A parametrically-designed smart skin turns a warehouse into a mixed-use building with contemporary lofts, galleries, a screening room, and a fitness center.

CHALLENGE Transforming from a disused warehouse into a mixed-use beacon for the community, this building combines lofts, art spaces, theaters, and a fitness & wellness center—all while adhering to New York City’s strict set-back laws.

INNOVATION We renovated the warehouse and added an 11-story smart loft building enclosed in an innovative smart skin: a parametrically designed facade that optimizes energy efficiency while adhering to the neighborhood’s setback laws, precisely executed through full BIM coordination. This was a true innovation: the building was completed in 2004, long before parametric design and BIM were adopted as valuable design tools. The custom-designed and manufactured facade uses annealed double-glazed panels—a material typically reserved for industrial and automotive design—that are folded to a 1/16th” tolerance to achieve a distinctive form and seamlessly integrate with the existing warehouse.

IMPACT The integration of the renovated warehouse with its new folded steel and glass facade creates a mediation between past and present, resulting in a new icon for the neighborhood. The facade provides passive solar energy and commanding views over the Hudson River. The building introduces a lively mix of uses to the neighborhood, and 25 lofts with generous amenities.