Nahum Goodenow

As an architect and project manager located in Richmond, VA, it is my great privilege to lead an accomplished team of designers, architects, and engineers focused on new construction mixed-use and multi-family buildings. Our urban infill projects are mid-rise and high-rise in scale, and they are projects that repair and enhance the fabric of our urban neighborhoods. We believe in the importance of projects that are developed around the values of quality design, sustainable construction, social equity, and transit access so as to balance and support the cultural, educational, ecological, and economic health of our city.

Our WPA design team includes Kelly Miller, Matt Hogan, Gaelan Finney-Day, Hope Taylor, Chris Neveu, and Julia Brouard. Ongoing long-time architectural team collaborators include Jason Hopkins at Design Physics and Bill Church at LoCh Design. The work shown on this page is our shared labor of love, a true collaboration, and is all the better for the thoughtful dynamic that these very talented people bring.

The Hydro is a 213,000 sf mixed-use apartment building in the Manchester neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia. It is sited on an old industrial brownfield site next to an out-of-service Hydroelectric power plant where the Manchester Canal becomes Walkers Creek. The site had a ground level that was elevated above natural grade between 8-12ft with brick and concrete rubble fill from the ruins of the old industrial buildings that date back over 200 years. Because of this the construction team employed dynamic compaction, a unique method of soil improvements, to densify the rubble fill and allow for enough bearing pressure for the new building’s foundations.

Due to its unique location along Walkers Creek, the development has an enviable combination of sizable outdoor features and walkable urban neighborhood amenities such as shops, restaurants, and brew-pubs. The building’s outdoor features include outdoor dining and fire pit areas, a pool, a landscaped green, and a dog park.

Design inspiration came from the industrial ruins of the neighborhood, including the adjacent Southern States silo complex across Manchester Road. The cladding is a mix of charcoal brick, rust and zinc colored corrugated metal cladding, and concrete-colored fiber-cement siding. Highly visible from the older Richmond neighborhoods on the north bank of the James River, the new construction’s color palette blends perfectly into the hues of the historic industrial buildings surrounding it, making it feel like it’s long been part of the urban landscape.

The development has 213,000sf of gross building area, with 5,000sf of commercial space, 226 apartment units, and was completed in 2021.

Four lots that were surface parking and a defunct gas station in Richmond’s historic Jackson Ward neighborhood are now the site of a mixed-use, urban-infill building branded as The Penny.  The building is 6-stories tall with 166 apartment units, 2,555 sf of commercial space activating Marshall Street, and two levels of sub-grade parking.  This was the first project for Richmond-based developer SNP Properties, who partnered with Walter Parks Architects for the design and KBS Inc. as the General Contractor.

The transit-oriented building is a 2-block walk from the Arts District station of the GRTC Pulse, Richmond’s new bus rapid transit system, and the apartment community has an impressive walk score of 96.  Together with a number of other notable recent and planned developments, this building is participating in a resurgence of a neighborhood now active at all times of the day.

Although the neighborhood zoning would have allowed for a high-rise building, the project team settled on a lower mid-rise design to retain a more contextual massing, similar to older mid-rise buildings on Marshall Street.  The building has a 3-story concrete podium (two levels below grade, one above), with five stories of wood construction above.  The top units facing north feature double-height living rooms with a mezzanine loft and private south-facing roof decks.

A precast concrete storefront forms a modern arcade at the building’s base that is meant to reference the building’s extensive concrete structural podium that’s all but hidden within.  The design takes its cues from some of the historic small-industrial shops within a few blocks of the site while also offering more polished elements as contrast.  Pristine white boxes representing the habitable residential units are ‘inserted’ into a dark bronze clad frame.  The metalwork of the balconies, guardrails, and stairs were fabricated from steel sections, lending a heavy-industry feel.

Interior amenities include a hotel-like lobby with ample social lounging space, a business center conference room that can be reserved by tenants, a gym, a bike storage room with a bike workshop area, and package delivery lockers.  The lobby has a full glass wall that looks out onto a landscaped exterior courtyard with a pool.  There is also a second-floor roof deck that overlooks the courtyard to the north and Marshall Street to the south.

Mid-rise buildings have been integral in bringing density to the urban fabric for centuries.  This 6-story building follows in that tradition, adding vibrancy to a dynamic neighborhood located just a short walk to both the Virginia Commonwealth University campus and downtown Richmond.

Role: Project Designer & Project Manager

South Falls is the first tower in a planned 3-tower development on the James River in the Manchester Neighborhood. The building sits on a narrow spit of land between the Manchester Canal and the river on the site of abandoned 18th & 19th century paper and cotton mills. Accessible only by a bridge across the canal, the west wing of the building juts out towards the river on a small peninsula. Like no other building in Richmond, the tower provides unprecedented views of the river and Manchester from its apartment units. A panoramic amenity plaza affords breathtaking views of the Falls of the James and the downtown skyline.

The structure is precast concrete with a custom white color and sandblasted texture that exposes a fine granite aggregate. The commercial base and window wall beams are clad in a custom medium bronze metal cladding. The form of the building is inspired by an image of two rectangular hollow tubes colliding together. The building is 14 stories, has 225,000sf of residential apartments, 2,500sf of commercial space. The development has 255 apartment units and 281 parking spaces and was completed in 2021.

The Locks Tower is a 215,000sf, 11-story mixed-use complex in Richmond, Virginia. It is located on what was previously an industrial site one block South of the Richmond downtown on the Haxall Canal, a millrace dug in 1789 that has now become the popular Richmond Riverfront Canal Walk. The project consists of three components: a precast high rise building, a precast parking garage partially underneath the tower, and a 6-story brick residential building along the Canal Walk frontage. There are 237 market rate apartment units, 359 parking spaces and 9,250 sf of commercial space within the complex.

Completed in early 2021, this apartment tower is the first building in Richmond to use a precast architectural concrete structural system. The precast wall and floor panels function both as a structural system and the exterior finish cladding, with an integrated continuous insulation core that exceeds the energy code requirement insulation value by 20%.

The design for the tower uses a white architectural concrete with a sandblasted finish to expose fine aggregate. The result is a crisp white concrete finish that harkens to both classical modernism and the utilitarian history of this site. The steel canopies and balconies fabricated from aluminum channel and bar stock relate to the industrial components from the other five converted historic warehouse and industrial buildings on the greater Locks Apartment complex. The primary apartment windows are an aluminum window wall system with floor-to-ceiling glazing. The interior of the apartment units retain select areas of exposed concrete and utilities to complete the industrial loft aesthetic.

The parking garage is a precast concrete structure that is screened with a custom western red cedar screen with a unique optical pattern. The dark grey brick canal building caps the end of the parking garage and provides an active use along the Canal Walk to enliven the public pedestrian way.

Role: Project Designer & Project Manager

Sited on a 12-acre woodlot on the Rockfish River in the rugged foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this project is a family homestead that consists of a main house, guest cottage, garden workshop, outdoor pool area with an exercise and yoga pavilion, kids bunk house, and various outdoor cooking and lounging areas, all surrounded by extensive native landscaping. A rustic minimalist aesthetic unifies the various built elements. The design intent is to maintain and restore the integrity of the native wilderness as the property is developed and, although there will be pockets of refinement, to abide by the rustic camp vibes.

U.S. Embassy in Maputo, Mozambique:

The new U.S. Embassy in Mozambique is on a 4-hectare (10 acre) campus in the capital city of Maputo.  The project is located 5 kilometers northeast of Central Maputo within a site of hills and coastal dunes adjacent to the Indian Ocean.  The campus includes a four-story Chancery Building, a Marine Security Guard Residence, recreational facilities, service buildings, and Security Access Pavilions.  This is a $278 million project designed under the State Department’s Design Excellence in Diplomatic Facilities program.  The campus is targeting LEED Silver certification and construction is expected to be complete in 2018.

The Embassy design incorporates the State Department’s goals of security and transparency through a perception of open site boundaries, building masses that meander in a native landscape, and contemporary brise-soleil tailored to control light, heat, air and views.  A series of site-cast concrete walls wind through the site, defining exterior spaces, setting building locations, and bringing the Embassy’s presence to the surrounding street.  The chancery itself consists of three connected volumes, oriented north/south, which merge at opposing ends to define exterior spaces and create interior connections between general work areas.  A series of wood-clad volumes run through the building’s interior from east to west and from floor to floor, orienting visitors and accommodating the primary social functions of the Embassy.  Ultra high-performance concrete (UHPC) fins, with apertures defined by the specific angles of the sun, provide shade from direct sunlight while preserving daylight and views for the occupants within. 

Project team:

Design Architect:  Allied Works Architecture, Portland, OR

Executive Architect:  Yost Grube Hall Architects, Portland, OR

Structural Engineer:  KPFF Consulting Engineers, Portland, OR

Civil Engineers:  KPFF Consulting Engineers of Portland, OR

Geotechnical Engineer:  Schnabel Engineering, Glen Allen, VA

MEP Engineers:  Interface Engineering, Inc., Portland, OR

Blast Consultant:  Hinman Consulting Engineers, San Francisco, CA

Landscape Architects:  AECOM, Portland, OR

Role:  I served as a Technical Architect through Design Development and Construction Drawings.  I developed the design and detailing for the Chancery building’s interior, atriums, and the architectural feature stair.  I was responsible for coordinating and documenting the security access hardware and doors for all campus buildings, including the forced entry/ballistic resistance access requirements throughout.  This duty included traveling to Washington D.C. to conduct a security review for the building with our client, the Bureau of Overseas Building Operations, the agency within the US State Department responsible for building and maintaining all U.S. diplomatic facilities.

U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan:

The new U.S. Embassy Campus in Turkmenistan is located on a 7-hectare (17.3 acre) site in the capitol city of Ashgabat, the City of White. The campus site lies in an arid landscape with the backdrop of the dry and sandy slopes of the Kopet-Dag mountain range to the south. The $266 million project consists of 11 buildings, including a five-story Chancery Building, a five-story Diplomatic Housing building, quarters for the Chief of Mission and Deputy Chief of Mission, an American Community Center, a Marine Security Guard Residence, Security Access Pavilions, and various support buildings. Yost Grube Hall Architects designed the campus through to Bridging Documents (equivalent to 50% CDs) with final Construction Documents finished under a Design/Build contract by the team of Caddell Construction and Integrus Architects. Construction began at the end of 2015 and completion is scheduled for 2018. The project is targeting LEED certification.

Project team:

Architect: Yost Grube Hall Architects, Portland, OR

Structural Engineer: KPFF Consulting Engineers, Portland, OR

Civil Engineers: KPFF Consulting Engineers of Portland, OR

Geotechnical Engineer: Schnabel Engineering, Glen Allen, VA

MEP Engineers: Interface Engineering, Inc., Portland, OR

Blast Consultant: Hinman Consulting Engineers, San Francisco, CA

Landscape Architects: AECOM, Portland, OR

Role: I was the Project Architect for the American Community Center (ACC) from Design Development to Bridging Documents. The ACC was a building that contained diverse programmatic elements including athletic facilities, pool, locker rooms, a commissary, a restaurant, meeting spaces, offices, and a small retail bank. I was responsible for all aspects of design, engineering coordination, interior and exterior detailing, and document production for the ACC building. I also developed construction details for exterior cladding, windows, doors, and roofs that were used as shared details for all campus buildings.

Building 83 is a four-story, 314,000 sf office building on the Microsoft campus.  ZGF Architects in Seattle, WA designed the Core and Shell, but construction halted in the 2008 recession with only the subgrade parking garage complete.  The project resumed in 2014, with BORA Architects in Portland, OR winning the contract to design the building’s interiors.

Building 83 shows some of the ways that Microsoft has recently changed thinking about its working environments.  Open floor plans and small meeting areas largely have replaced private offices.  An open atrium extends from the lobby to the four-story building’s ceiling. The levels on the way up feature casual meeting spaces, including one designed to resemble a rooftop bar, as well as glass-walled conference rooms, kitchen nooks and standing bars to rest laptops or charge a cellphone.  The building’s edges are filled with clusters of desks called neighborhoods, which house teams of workers.  These design elements accommodate a much more dynamic, fluid way of working in a variety of spaces.

Project team:

Core & Shell Architect:  ZGF Partnership, Seattle, WA

Interiors Architect:  BOORA Architects, Portland, OR

Structural Engineer:  KPFF Consulting Engineers, Seattle, WA

Lighting Designer:  Candela, Lynwood, WA

HVAC Consultant:  Hermanson Company, Kent, WA

Electrical Consultant:  Cochran, Inc, Seattle, WA

Project Manager:  Jones Lang Lasalle, Bellevue, WA

General Contractor:  Skanska USA Building, Inc, Seattle, WA

Client:  Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA

Role:  While at Yost Grube Hall Architects I was a consultant to BOORA Architects for this project.  I served as a Technical Architect through Construction Drawings, developing the design and detailing for the building interior, atrium, and architectural feature stair.  I managing structural coordination for these items while the core and shell construction was still being completed.

Oregon Health & Science University, Portland State University, and Oregon State University partnered to create the Collaborative Life Sciences Building (CLSB), a new allied health, academic and research building. The $295 million building is the first on this scale to combine the resources of multiple universities to offer the best possible science education and research opportunities for students. The facility strengthens partnerships between the three universities while expanding their teaching facilities, class sizes and research activities.  CLSB provides classrooms, lecture halls, teaching and research laboratories, retail space, and two levels of underground parking.  The building has a total area of 650,000 sf in two wings, one a 6-story multi-angular bar, the other the 12-story Skourtes Tower, which houses the School of Dentistry.  The two wings are joined by a central atrium, which offers dynamic connections between program elements through connecting bridges and informal study areas for students.

CLSB was delivered via the Construction Manager at Risk delivery method in just 37 months through the use of a co-located Integrated Project Delivery team effort.  The Collaborative Life Sciences Building was certified as a LEED Platinum building in 2014 and in 2015 the building was named one of the winners of the COTE Top Ten Awards program.

Project team:

Design Architect:  CO Architects, Los Angeles, CA

Executive Architect:  SERA Architects, Portland, OR

Structural Engineer:  KPFF Consulting Engineers, Portland, OR

Civil Engineers:  OTAK, Portland, OR

Geotechnical Engineer:  Geo Design, Portland, OR

MEP Engineers:  Interface Engineering, Inc., Portland, OR

Landscape Architects:  AECOM, Portland, OR

Construction Manager and General Contractor:  JE Dunn, Portland, OR

Role: I was a Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Reviewer on this project.  I made detailed reviews of the building plans, details, and specifications during production of the Interiors Construction Documents package. The fast-track nature of CLSB’s project schedule, combined with the shear size of the architectural team, made the QA/QC reviews essential to delivering a quality product.  The reviews checked for coordination, completeness, and constructability in the architectural deliverables.

This project was an extensive renovation of a historic 123,000 sf, 15-story downtown Portland office building for developer Jonathan Rose Companies.  The building, originally commissioned in 1911 by lumber baron John Baptiste Yeon, was Portland’s showcase architectural project of its era.  With a concrete-encased steel frame, it was the tallest structure in Portland when built.  It is clad entirely in white glazed terra-cotta blocks, an incredibly durable material that to this day shows little wear.  However the building had suffered from a series of poor renovations over the years including a run-down 1950’s storefront, neglected corridors, dated restrooms, and a main lobby with an insensitive 1980’s renovation after a garbage truck crashed through the front doors.  There were also many infrastructure challenges: the high-rise building had only a single non-compliant exit stair, the HVAC was outdated, and the electrical infrastructure couldn’t support today’s high-tech workplaces.

The $3.2 million modernization included a new ground floor façade and updated main lobby; renovated public corridors, conference center, and elevator cabs; and new bike storage, showers, and changing rooms.  All work had to be approved by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) due to the building’s status on the National Register of Historic Places.  Major upgrades were made to the life-safety, mechanical, and electrical infrastructure.  The design scope also included the renovation of the building management company’s office within the building, which then served as a design template for new tenant improvement standards.  In 2014 the building was certified with a LEED Gold rating under the LEED O+M rating system.

The same project team for SERA Architects was later chosen for the 15,000 sf office renovation for the building’s new anchor tenant, Flightstats Inc.  The technology company leased the 2nd and 3rd floors and a new stairway was added to connect the spaces.  A complete renovation down to structure, the biggest impact was made by uncovering and renovating a large vaulted skylight above the second floor and at the bottom of the building’s internal lightwell.  The skylight had been painted over during WWII due to blackout restrictions along the West Coast and essentially covered and abandoned in place since.  Its restoration allowed for diffuse natural light to pour into all areas of the full floor open office below.

Project team:

Owner:  Jonathan Rose Companies

Building Management:  Urban Renaissance Group

Architect:  SERA Architects, Portland, OR

Structural Engineer:  KPFF Consulting Engineers, Portland, OR

MEP Engineers:  PAE Consulting Engineers, Portland, OR

Historic Consultant:  Peter Meijer Architects

Sustainability Consultant:  Green Building Services

General Contractor:  Anderson Construction

Role:  I was the Project Designer and Project Architect throughout the project, which included the following phases: Concept Design, Design Development, Type II Design Review, SHPO approval, Construction Drawings, Bidding, multiple Permit Approvals and Construction Administration.  I presented design options directly to the Owner for review and approval.  I coordinated all architectural and engineering work.  I worked directly with the Principal-in-Charge to manage contracts, budget and the design and construction schedules.  I partnered with the owner’s project manager to negotiating a comprehensive Fire Life Safety agreement for the building with the City of Portland Bureau of Development Services and the Portland Fire Marshal.  Because the project essentially consisted of many disparate parts over a 16-month schedule, I managed a varied and rotating production staff, which added complexity in and of itself.  I completed all construction administration duties while the various build-outs were being completed.

The Cordelia Apartments are two new market-rate apartment buildings located on adjacent street corners at the intersection of 21st and Johnson St. in Portland’s historic Alphabet District.  The buildings are designed to complement the rich history of the Northwest Alphabet District and learn from the extensive inventory of apartment buildings found in the district.  By recalling the proportions and massing of the early 20th century courtyard apartment and streetcar apartment prototypes, the project creates a timeless and elegant frontage to this significant intersection and provides a model for respectful infill projects within the historic district.

The larger building, on the southwest corner, is a 5-story stucco building with 86 units and 66 below-grade parking stalls.  The smaller building, a quarter-block building on the northeast corner, is a 5-story brick clad building with 48 units.  Both buildings are Type IIIB wood construction.  Both buildings achieved LEED for Homes mid-rise certification.

Project team:

Client / General Contractor:  Mill Creek Residential Trust, Portland, OR

Architect:  SERA Architects, Portland, OR

Structural Engineer:  Froelich Engineers Inc., Portland, OR

Civil Engineers:  MGH Associates, Inc. of Portland, OR

Role: I was the project Architect through the following phases: Design Development, Type III Historic Design Review, Construction Drawings, Bidding, and Permit Approval.  I directed a design team of 15 people, including consultants and design-build subcontractors.  I ran weekly Owner/Architect/Contractor meetings.  I reported directly to Principal-in-Charge and the Housing Studio Manager to coordinate design, deliverables, budget and a 10-month design schedule.

The Old Town Recovery Center is a new Outpatient Clinic for the non-profit group Central City Concern on a prominent Portland downtown gateway site.  The clinic focuses on community-based, compassionate, safe and dignified care for low-income clients with mental illness or addiction challenges.  The building has a groundbreaking program, the first US clinic to integrate mental health, primary medical care, alternative care, and dentistry, with an equally unique architectural layout.  Clinic activities are centered around a generous glass enclosed landscaped courtyard.  Visual access to the lush green of the courtyard serves to put a sometimes-volatile patient population at ease, bringing nature and beauty to an otherwise clinical setting.  It also acts as a way-finding element at almost every location on every floor of the building, giving clear organization to a complicated collection of exam rooms, counseling offices, occupational therapy spaces, nursing stations and offices.  The clinic has received national attention, selected by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as an exemplary practice in 2013, and winner of the 2012 Center for Health Design and Contract Magazine’s Healthcare Environment Awards. 

With future development possibilities in mind, the 3-story, $12.8 million, 46,500 sf clinic was designed and engineered for a future high-rise housing expansion of up to 11-stories with 119 housing units above the clinic, bringing yet another layer of design complexity to the project.  The structural layout, size of structural members, and seismic lateral system was designed for a post-tensioned concrete structure above.  Space for future elevators and high-rise ancillary equipment were allowed for, including a generator, fire command room, water pump, refuse chute, and residential bicycle storage.

A LEED Gold certified project, the building features many energy and water conservation features, while also giving preference for occupant health.  Designed as a high-performance envelope, the building’s skin was detailed and constructed with a whole-building air barrier, four inches of continuous exterior insulation, and a custom-designed discontinuous brick ledger system to minimize thermal bridging.  Due to the patient population, the building has a relatively high air-exchange rate but saves energy through use of a heat recovery ventilation system.  The result of all energy conservation measures is a calculated EUI of 31.2 kBTU/sf/yr.  Priority was also given to selecting low-emitting, durable, low maintenance materials.  For water conservation, rainwater is collected in a below-ground tank and used for toilet flushing and landscape irrigation.

Project team:

Architect:  SERA Architects, Portland, OR

Structural Engineer:  KPFF Consulting Engineers, Portland, OR

MEP Engineers:  Interface Engineers, Portland, OR

Civil Engineers:  MGH Associates, Portland, OR

Role:  I was the Project Architect throughout all phases of the project: Programming, Eco-charrette, Schematic Design, Design Development, Type III Design Review, Construction Documents, Bidding, Permit Approval and Construction Administration.  I reported directly to Principal-in-Charge, who was also the project’s Designer, and assisted him with all client and agency design presentations.  I directed and coordinated all aspects of production, managed all consultant meetings, and ran the weekly Owner/Architect/Contractor meetings. Because this project was the recipient of a federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant during the 2008-09 recession, it was subject to grant reporting and stringent schedule requirements.  In addition to a fast paced 8-month design schedule, the economic climate necessitated a lean project team, and architectural deliverables were produced with a production team of only two full time people, including myself.

University Pointe at College Station is a new mixed-use student housing complex developed by American Campus Communities for Portland State University and is located in downtown Portland.  The 16-story high-rise had a construction budget of $65.8 million and includes 5,800 sf retail, 11,200 sf classrooms, and 338,300 sf residential, providing 948 student beds for undergraduates and international students.  University Pointe at College Station aids PSU’s evolution from commuter school to thriving residential campus by supporting enrollment growth and encouraging student retention. Located on a key gateway site to both PSU and downtown Portland, the building provides a front door to PSU students and visitors coming from the south while its new MAX stop allows residents direct access to Portland’s train lines.

Project team:

Architect:  SERA Architects, Portland, OR

Structural Engineer:  KPFF Consulting Engineers, Portland, OR

MEP Engineers:  PAE Engineers, Portland, OR

Civil Engineers:  MGH Associates, Portland, OR

Landscape Architect:  Mayer Reed, Portland, OR

General Contractor:  Walsh Construction Co., Portland, OR

Role:  I participated as a Technical Architect during the production of Construction Documents.  I analyzed housing layouts, collaborated with the Exterior Envelope Consultant and the General Contractor to develop building skin and green-roof details, and directed the project team in the production of construction details.

This was the $38 million renovation of Oregon’s 148,000 sf, 5-story Department of Transportation headquarters in Salem, OR, converting the building to a high-performance contemporary workplace.  Not significantly modified since it’s opening in 1951, the building interior was cleared to structure for the renovation, with the exception of the marble-clad lobby, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Also historically listed, the building’s marble and bronze exterior was not significantly impacted, with the exception of a newly designed entrance courtyard, which served to enliven an otherwise stoic facade.  Interior work included an open and flexible office spaces, new department meeting and conference rooms, and new public hearing spaces.  The building achieved LEED Platinum due in part to a rainwater harvesting system, radiant ceiling panels for heating and cooling, improved indoor air quality, and an extensive photovoltaic rooftop solar installation.

Project team:

Architect:  SERA Architects, Portland, OR

Structural Engineer:  KPFF Consulting Engineers, Portland, OR

MEP Engineers:  PAE Engineers, Portland, OR

Landscape Architect:  Greenworks, Portland, OR

General Contractor:  Hoffman Construction, Portland, OR

 322 Hicks Street Condominiums

The building at 322 Hicks Street is a new 6-unit residential condominium on what was the last unbuilt site in Brooklyn Heights.  This contemporary project’s brick façade stretches from lot line to lot line, reinforcing the continuous and seamless nature of the typical Brooklyn residential block.  A thinly drawn stainless steel trelliswork joins two building entries at the lowest level of the building, while separating building base from top.The project’s brick façade stretches from lot line to lot line, its inflection reinforcing the continuous and nature of the brick facades typical to this Brooklyn residential block. A thinly drawn stainless steel trelliswork joins two building entries at the lowest level of the building, while separating building base from top. The building’s inflection at the third point, re-locates the virtual center of the building, while the measured and equal positioning of the oriel windows offer measure to this offset. Directed toward Atlantic Avenue and the southern exposure, the oriel windows punctuate the façade and recall the iconography of the brownstone bay window.  The design was unanimously endorsed by the Brooklyn Heights and New York City Landmarks Preservation Commissions.  The project was featured in the 2009 exhibition Context/Contrast - New Architecture in Historic Districts 1967-2009.

Project team:

Executive Architect:  Larsen Shein Ginsberg Snyder, LLP, New York, NY

Design Architect:  Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects, New York, NY

Structural Engineer:  Sharon Consulting Engineers, Brooklyn, NY

Developer:  Second Development Services, Brooklyn, NY

Role: I was the Project Architect throughout the project, which included the following phases:  Schematic Design, Design Development, Landmark Approval, Permitting, Construction Documents, Bidding, and Construction Administration.  I co-located at Smith-Miller + Hawkinson's office for multiple week-long design charrettes during the Schematic Design and Design Development phases.  I directed and coordinated all aspects of production, managed all consultant meetings, and ran the weekly Owner/Architect/Contractor meetings.

Tribeca Loft

Gut renovation of a 1,200 sf formerly industrial loft space in the TriBeCa neighborhood of lower Manhattan.

 Role:  This was an independent project that I designed and documented for a personal friend.

The Merrion Condominiums at 215 West 88th Street

This project exemplifies the style and class of Pre-War New York City construction. The Merrion at 215 West 88th Street seamlessly blends elegance with contemporary luxury.  Originally constructed in 1915, The Merrion has undergone an extensive $8.4 million renovation to convert the building from rental apartments to condominiums.  With 175,000 sf of floor area in the building, there are 95 units on 12 floors, ranging in size from 1 bedrooms up to 4 bedrooms.  The building is outfitted in a style much more reminiscent of its prewar heritage, with a lobby featuring St. Laurent and Crema Delicato marble and elevator cabs decked out in mahogany and bronze.

These beautiful apartments also boast classic high ceilings and white oak hardwood floors.  The kitchens offer Pietra Cardosa countertops, custom cabinetry, and an integrated Sub Zero refrigerator.

The amenities at The Merrion complete the package of Upper West Side living and include a 24 hour doorman and concierge, on site residential manager, private storage units, and a rooftop garden and terrace.  Located in a very family friendly area, The Merrion is walking distance from both Central and Riverside Parks, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Natural History.  The subway is only 2 blocks away with the 1 train located at 86th and Broadway and the B and C trains located at 86th and Central Park West, ensuring that you can still be connected to all of New York City.

110th Street Condominiums

Developed by the same client as the Merrion, this project was an extensive $7.2 million renovation that included all residential units and extensive common area renovations.

Role:  I was the Project Architect throughout these two condominium conversion projects including:  Schematic Design, Design Development, Zoning, Permit Pre-considerations, multiple Permit Approvals, multiple Construction Document packages, and Construction Administration.  I directed a team of 8 people including consultants.

This gallery shows two condominium conversion projects done in the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

The first project exemplifies the style and class of old New York City. The Merrion at 215 West 88th Street seamlessly blends pre-war elegance with contemporary luxury.  Originally constructed in 1915, The Merrion has undergone an extensive $8.4 million renovation to convert the building from rental apartments to condominiums.  With 175,000 sf of floor area in the building, there are 95 units on 12 floors, ranging in size from 1 bedrooms up to 4 bedrooms.  The building is outfitted in a style much more reminiscent of its prewar heritage, with a lobby featuring St. Laurent and Crema Delicato marble and elevator cabs decked out in mahogany and bronze.

These beautiful apartments also boast classic high ceilings and white oak hardwood floors.  The kitchens offer Pietra Cardosa countertops, custom cabinetry, and an integrated Sub Zero refrigerator.

The amenities at The Merrion complete the package of Upper West Side living and include a 24 hour doorman and concierge, on site residential manager, private storage units, and a rooftop garden and terrace.  Located in a very family friendly area, The Merrion is walking distance from both Central and Riverside Parks, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Natural History.  The subway is only 2 blocks away with the 1 train located at 86th and Broadway and the B and C trains located at 86th and Central Park West, ensuring that you can still be connected to all of New York City.

 The second is the 110th Street Condominiums, done by the same developer client. This project was an extensive $7.2 million renovation that included all residential units and extensive common area renovations.

Role:  I was the Project Architect throughout the project including:  Schematic Design, Design Development, Zoning, Permit Pre-considerations, multiple Permit Approvals, multiple Construction Document packages, and Construction Administration.  I directed a team of 8 people including consultants.

This is a concept design for a house with a minimalist external massing that would optimize for the application of passive house principals, including continuous exterior insulation, minimization of thermal bridging, an airtight envelope, high-performance fenestration, and the management of solar gain.

The ground floor has an open plan that combines dining, kitchen and living spaces.  The second floor has three bedrooms and two bathrooms.  The third floor attic space has an unexpected roof deck that is minimally visible from the exterior.