326 State Street: Eating Our Words

freakin love it

Posted by: guest at September 12, 2007 10:59 AM

The photo you show does not show the additional height that is set back six or eight feet from the front facade -- the building is still a little jarringly too tall.

And, yes, the streetface being five feet forward from the rest of the townhouses on the block is very unfortunate.

Posted by: guest at September 12, 2007 11:07 AM

Who will be able to afford to move there?

Posted by: guest at September 12, 2007 11:09 AM

clearly not you, 11:09.

Posted by: guest at September 12, 2007 11:15 AM

Hmm. The pix look nicer than the reality. I was on the block a few days ago, and the veneer they are putting up looks thin. I'll be surpirsed if it weathers well and stands the test of time. This block is near and dear to me b/c I lived on it happily for 10 years. This building isn't the worst of the worst by any stretch, but it's rather hulkingly squeezed into its space, and let's check back to see how many of those flimsy wood squares they're screwing in now still look good in 5-10 years.

Posted by: guest at September 12, 2007 11:31 AM

11:31...let's also see how many brownstone fascades look good after 10 years.

most are showing signs of wear in 7.

Posted by: guest at September 12, 2007 11:44 AM

These kinds of wood panels are going up on a new building on Bond near Butler (I think) in gowanus. What are they and how well do they last?

Posted by: guest at September 12, 2007 11:56 AM

Pleased to see the near finished product. Modern design and clean lines make this building a welcomed addition to the block vs the prior commercial building. Seems that the front lines up with the commercial building next door so not sure how the view has been materially affected for the residential neighbor's bay window on the other side vs the prior view - clearly not optimal but seems to have been disadvantaged long before this building. Size is slightly larger than the townhouses but within scale of heights going from Schermerhorn towards Atlantic.

Equally interesting is that this building continues the theme of juxtaposed modern vs historical townhouses (14 townhouses + civil war era). Additionally, 10 modern townhouses will be built across the street with mews style townhouses on the northeast corner of State and Hoyt. Should develop into an very nice block/intersection.

Posted by: guest at September 12, 2007 12:47 PM

12:47 -- although the new construction lines up with rear of the corner building, that part is only one story tall (as was the building that used to exist at this spot -- a single story garage used primarily for limousine storage), so the mismatch now is defintiely more severe -- especially as highlighted by the floating bay on the old townhouse next door. Previously, that bay was open on all three sides and was a charming architectural statement on that side of the block. The only previous "disadvantage" from the different street face was alongside the stoop, IIRC.

Also, is the NE corner where the mews houses are supposed to go? I keep hearing about a development along those lines, but have not see any designs presented anywhere. Anyone know of such?

Posted by: guest at September 12, 2007 1:07 PM

1:07 - Makes sense on 2 sides vs 3 sides being sub-optimal, but still better than an old limo garage. Re the NE corner, check out the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership's website for State Street Renaissance pic's. That corner is the 3-4 story buildings behind the larger rental building on Schermerhorne. 10 Townhouses will be Rogers Marvel, probably similar to 14 Townhouses.

Posted by: guest at September 12, 2007 1:21 PM

Er, it's "nostra culpa." "Mea culpa" is a possessive pronoun and noun combination that is simply Latin for "my fault"—not some peculiar verb construction, as I think you imagine.

Posted by: guest at September 12, 2007 1:27 PM

Who is marketing this? Thanks.

Posted by: guest at September 12, 2007 3:35 PM

I was distressed to see Brownstoner advocating dark wood paneling as an excellent way to "soften" a building. It is also an excellent way to soften our ecosystem and warm our planet. I was happy to then learn that these were not in fact wood panels, but faux wood panels made of metal. Not that this is necessarily a greener choice...can't know with out knowing what the product is. But if it is, then good for Scarano. And bad for Brownstoner for advocating using wood when there are plenty of better choices.

Posted by: guest at September 12, 2007 11:34 PM

the building looks alright except for those silly little balconies. they look like fire escapes except the escape part is missing.

Posted by: guest at September 13, 2007 12:40 AM

"Eating Our Words"

Yeah, thats the problem with blogs, you comment about subjects you know next to nothing about and before all the facts are in.

Surprise! people who actually went to architecture school and practiced it for some time actually came up with a decent design that trumped your hasty opinion.

Posted by: guest at September 13, 2007 3:40 AM

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy, tear down the whole block.

Posted by: guest at September 13, 2007 3:48 AM

If it bothers you so much why dont you get a bunch of your retro buddies and picket the place? Embarrassed the passerbys will laugh or write some article on some other blog about how you nitpickers have no lives (or no real skills)?

Posted by: guest at September 13, 2007 3:55 AM

These are not metal either, they are usually a fiberglass / resin material with a fake wood paint job on them. They are not unsafe for the enviorment either. Most wood products in fact are better to use then manufactured products if you consider off-gassing and manufacturing as part of the "green" building ethos. However these panels have been gaining popularity over the past 2-5 years in New York and can be found on a some new Chelsea buildings as well as the new Cooper Square hotel. See website for info...

http://www.trespa.com/na/productSolutionsExterior/meteon/

This building by Scarano still sucks ass though. He has to stop using those cheap alumninum window frames that you find in front of Commerce Bank.

Posted by: guest at September 13, 2007 11:50 AM

"Most wood products in fact are better to use then manufactured products if you consider off-gassing and manufacturing as part of the "green" building ethos."

That is a nice argument that architects like to make because they or their customer's would like to use wood guilt free, but as i said in my original comment it depends on the product. Yes, there are some products where the manufacturing process outweighs the destruction of forest stripping but there are also plenty of products that are much more environmentally friendly than wood.

Posted by: guest at September 13, 2007 2:05 PM

No real Skilz?!!!

I can rhyme like it'z nobodies biznezz.

Posted by: guest at September 13, 2007 2:12 PM

"There is a misconception that cutting down an old tree will result in a net release of carbon. Yet wooden furniture made in the Elizabethan era still holds the carbon fixed hundreds of years ago.

Berman, a veteran of the forestry protest movement, should by now have learned that young forests outperform old growth in carbon sequestration.

Although old trees contain huge amounts of carbon, their rate of sequestration has slowed to a near halt. A young tree, although it contains little fixed carbon, pulls CO2 from the atmosphere at a much faster rate...

To address climate change, we must use more wood, not less. Using wood sends a signal to the marketplace to grow more trees and to produce more wood. That means we can then use less concrete, steel and plastic -- heavy carbon emitters through their production. Trees are the only abundant, biodegradable and renewable global resource."

- Patrick Moore, cofounder of Greenpeace.

Posted by: guest at September 14, 2007 3:29 PM

There seems to be an irony somewhere among the volume of Green commentary on a Brooklyn website.

Definitely respect the consciousness but does anyone else agree that this topic got hijacked?

Posted by: guest at September 14, 2007 10:43 PM

The facia/ Rain screen is a product called Phenoilc Compact. It is manufactured through a joint partnership of Formica Corporation Europe and JHC labresin Brooklyn new york 718-649-1661. They just supplied the panels on a twenty one unit complex in Boston. I used the panels on my Apartmet building in Astoria and it is wonderfull. I think they are Providing it on a large Hotel project on the west side.
I will keep you posted with some pix.
willam l Hathaway

Posted by: guest at October 23, 2007 3:48 PM

The facia/ Rain screen is a product called Phenoilc Compact. It is manufactured through a joint partnership of Formica Corporation Europe and JHC labresin Brooklyn new york 718-649-1661. They just supplied the panels on a twenty one unit complex in Boston. I used the panels on my Apartmet building in Astoria and it is wonderfull. I think they are Providing it on a large Hotel project on the west side.
I will keep you posted with some pix.
willam l Hathaway

Posted by: guest at October 23, 2007 3:50 PM

You are correct the Panels are Formica compact phenolic I am a architect and have used it on Several of my Projects around The NY metro area. The Compact Phenolic Panel is made of 70% recycled paper product and 30% resin. And is LEED certified. If you would like samples of the panel they can be obtained from the folks over at jhc 718-649-1661 tell them David simmions at bartell and bartell architects said to call.

Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 4:18 PM