Matthew Blesso Loft in NYC by Joel Sanders

This inspiring green and natural eco-friendly penthouse loft is the Matthew Blesso loft, a beautiful penthouse designed by Joel Sanders architects for real estate developer Matthew Blesso. Its a 3200 sq ft loft that was designed in associate architect Andrea Steele and landscape designer, Balmori Associates. The main concept of this modern natural penthouse loft is by merging two architectural components between building and landscape by bringing nature in and pushing living space to the outdoors.

The loft’s interior is awash in lush vegetation, sustainable woods and natural fibers. Exterior wood decking and plants flow into the heart of the penthouse forming a “planted core” that separates the private and public realms. A glass wall separates the bathroom from the planted zone, allowing the owner to bathe surrounded by vegetation.

This “living wall” links the interior to the roof. An open staircase provides access to a rooftop garden planted with grasses and sedum, which has been transformed into a veritable “living” room furnished with a mini-kitchen, a large movie screen, and an outdoor shower surrounded by lush vegetation.

10th Street Apartment by Slade Architecture

This 10th Street Apartment by Slade Architecture is an apartment for a couple with two children. The couple had a three-bedroom apartment and bought the one bedroom apartment next door. The woman is a graphic designer and has her office at home. The client wanted to bring as much natural light into the apartment as possible.



























We use the two existing load bearing brick walls to define three zones. The adult’s area on the north, the children’s suite on the south and the public/shared spaces in between. Service blocks subdivide in each zone for different functions.

The north and west facing adult suite occupies the area of the newly purchased one bedroom apartment. This contains the master bedroom suite, the home office, a laundry storage area and the guest bathroom. The shower has a translucent wall to allow light into the bathroom from the bedroom. Cabinets on the north side of the bedroom define a walk-in closet area.



























The wood paneled central block contains the master bathroom, storage and laundry spaces all of which are accessible through operable wood or glass panels/doors. It also defines a passageway between spaces and contains the bedroom door.



























The children’s suite occupies the existing two bedrooms and bathroom of the original apartment. The bathroom block defines the two bedroom areas within the large open zone. Doors allow the spaces to be separated for privacy. A clearstory in the bathroom to allows natural light from the west facing windows into the smaller bedroom area and into the bathroom.

In the central shared space the kitchen block creates functional areas for living, dining and entertainment. A large new opening in the existing brick wall on the north side connects the two apartments and provides a generous entry space. White paint on the brick walls creates a brighter space while keeping the texture of the brick.

Awards:
Loft e Appartamenti, (Barcelona, Spain: Atrium Group, 2003)
Upstairs, Downstairs, New York Sun, Thursday July 24, 2003, p.17
UPCOMING: Colorfulness (Beijing, China, 2005).

Chelsea Duplex Penthouse by Paul Cha Architect

This Chelsea Duplex Penthouse was designed by Paul Cha Architect. The loft occupies the top floor of a seven story glass manufacturing plant that was recently converted to residential units. A simple penthouse addition was added during the conversion. The Chelsea neighborhood is composed of warehouses and light manufacturing facilities.



The client, a young investment fund manager, requested a tranquil living/work environment, suitable for social entertainment as well as work related functions. Typical of the Chelsea building typology of the early twentieth century, the rectangular 'railway' loft is encased by exposed pitched pine ceiling beams supporting oak flooring, while the perimeter brick walls are punctuated by windows all around. The later penthouse addition is capped by an intricate 'A' wood frame construction, with skylights flooding the central loft with generous sunlight.



The architectural design strategy was to insert programmatic architectural interventions within an existing archaeological framework. The loft is divided into three zones: Living, Dining/Kitchen, and Bedrooms/Bathrooms.



Situated above the Dining/Kitchen zone is the penthouse Office, opening to the South and North Terraces while connected vertically by a sky lighted atrium and open staircase. The South Terrace can be seen as a spatial extension of the penthouse office, the center pivot door connects a wall enclosed and wood truss capped penthouse Office, to the tree lined and wood decked South Terrace opening to the sky above.



The private Bedrooms/ Bathrooms zone is designed for maximum spatial efficiency, while the perception of spatial openness is enhanced through the use of sliding 'interior windows' emphasizing the loft's width. The play on the loft's spatial depth is further articulated by an angled wall leading to a Bedroom, mirroring the existing angled perimeter wall. A series of enclosing walls, sliding doors and open cabinetry fulfil multiple functional requirements and spatial divisions.



For instance, the Kitchen's standard box like upper and lower cabinetry evolves into the Kitchen island facing the Dining area, then is transformed into the angular wood 'box' open staircase, finally to the open wood box bookshelving at the penthouse Office.



The design strategy is further articulated though the material finishes and color perceptions. All existing finishes are preserved in their natural states, contrasting with precise shop-manufactured architectural interventions. The careful layering of various construction elements, with attention paid to visual finish, sensual texture, along with functional durability and ease of maintenance, creates a unifying spatial perception and atmospheric warmth throughout the loft.