STUDIO V takes a different approach to sustainability as part of our design process. We integrate all aspects of sustainability at every stage of the design process, from concept design and programming through complex technical requirements and coordination. We incorporate sustainable concepts into not just materials and energy systems but approaches to landscape, programming, and artwork. We explore how people will actual use and move through the spaces of our designs to create a narrative that expresses the sustainable features of our buildings to make it an active part of the resident’s lives. In our design for the residences and public spaces for 303 East 33 Street, we started by defining a series of green spaces and gardens that would define the residents every day experience. A series of public amenity spaces spiral around this miniature rain garden on different levels to create a voyeuristic sense of peering through the intimate gardens to watch the activity of the different areas. A sculptural wall of woven geometric bamboo strips creates a surprising focus for the lobby, and counterpoint to the gardens. The sequence continues to the residences, which feature an iconic range of green materials including certified bamboo floors, white fused glass, and recycled glass mosaic tiles. The sequence is completed in a dramatic roof garden overlooking the neighborhood and the midtown skyline.
