By Ananth Robert Sampathkumar, Partner—NDNY Architecture + Design
In July 2012, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) launched adAPT NYC, a novel competition to design a new model for micro-apartments (under 400 square feet) in Kips Bay, Manhattan. The competition was won by Monadnock Development LLC, Actors Fund Housing Development Corporation, and nARCHITECTS and the completed building boasted of studio apartments ranging from 265 square feet to 360 square feet. The City’s motivation was the lack of smaller sized apartments and the projected demand for it. At the time, there were just under two million one- and two-person households, compared to only one million studio apartments. The competition was meant to usher a new New York way of life.
That was 2012. The last few years have seen a boom on the other side of the spectrum—mega mansions. 2018 has brought super-sized single-family dwellings to the West Village, with more than half a dozen projects in the works. Here are some of the developments underway: 85-89 Jane Street sits at the corner of Washington Street and Jane Street. A former 1919-built garage will be replaced with a 110-foot wide, four-story Roman Brick clad townhouse. Steven Harris Architects, known for their well-crafted houses, had to go through a rigorous Landmarks process before getting the nod to proceed with construction.
282 West 4th Street will combine 11 apartments into one mega-house. Annabelle Selldorf, the Architect behind one of the first Village Mansions, at 335 West 12th Street, is the Architect of Record. The project will boast seven floors, an indoor pool and a generous deck at roof level. Landmarks approved the design in 2015 and construction is on-going.
27 Christopher was home to the New York Foundling before it was bought for $45 million. The 15,000 square foot mansion is being designed by HS Jessup Architecture and will feature six bedrooms, an inner courtyard, a 50-foot pool and 4,000 square feet of rooftop terrace. Construction has been underway since 2017.
145 Perry Street will see a two-story retail structure replaced by a single-family building. The storefronts have been shuttered for a long time and the site has seen multiple proposals, including a hotel and residences. The latest iteration is designed by Leroy Street Studio. The four to six-story house will occupy the corner lot and feature an array of hand crafted materials including a granite base, brick façade with terracotta panels and bronze window frames. Wood shutters will provide much needed privacy while two gardens, one at the entrance and a rear courtyard will add some green relief.
These are just a sampling of mega mansions to come. Property owners are now marketing their townhouses in tandem with their neighbors, to offer buyers with deep pockets the opportunity to create their own super-sized home. “West Village Mega-Mansion” has a certain ironic ring to it. It may have taken many to make the Village but it will only take a few of these behemoths to rid the neighborhood of its Village vibe.
