One south first in Brooklyn, NY by COOKFOX architects
The overall plan: The building is composed of two interlocking towers: the taller is residential, the smaller, that completes the “circle,” is workplace; they are raised at the base by a three-story podium that holds the street walls of the block.
Energy profile: The program and form of the towers was designed to prioritize energy efficiency through the complementary energy profiles of different uses. Excess heat produced from the workspaces that is traditionally rejected from the top of the building will be captured and reused for the residential component, significantly reducing energy use. The roof is designed to reduce stormwater runoff and cooling load.
Facade: COOKFOX designed a complex system of deep facade /window forms, very approximately inspired by the structure of sugar crystals, which connects to the industrial history of the site. Angled, white precast concrete creates a deep, faceted exterior wall. The panels were engineered to respond to specific solar orientations and times of day, so it is a complex facade that gives the interior spaces shade and optimized reduced energy use for cooling. COOKFOX worked with Gate Precast on an innovative process where the molds for the facade’s concrete forms were 3D-printed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, testing large, construction-scale printing. This allowed for a faster and less expensive manufacturing process.The molds were so durable and precise that, unlike traditional wooden molds, they never had to be replaced or re-made. See video HERE.
Community: These buildings and Domino Park unlock previously inaccessible waterfront to the neighborhood. As is true of other Two Trees neighborhoods, the retail mix was carefully curated and is made up of independent, small, Brooklyn-based businesses.
Affordability: 66 of the units are affordable housing.
Resiliency: The podium is above FEMA flood elevation standards and the landscaping is designed to mitigate flooding.
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