Eran Chen, founder and executive director of ODA New York, wants to remedy the disconnect between the way we live in high-density urban settings and what we, as humans, require for the best quality of life. The New York–based firm’s latest residential tower, at 305 E. 44th St. in Manhattan, seeks to do just that with its ample green spaces and exposure to natural light.
The firm has broken ground on the 116,731-square-foot, vertically stretched building, which is interspersed with numerous 1,400-square-foot, 16-foot-high sculptural garden terraces that appear every few floors.
The hope is that residents of the 41-story, nature-infused tower won’t feel the need to escape to the suburbs to take a breather from the concrete skyscrapers that are abundant in New York City. The height of the terraces and the floor-to-ceiling glass walls surrounding the units allow sunlight to permeate through the spaces and provide 360-degree views of the surrounding city.
The building consists of 44 residential units measuring 2,800 square feet, 11 of which will have private outdoor terraces. A garden appears every two floors of apartments in the upper section of the tower, and each full-floor garden is split into two private terraces. Each apartment unit in the upper portion of the building spans over one of the two floors and is complemented by access to one of the private gardens—one belonging to the apartment above the floor and one belonging to the apartment below it, with each accessed by stairways leading down or up, respectively.
The truly luxurious building gives residents the best of urban living without sacrificing the dream of having their own suburban backyard. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.
