Adapting Well to Strict Standards

When Chuck and Leslie Close first approached MADE to design/build their penthouse apartment in a brand new developer’s building overlooking the Hudson River and lower Manhattan we knew that the project would be held to strict aesthetic and functional standards. The combination of spectacular city and river views and the accessibility of having a garage in the basement made this an ideal building for the client’s new home. However, the ubiquitous developer finishes and poorly executed details required attention. We began design work long before the construction of the new condominium was actually completed. The primary objectives of the design were to create as much openness throughout the apartment as possible, accentuating the impressive wrap around views and affording easy access for Chuck who uses a wheel chair.

The overall aesthetic of the developer provided finishes were not in keeping with the client’s very restrained tastes so we began by focusing our efforts on inventive ways to add details to the apartment that would make it more refined and cohesive. This was primarily achieved by removing all existing trim work, which was of a more traditional profile and adding an additional layer of sheetrock to every wall surface in order to accommodate the installation of new flush door and baseboard moldings. Quarter inch reveals separate every sheetrock surface from its painted wood trim underscoring the linear quality and precision of the detailing.

Enlarging the opening between the main living spaces allowed you to see from one room to the next, capturing oblique views of the city and the client’s impressive art collection. Lighting the artwork at night and protecting it from the intensity of the sun during the day were important considerations. Minimal valances were added to every window in the apartment to conceal an automatic shading system. Since the ceilings were concrete we selected a sleek German rail system for washing the walls with light at night. The majority of the artwork in the apartment is houses on art ledges in a gallery space which leads you from the entrance to the living room and keeps the light sensitive works away from the direct sun.

The reconfiguration of the kitchen was particularly challenging due to the awkward layout and existing constraints of the building infrastructure. Prior to the fabrication of the kitchen cabinetry we developed a full-scale mock up of the kitchen on site for the clients to walk through. This gave us all the opportunity to address critical issues of accessibility and functionality such as the proximity of countertops from one side of the room to the other and the ability for Chuck to move through the space freely. Key final adjustments to the design were made based on the mock up prior to beginning the fabrication of the cabinetry.

As a serious amateur chef, Leslie wanted to be able to enjoy the views of the city while spending time working in her kitchen. A custom end-grain butcher’s block was designed and fabricated by MADE to accommodate chopping, mixing and hanging out in front of the south facing windows. The heavy block top is supported by an invisible stainless steel frame which is buried in the thickness of the counter and allows the four legs of the table to stand free of cross bracing providing maximum openness at the floor for Chuck.

All of the cabinetry in the apartment was fabricated by MADE in our workshop in Red Hook. We developed a perimeter cabinet for each room in order to conceal unsightly free-standing AC units. Each cabinet has a new cast concrete window sill. In order to have continuous surfaces below every window the countertops were cast on site since they were too large to be brought in through the building. The new deep sills provide surfaces throughout the apartment for sitting and display.

A wall of pear wood cabinet doors in the master bedroom conceals additional clothes storage as well as a plasma TV. Fourteen foot long veneers were laid up horizontally to run the entire length of the bedroom wall. The minimal composition of six floating panels is articulated with solid wood door pulls. The subtle grain of the pear wood creates a serene backdrop to the reflected sunset over the Hudson at the end of each day.