c at e g o ry
Architecture
one jackson square
new york, ny
Located in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, One Jackson Square is a 35-unit luxury residential
development that responds in dramatic fashion to its celebrated locale. This historic district
is home to the highest concentration of early architecture in New York City, and introducing
new structures to this intricate fabric must respect its existing architecture, the artistic life
within its boundaries, and the history that permeates its streets. The district, however, is not
frozen in time, as its recent transformation into an affluent enclave has demonstrated.
Formerly a surface parking lot, the six-sided, split-zone site above two subway tunnels poses
significant challenges, which the design negotiates through its massing, material expression,
and robust foundation. It also provides a long-missing north edge to Jackson Square Park, a
wedge-shaped space formed by the convergence of Greenwich and Eighth Avenues.
The building volume steps down from 11 stories to seven stories, from north to south, accommodating the zoning laws and mediating the varied scales of the neighborhood. Undulating
bands of glass identify individual floors, creating a ribbon-like series of convexities and concavities along the street wall. The predominantly masonry structures of the immediate sur-
roundings, along with the park, are “played back” in the glazed façade, creating an intimacy
of scale congruent with the local context through juxtaposition. The fluid form of the façade
is reprised in the lobby, where a bamboo-clad volume is conceived as a block of wood eroded
over time by the ebb and flow of residents, much like a river erodes its banks.
A series of green roofs extends the private realm of the building into the public domain of
the park. The planted decks also signal the project’s environmental agenda, which includes
sustainable materials, rainwater harvesting, and daylighting.
Born from the idiosyncrasies, scale, and spirit of the neighborhood, One Jackson Square sets
a new standard for exceptional additions to the district’s historic fabric.
physical context
The site is an obtuse corner defined by the angle at which Greenwich and 8th Avenues
meet. Fronting Jackson Square Park, a public park in one of the oldest historic districts in
Manhattan, the site is a unique place in the Manhattan’s predominantly gridded fabric.
One Jackson Square reflects the unique form and history of its site.
manhattan perris, 1855
manhattan bromley, 1911
manhattan bromley, 1935
urban edges
Once lined with a consistent edge of row houses, the site was flattened in the late 1920s by
the construction of the 8th Avenue Subway Line. The subway tunnel had been seen as an
obstacle for new construction since that time, so the site served as a surface parking lot for
over 80 years. The flat lot exposed the rear walls of the buildings on 14th street, which were
never intended for view, and left the northern edge of Jackson Square Park undefined.
gateway to historical district
At the boundary of both the Greenwich Village Historic District and Jackson Square Park,
the site demands an urban edge significant enough to mark this complex intersection while
allowing the Historic District to change and evolve with the passing of time. A product of the
dynamism of its own time, One Jackson Square provides such an edge.
zoning erosion
The split-block site falls within two different zoning districts: The denser of the two relates
to 14th Street; the other relates to the intimate scale of Greenwich Village. The as-of-right
building volume generates an unusual form and requires the joining of a taller mass to
a lower one. The object-making power of this unusual form is adopted in the design and
accentuated with a series of horizontal glass ribbons.
contextual dialog
Context is a consideration unique to art of architecture. Healthy urban environments occur
when buildings engage one another. Rather than imitating the old stylistically or formally,
successful new structures engage existing buildings by establishing a point of view that heightens
the awareness of the old. One Jackson Square places its surroundings in high relief, seeking
dialogue through contrast rather than mimicry. The spirit of Greenwich Village and the character
of its urban fabric necessitated a unique response from the building. The surface quality of its
glass façade coupled with its geometry of undulating ribbons achieved such a response.
zoning as-of-right
horizontal segregation
elevation
VEGETATED ROOF
WITH INDIGENOUS
PLANTING
LOCAL
MATERIALS
HIGH
INDOOR AIR
QUALITY
500mi
800km
GREY WATER
RECYCLING FOR
IRRIGATION
LOW VOC
PAINT AND
ADHESIVES
LOW-VOC
RECYCLED
FINISHES
DOUBLE
GLAZED LOW-E
GLASS
NATURAL
VENTILATION
WITH OPERABLE
WINDOWS
EFFICIENT
LIGHTING
BICYCLE
STORAGE
OFF
ENERGY STAR
APPLIANCES
INDIVIDUAL
CONTROLS
sustainability
Located in a dense, walkable neighborhood, the building offers indoor bicycle storage and
ample subway and bus stops. Passive heating and cooling strategies complement a highly
efficient HVAC. Low-e glass allows ample daylight, reducing the need for artificial lighting.
An indoor air quality program was implemented to keep mechanical systems clear of
construction debris and dust, increasing their longevity and efficiency. Interior finishes use
local materials high in recycled content and low in volatile organic compounds. An expansive
sedum green roof insulates the building and mitigates the “heat island” effect. Indigenous
vegetation reduces storm water runoff and provides a habitat for urban fauna.
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Curtain wall anchor
Horizontal mullion
Fire stopping and smoke seal
Foil faced mineral wool insulation
Split spandrel structure
Split spandrel
Polyurethane sealant, closed cell backer rod
Gwb soffit fascia
Vertical mullion
Low-iron, low-e IGU
Wide plank solid white oak flooring
Extruded aluminum trim
ribbon spandrel
The split horizontal joint at the floor slab allows each floor to undulate independently. A head
and a sill are created by the split in the steel horizontal mullion. Fifteen to twenty foot segments
of these pre-fabricated steel horizontals are attached to the edge of each structural slab. The
head of the unit is joined to the sill of the unit below with a vertical mullion. This horizontal and
vertical undulating grid is then in filled with an insulated high performance glazing unit.
faceted curve
The curves that define the facade are made of flat panels. Like a sequin dress, the panels
reflect light and images dynamically. The facets “break-up” images of the surrounding
buildings on the surface of the façade through reflection. The fractured reflected image on
the façade brings the context to the surface and is “played back” in a unique fashion.
street wall
The undulating street wall made of glass is informed by traditional serpentine brick walls
which require fewer bricks due to the stability of their curved forms. Reflecting the park and
the surrounding buildings at subtly varied angles, the panes form a cinematic façade that is
both dynamic as one moves around it. The street-level retail and lobby of the building further
enliven the street wall.
lobby
An extension of the undulating street wall, the lobby is envisioned as a solid whose form
has been carved by the ebb and flow of passersby. For the lobby, bamboo plywood is
used in lieu of glass in order to convey a sense of warmth and welcome people into the
dwelling. A skylight at the end of the lobby brings natural illumination to the far end of
the lobby—an unusual feature in a Manhattan apartment building.
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directed movement
Within the lobby, points of interest—the concierge, a shelf for flowers, a bench, a banquet
shelf, and a shaft connecting to the lounge below—are placed along a meandering path.
These elements direct the flow of people through the lobby as they are drawn inward by
the sunlit elevator vestibule.
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Vestibule
Concierge
Lobby bench
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Visual connection to lounge
Elevator lobby
Elevators
pattern making
A tempered, organic modernism guides the arrangement of interior space and detailing.
Four-inch stone discs were placed into the terrazzo floor in a seemingly random order. They
are distributed most densely at the center of the pathway and more sparsely towards the
edges, anticipating the distribution of foot traffic in the space.
wall fabrication
During the design process, a detailed computer model of the lobby was crafted for visual
and spatial studies. The model was then thickened and cut into vertical pieces. These pieces
were then nested with sophisticated computer software and routed with a CNC machine
into 4’x8’ sheets of bamboo plywood. The pieces of bamboo were then stacked, glued, sanded,
and finished in a controlled environment of-site. The resulting prefabricated panels were
delivered to the site and hand-placed, one by one, into the interior of the lobby.
“nested” panel shapes
stacked fabrication
elevator cab
vertical movement
The structure’s two elevator cabs visually reinforce the major themes of the building.
Calacatta stone slabs form the floor, a walnut plank wraps the inside, and a seemingly
random aesthetic guides the placement of the LED lights in the mirrored stainless wall.
Instead of the kind of top lighting commonly used in elevators, these LEDs illuminate
the space from the sides.
amenity space
The major element that shapes the amenities space is the 8th Avenue Subway. The shape
of the plan required inventive solutions to the problem of arranging program elements.
Geometries such as irregular, faceted walls create moments within the plan that temper
what would otherwise be an ungraceful plan shape.
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plan
The lounge at One Jackson Square was designed to provide a flexible series of uses.
Considered the buildings collective living room, the lounge can be used for informal
meetings, hosting parties, watching film, and exercise.
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Lounge vestibule
Fireplace
Living room
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Kitchen
Treatment Room
Exercise
lounge vestibule
Tower apartments
1/2 - 1 unit per floor
Duplex apartments
3 units per floor
Low-rise apartments
5 units per floor
Retail
apartment types
Three basic types of apartments make up the building. Low-rise units connect to street and
park. Mid-rise duplex units strongly connect to Greenwich Village. High-rise units look out
to the city and the river beyond in three directions, letting residents watch both the sunrise
and sunset.
4 Bedroom
Studio
2 Bedroom
Retail
3 Bedroom
1 Bedroom
Lobby
low-rise
The low-rise portion of the building houses the majority of the apartments. A mix of one,
two, and three bedroom apartments fill the second through fifth floors. These apartments
participate in the activity of the park and street.
mid-rise
The mid-rise section of the building is spread across two floors. Housing two-level duplex
apartments and terraces, this portion of the building participates in the verve of Greenwich
Village. At the datum of the rooftops of Greenwich Village, these units are physically and
visually connected to the surrounding neighborhood.
high-rise
The most spacious apartments are located in the tower portion of the building, which
offers views in all directions. The windows of each apartment extend below the edge of the
hardwood floor, hiding their bottom casings, so the floor appears to float independently from
the glass walls. Floating above street, park and Village, these spaces blend fluidly into the
New York skyline.