing | Dec 12, 2017
Call for technical experts: Dog wash station design
The editors of Multifamily Design + Construction magazine need your expertise.
