Features

As the general public becomes more aware of the potentialy-disastrous effects of climate change, a handful of building developers are doing their share to ensure the next generation of buildings are more energy conscious. At 285 Grand Street in Williamsburg, Blue Zees Real Estate has finished construction on a Passive House condo with ground-floor retail and two spacious condo units above.
Led by James Stock and Steven van der Zwan, Blue Zees filed construction permits in early 2014. The design by David Berridge Architects provides a COR-TEN steel facade made out of 13 joined vertical metal sections. Clusters of awning-shaded windows puncture the rusty exterior, produced by Maloya Metal Fabication & Manufacturing.

A retail brochure from Lee & Associates shows that the ground and cellar levels will accommodate two skylit retail spaces. A full-floor unit with a rear terrace will span the second floor. The upper third and fourth floors will be a duplex apartment whose top floor is greatly setback, resulting in a large wrap-around, street-facing terrace.
The project aims for Passive House certification. The rigorous, German-born standard is said to deliver up to a 90% reduction in heating and cooling demand and up to a 75% reduction in overall energy use when compared to most existing buildings. Rooted in a nearly-airtight exterior envelope, the standard results in a highly-insulated building with ultra-efficient heating and cooling systems, low energy bills, and quiet interiors. Last year, we tallied up that there are now approximately 100 current and forthcoming Passive House projects in New York City.


Schedule an Appointment
To tour this property, just complete the information below.
Or call us at (212) 755-5544