A pretty amazing thing is happening in Hong Kong these days. Smog and pollution has become so dense, that tourists can no longer see the city’s incredible skyline and famous Victoria Harbor. To combat the issue, the government has created “skyline banners,” with beautiful (and fake) backgrounds. Don’t believe me? Pics or it didn’t happen? Take a look and read the full article here.
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A great article was published today in the TImes today regarding the importance of a good rendering. Take a look at the difference between supporters and naysayers of a new mega-development project that has been proposed for the Greenpoint waterfront.
The article does a great job of expressing the difficulties architect’s face when designing a new building. Not only must they develop a building, but they also have to present a project that can gain approval from the city. It is a rare occurrence for a rendering to be “lifelike,” because a tower simply wouldn’t stand out. Take a look at these renderings and see if they are truly lifelike.
REal
President Obama is starting to get serious about climate change. In recent talks, he has mentioned the need for massive increases in green living. Anyone who lives in an urban core can tell you how hot and unbearable the summers can get. A great way to combat both air quality and spikes in urban core temperature readings comes in the form of green roofs.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been a leader in bringing green roofs to one of the largest cities in the world. The city even announced the rise of rooftop agriculture with the largest urban farm in the US currently under construction on a Brooklyn rooftop. Bloomberg, Obama, and politicians across the world are leading the way in reclaiming urban space for non-industrial use.
These green roofs serve a variety of purposes that are both helpful to those in the building, and everyone around. First and foremost, green roofs lower the temperature of the buildings roof by considerable amounts. Rather than having black tar or reflective tin roofs that can sizzle in with surface temperatures upwards of 130 degrees, green roofs rarely get hotter than the actual air temperature. Roof or rain gardens also help with rain water run off, something that is a major issue in coastal cities. Rain gardens filter excess water, and some can even store water to be used by the building tenants later on. A third attribute green roofs provide is fresh, clean air. Trees, plants, and other shrubs help clean the air and lessen ozone levels that so often spiral out of control in urban cities.
The super cool pictures below show how urban architecture can be infused with green design. Most of the pictures are taken from abroad, let’s incorporate them into US design!
Top of Chicago’s City Hall
Green Parking Garage in Namba Park, Japan
Vancover Convention Center
Vancover Convention Center (cont’d)
After recently moving to the Lower East Side, I decided to explore the area and go for a nice, long, run. Manhattan Bridge is an amazing architectural achievement While the bridge may be the ugly step sister of the Brooklyn Bridge, the views along its running and bike paths are nothing short of amazing.
One building off the bridge gives even the 5 Pointz a run for its money:
The bridge also cuts over East Broadway, allowing for some sick photos of Chinatown.
And If those shots are cool enough, here is what you look at during you 2+ mile long bridge.
30 Orchard Street is a new addition to the Lower East Side. The luxury high-rise condominium tower was opened in 2010 and commands $1,500+ per square foot. My apartment looks directly at the thin tower that rises up well past the lower 6-story skyline of the Lower East Side. The building looks like a modern, luxury, walk-up, that is anything but. Full time doorman, floor to ceiling windows, and tasteful units are perfect for the artistically inclined, trendy, upwardly mobile resident moving down to the LES.
Life + Real Estate + New York 