Frustrated by the level of new design in the brownstone neighborhoods they called home, architects Joanna Frank and Aida Stoddard started Bright City Development in 2005 to modern, contextual, eco-friendly design to the area. The pair’s first project is 515 Fifth Avenue, a six-story building with 15 residential units and ground-floor retail. Six units are available on the A&H site currently at between $650 and $700 per square foot. One very cool feature is the green roof, shown here in its current state of partial completion along with a sample of what will cover it. Before the cynics jump in, the theory behind a green roof is that it helps avoid drainage problems in city sewers during heavy rains (which can lead to sewage overflows) and it also reduces some of the “heat island” effects in summertime. Other “green” aspects of the building include bamboo flooring and cabinets, fireslate countertops made of recycled materials and solar-powered exterior lighting; all appliances have the highest energy-efficiency ratings as well. Sounds pretty cool to us.
5 One 5 Condominiums [Aguayo & Huebener] GMAP
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