A massive new development is underway at the site of the Russel Pancoast-designed Surf Club at Surfside Beach in Miami. Developed by Nadim Ashi's Fort Partners development company, The Surf Club features two new towers and an extensive renovation of the original 1930 Surf Club structures, all situated on a nine acre site with 965 feet of Atlantic Ocean frontage.

Looking north from Atlantic Way.

The Surf Club will feature a 77-room Four Seasons Hotel and 150 residences designed by Meier and designer Lee Mindel. Twelve penthouses will top both towers and be offered in simplex, duplex, and triplex configurations. The penthouses range in size from 5,400 to 7,500 square feet and feature large amounts of private outdoor terraces.

Southeast corner from Surfside Beach.

View of the site from Surfside Beach.

New York architect Richard Meier & Partners is leading the design, which features Meier's signature Modernist details and focus on transparency. The façade is dominated by a glass curtain wall that allows for floor to ceiling views out to the beach or the city from the hotel and condo units. For now, the façade has an intense blue tone due to the removable protective wrap over the glass.

East elevation from Surfside Beach.

East facade of the residential and hotel south tower.

East façade of the north tower.

Looking up at the east façade of the north tower.

Northeast corner of the residential north tower.

Façade mock-up in the foreground with the north tower in the background.

Façade corner close-up.

Northwest corner of the north tower.

West façade of the north tower.

Northwest corner of the south tower.

West façade of the south tower.

Southwest corner of the residential and hotel south tower from Collins Avenue.

The original 1930 Surf Club is undergoing an extensive restoration and renovation as part of the new development and will house some of the many amenities offered: private membership club, two restaurants, four swimming pools, spa and fitness center, beach cabanas, park, and oceanside gardens. Meier has collaborated with designer Lee Mindel on the new public spaces.

Inside "Peacock Alley" at the original Surf Club, undergoing extensive renovations.

East façade of the original Surf Club.

Original Surf Club façade detail.

The new courtyard.

The glass façade of the new residential tower, seen from the courtyard.

Inside the original Surf Club, under renovations.

Panorama of the view of Surfside Beach from the amenity deck.

Looking south at Surfside Beach from a penthouse unit.

Panorama of the penthouse view of Surfside Beach.

Penthouse outdoor terraces.

Panorama of a penthouse city view to the west.

Architects: Richard Meier & Partners Architects (Design Architect) with Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design (Executive Architect); Developer: Fort Partners; Interiors: Richard Meier & Partners Architects, Lee Mindel, Joseph Dirand; Landscape: Fernando Wong; Program: Hotel, Residential Condo; Location: Surfside, Miami, Florida; Completion: Late 2016.

Construction is wrapping up at Zelig Weiss and Riverside Developers’ The William Vale, a 21-story, 250-foot tower at 55 Wythe Avenue, in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn.

View from the East River.

Designed by Albo Liberis, the mixed-use tower includes a 183-key four-star hotel at the top half. A duplex presidential suite occupies the top two floors, with a double height view of Brooklyn and the Manhattan skyline. The grand opening for the hotel is slated for July 11.

View from the East River.

Close-up of the hotel balconies.

Southwest corner from Wythe Avenue and North 12th Street.

Northwest corner from Wythe Avenue and North 13th Street.

Looking up at the north facade from North 13th Street.

Northeast corner from North 13th Street.

Close-up of the hotel balconies.

Southeast corner North 12th Street.

Southeast corner North 12th Street.

Rooftop

A large outdoor event space at the top floor offers a panoramic view of Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. Andrew Carmellini and NoHo Hospitality Group will operate a rooftop bar that will open this summer.

Rooftop event space.

Panoramic view of Manhattan from the rooftop event space under construction.

View of Brooklyn from the outdoor event space.

Hotel Floor

Hotel floor signage.

Hotel floor elevator lobby.

Hotel corridor.

Hotel room number signage.

Hotel room entry.

Furniture detail.

Panoramic view from the private balcony.

Private balcony.

View of Long Island City from the private balcony.

View of Midtown from the private balcony.

Retail, Amenity, and Public Green Space

At the base of the tower, hotel guests will find resort-class amenities along with 20,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. A 15,000 square foot rooftop garden will provide green space to the public and will be accessible from a stair that cuts through the retail space. Included on the rooftop space, the hotel pool will be the longest hotel pool in the city at 60 feet.

Looking down on the rooftop garden from a hotel room balcony.

Rooftop garden details.

Stairway up to the rooftop garden space.

Architect: Albo Liberis; Developer: Zelig Weiss and Riverside Developers; Program: Hotel, Retail, Office; Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY; Completion: July 2016.

Construction is wrapping up at Columbia University Medical College's new Graduate and Education Building in Washington Heights. Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro with Gensler, the 14-story tower will house classroom, simulation and training facilities for the college when it opens this August. Dedicated on June 9, the building has been renamed the Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center, after its initial donors P. Roy Vagelos, MD, a alumnus of Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons (P&S), and his wife, Diana Vagelos, an alumna of Barnard College and vice chair of the Trustees of Barnard College.

The building's iconic feature is the "Study Cascade," a south facing 14-story space, connected by a grand stair, with outdoor rooms and terraces to foster collaborative learning amongst students and faculty. Cement panels and wood clad the interior features of the "Study Cascade," while the exterior enclosure of floor-to-ceiling glass allows for open views of Manhattan and the Hudson River.

Construction is slated for completion some time next year, with the goal of achieving LEED gold certification.

Southeast corner from Haven Avenue.

Southeast corner from Haven Avenue.

Looking up at the southeast corner from Haven Avenue.

East façade from West 171st Street.

Close-up of the east facade.

Close-up of the east facade.

South facade and outdoor stair.

Close-up of outdoor stair and southwest corner.

South facade and outdoor stair.

Ground floor south facade and outdoor stair.

Building name signage at the southeast corner of the lobby.

Lobby.

Interior grand stair.

Ground floor spandrel glazing at the east facade.

Looking up at the south facade.

Southwest corner.

Southwest corner.

Close-up of the southwest corner.

Close-up of the southeast corner.

Close-up of the southeast corner.

Close-up of the southeast corner.

Architects: Diller Scofidio + Renfro with Gensler; Structural Engineer: Leslie E. Robertson Associates (LERA); Program: Education; Location: Washington Heights, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.

Northeast corner from Desbrosses Street.

Construction scaffolding has come down at 443 Greenwich, a 7-story restoration and renovation of an 1884 structure designed by Charles C. Haight. Once a book bindery, the structure will now house 53 large condo units from developers Metro Loft.

North facade detail.

Looking up at the north facade.

The building is located in the Tribeca North Historic District and is bounded by Desbrosses Street, Vestry Street, and Greenwich Street. Exterior detailing on the landmarked 7-story building includes more than 600 shutters that are being restored or replicated. A 4,000 square-foot courtyard populated with sassafras trees and designed by HM White is located at the center of the building's massive footprint.

Northwest corner at Greenwich Street and Desbrosses Street.

Residents can enter the building from a private drop off located under the courtyard, which also offers a 15-car parking garage with charging stations. The barrel vaulted drop off and garage is accessed from the north or south via a gated ramp.

North facade detail.

Northwest corner at Greenwich Street and Desbrosses Street.

Also located in the cellar are the bulk of the building's amenities including: a 71 foot indoor lap pool, hamam (Turkish steam bath), a gym with yoga room run by the Wright Fit, a temperature controlled wine cellar, storage rooms, children's playroom, and a bike room.

Southwest corner at Greenwich Street and Vestry Street.

443 Greenwich will contain 45 loft-style homes ranging from 2,900 SF to 4,250 SF, and 8 penthouses ranging from 5,000 SF to 9,300 SF, with interiors by CetraRuddy Architects. The 53 units will feature a modern take on the industrial Tribeca style. Exposed existing wood columns and beams and high ceilings will be complemented by modern conveniences, such as a 70 bottle wine fridge, two dishwashers, a warming drawer for cappuccino cups, custom door hardware, standalone tubs, marble accent walls in the bathrooms, and bidets.

The project should be completed later this year.

West facade.

West facade detail.

Architects: CetraRuddy Architects; Landscape Architects: HM White; Developers: Metro Loft Developers LLC; Design: Pentagram; Program: Residential; Location: Tribeca, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.

Construction scaffolding is down at 11 Beach, revealing the newly renovated façade of the 1910 office building. from developers HFZ Capital Group. Once home to the likes of Miramax Films, the conversion of the 10-story building into residential condos is led by developers HFZ Capital Group with design by BKSK Architects. Thomas Juul-Hansen is overseeing the interior design of the 27 residences. Both designers have worked on luxury buildings both new and conversions throughout the city that tap into its historical industrial style.

On the outside, the light tan brick facades of the building's three street frontages will remain, though the narrow windows will be replaced by new units that span two openings. Brick will be replaced by terra cotta at the horizontal spandrels, which will help to give the façade verticality as the remaining brick reads as vertical piers. A rusticated brick base and a new forged metal canopy will greet residents and add to the neighborhood streets ape. At the roof, residents will be able to take in dramatic views of Lower Manhattan, as well as access to a landscaped garden.

Construction is slated to wrap up sometime this year, bringing another restored piece of history to the TriBeCa neighborhood.

Architects: BKSK Architects; Interior Designer: Thomas Juul-Hansen; Developer: HFZ Capital Group; Marketing and Sales: Douglas Elliman Development Marketing; PR: M18; Program: Residential; Location: TriBeCa, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.

Work is underway on Park Grove, the three tower development from OMA in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami. The three luxury residential towers are sited on 5.2 acres across from Regatta Park. Currently, concrete superstructure has just started to rise above ground along the southern boundary of the site. Completion is expected in 2018. 

Architect: Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA); Developers: Terra Group with Related Group; Interiors: Meyer Davis; Landscapes: Enzo Enea; Program: Residential; Location: Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida; Completion: 2018.

Construction is wrapping up at Grove at Grand Bay, Terra Group's two tower residential development located on a three acre site in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami. Designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the two towers twist along their vertical axis, allowing for a dynamic range of views of Biscayne Bay and the nearby park. The facade is composed of a window wall system set back from the concrete slab at each floor to create generous terraces with up to 12 feet of depth. A total of 96 residences will be offered between both towers.

Architect: Bjarke Ingels Group with Nichols Broch and Associates; Developer: Terra Group; Landscape: Bjarke Ingels Group with Raymond Jungles; Program: Residential; Location: Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida; Completion: 2016.

Exterior work has wrapped up at DDG's XOCO 325, the nine-story, 21-unit residential condo and retail development at 325 West Broadway. The project is built on the site of a former chocolate factory, hence the name XOCO, the Catalan word for chocolate.

Construction scaffolding has been completely removed from the West Broadway elevation, fully revealing the wood and glass ground floor façade and the signature cast-aluminum screen above. Referencing the historic neighborhood's cast-iron facades, XOCO 325's screen floats above the future ground floor retail space and creates a space for vertical gardens in front of the glass window wall. The design of the screen evokes the imagery of bones or joints. Burlap was integrated into the formwork at the street facing side of the screen, providing a unique pattern for each unit. On the opposite, unit-facing side of the screen, an imprint of a worker's hand was CNC milled into the formwork to provide further texture.

Architect/Developer: DDG; Program: Residential, Retail; Location: SoHo, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.

Construction is wrapping up on the exterior wall at 83 Walker Street in Tribeca, one of the latest residential projects from Morris Adjmi Architects. The nine-story, mid-block building features a creamy concrete façade with columns and window bays cast into the surface, giving the appearance that the building across the street has been pressed into the concrete.

Architect: Morris Adjmi Architects; Developer: Abra Construction Corp.; Program: Residential; Location: Tribeca, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.

Tech companies are in the midst of a massive building boom, with major office expansions underway at almost every top company. While most have opted for expanding in low rise structures in sprawling suburban complexes, Amazon has chosen to establish a vertical campus in the Denny Triangle neighborhood of downtown Seattle. The current plan calls for a cluster of 3 37-story towers that, when completed in 2021, will provide enough space for 55,000 employees. Design of the campus has been overseen by the Seattle headquarters of international firm NBBJ.

Tower 1: Doppler

Standing at 524 feet in height, the first tower is located at 2021 7th Avenue and has been given the name Doppler, the former codename of the company's popular Echo voice assistant device. The glass curtain wall features vertical fins and spandrel panels in a variety of designs and colors, varying at each face of the tower. Amenities for Amazon's employees, some of whom moved in last December, include a self serve food market, an outdoor area for grilling, a dog park on the 17th floor, video game room, and 3-d printers.

Tower 2

The second tower on the Amazon campus, located at 2101 7th Avenue, rises to 521 feet in height. Like tower 1, the second tower features a glass curtain wall but opts for a mostly horizontal articulation with slab caps and glass frit. At the base of the tower, three 80 to 90 feet tall steel-and-glass spheres will house more office and retail space alongside full sized trees and plants.

Work on the third tower is in the early stages and should be complete by 2021..

Architect: NBBJ; Client: Amazon; Program: Office, Retail; Location: Denny Triangle, Seattle, Washington; Completion: 2016 (Tower 1), 2017 (Tower 2), 2021 (Tower 3). 

Construction is wrapping up at the Durst Organization's VIA 57 WEST on the Hudson River waterfront. Designed by Bjarke Ingels of BIG, the 470-foot-tall "courtscraper" includes 709 residential rental units and 45,000-square-feet of commercial retail space. Renters began to move in this past spring and now the building's amenities have opened, with the branding of VIA Garden, VIA Social, and VIA Fit.

VIA Garden

Designed by Starr Whitehouse, the building's 22,000-square-foot courtyard features native plants and trees, along with seating and an outdoor grilling area. 

Looking west from the courtyard entrance.

Looking up from the courtyard.

The courtyard's winding brick path and newly planted trees.

Organic bench seating in the courtyard.

Looking east from the western edge of the courtyard.

Hudson River view from the western edge of the courtyard.

Hudson River view from the western edge of the courtyard.

VIA Social: East Resident Lounge

East resident lounge seating with a view of Stephen Glassman Studio's "Flows Two Ways."

Detail of Stephen Glassman Studio's "Flow Two Ways."

VIA Social: West Resident Lounge

VIA Social: Poker Room

Poker room.

Poker room.

VIA Fit

Indoor half basketball court.

Indoor half basketball court.

Developer: The Durst Organization; Architect: BIG (Design Architect), SLCE Architects (Architect of Record); Engineer: Thornton Tomasetti Group Inc.; Exterior Wall: Enclos Corp.; Landscape Architect: Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects; Program: Residential, Retail; Location: Hell's Kitchen, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.

East facade from West 28th Street.

Installation continues on the hand-rubbed metal screen at Related's 520 W 28 residential condo tower. Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the 11-story, 40-unit condo flanks the western edge of the High Line at 28th Street. The metal screen functions as a finished cover for the concrete slabs, which are not covered by the glass panels of the window wall system. Hadid uses the slab covering as an opportunity to express and emphasize the softened edges at the corners and create the building's signature element of floors that meld with walls. The intricacy of their shapes require a technological artisanry, as they are formed by unique, laser cut pieces.

North facade from the High Line.

Close-up of the curved glass corners and metal screen.

Close-up of the metal screen at the north facade.

Close-up of the metal screen at the north façade.

North façade from West 28th Street.

Looking up at the metal screen on the north façade.

Close-up of the metal screen at the north façade.

Northwest corner of the north façade.

Close-up of the northwest corner.

Close-up of the northwest corner.

When completed, the building should be a fitting testament to the avant garde vision of Zaha Hadid, who died earlier this year.

Looking north from the High Line towards 520 W 28 (left), 10 Hudson Yards (right), and 507 W 28 (far right).

Architects: Zaha Hadid Architects; Developer: Related; Program: Residential; Location: Chelsea, New York, NY; Completion: 2017.

10 Hudson Yards rises on the Hudson River waterfront.

Progress continues at Hudson Yards' first phase at the eastern rail yards, with construction underway on all parcels.

Northwest corner of the Eastern Rail Yards from West 34th Street and 11th Avenue, with 30 Hudson Yards (center), 10 Hudson Yards (right), and 55 Hudson Yards (far right).

Concrete superstructure continues to rise at 55 Hudson Yards, the Related Companies office tower at the corner of 11th Avenue and West 34th Street. Design of the 51-story, 780-foot tower is led by Kohn Pedersen Fox with Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates. The tower's massing features a tenth floor setback that affords an outdoor terrace with views of the larger development as well as Hudson Park and the High Line. On the exterior, the curtain wall features black metal mullion caps that create a grid of chamfered rectangles. 

Northwest corner from West 34th Street and 11th Avenue.

Northeast corner from West 34th Street.

East facade of 55 Hudson Yards (background) and the entrance to the 34th Street-Hudson Yards station in Hudson Park (foreground).

Steel superstructure continues its rise at the second office tower, 30 Hudson Yards, at the northeastern corner of the rail yards. Designed by KPF, the 92-story, 1,287-foot tower will house Time Warner Inc. and feature an open-air observation deck. Steel superstructure has reached approximately 1/5 its final height and installation of the glass curtain wall has begun at the northeast corner.

Looking south towards 30 Hudson Yards from West 34th Street.

Looking south towards 30 Hudson Yards (center) and 10 Hudson Yards (left).

Northeast corner of 30 Hudson Yards.

Close-up of the curtain wall installation underway on 30 Hudson Yards.

Looking up at the east façade of 30 Hudson Yards.

Work continues on the retail building located in between the two office towers, with superstructure topped out and work underway on the exterior facade. The 1,000,000-square foot retail structure is designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects and will be anchored by the Nieman Marcus department store chain. 

East façade of the retail building (left) and 30 Hudson Yards (right) from 10th Avenue.

At the corner of West 30th Street and 10th Avenue, the mega developments' first office tower has wrapped up construction and welcomed its first occupants. Designed by KPF, the 52-story tower at 10 Hudson Yards will house the likes of Coach, Loreal, and SAP. 

Looking up at the east facade of 10 Hudson Yards from 10th Avenue.

The first residential tower, 15 Hudson Yards, is slowly making progress as it reaches street level with its concrete structure. Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Rockwell Group, the 70-story condo and rental tower has seen a significant redesign since its announcement.

Designed by the same team as 15 Hudson Yards, The Shed will accommodate performance, visual and multi-disciplinary art in a 200,000-square-foot structure. The project is composed of a six-story fixed building and a telescoping outer shell that can expand to the adjoining plaza to provide an additional hall for events. Steel superstructure on the fixed building has reached the fifth floor.

Looking west towards The Shed rising above the High Line.

Looking northeast from the High Line towards 15 Hudson Yards (foreground) and The Shed (background). 

Looking east towards 10 Hudson Yards (right) and 30 Hudson Yards (left) from the High Line.

Looking east towards 10 Hudson Yards (right) and 30 Hudson Yards (left) from the High Line.

Looking east towards 10 Hudson Yards (right) and 30 Hudson Yards (left) from the High Line.

Architects: KPF (10 Hudson Yards, 30 Hudson Yards, 55 Hudson Yards, Retail), Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Rockwell Group (15 Hudson Yards, The Shed), Ismael Leyva Architects (15 Hudson Yards - Architect of Record), KRJDA (55 Hudson Yards); Developers: Related Companies, Oxford Properties Group; Program: Office, Retail; Location: Hudson Yards, New York, NY; Completion: 2016 (10 Hudson Yards), 2017 (55 Hudson Yards), 2018 (15 Hudson Yards, 35 Hudson Yards, Retail, Public Square), 2019 (30 Hudson Yards).

Northeast corner of the Manhattan West development with One Manhattan West rising in the foreground.

Construction continues at Brookfield Properties' Manhattan West, the six building mixed use mega-development adjacent to the new Hudson Yards neighborhood. The latest component of the project to begin construction, One Manhattan West, is now rising above street level. Designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), the 67-story tower will offer 2.1 million square feet of office space when it opens in 2019. A slightly smaller 62-story office tower at Two Manhattan West, also designed by SOM, will follow in 2021.

Close-up of the steel superstructure at One Manhattan West.

Close-up of the steel superstructure at One Manhattan West.

East boundary of the development with 401 West 31st Street (left), 5 Manhattan West (center), and One Manhattan West (right). 

Southeast corner of the development.

South boundary of the development.

Situated adjacent to 5 Manhattan West, Brookfield's 62-story, 844-units residential tower at 401 West 31st Street has topped out and much of the glass curtain wall has been installed. The design of the curtain wall includes a horizontal mullion cap at the intermediate mullion directly above the integrated louver for the PTAC units and a pronounced horizontal metal spandrel panel every fourth floor. Design of the tower is by SOM, architects for the two office towers set to eventually rise to the east, with SLCE Architects serving as Architect of Record. 

Southeast corner of 401 West 31st Street.

Looking up at the south façade of 401 West 31st Street.

Southwest corner of 401 West 31st Street.

Upper tower of 401 West 31st Street.

At 5 Manhattan West, a 1969 Brutalist office building currently being renovated by REX, installation of the glass curtain wall has completed on all but the corner piers and ground floor spaces. The original precast concrete façade has been removed and replaced with pleated glass curtain wall panels that restore floor area lost in the original sloped design. Occupation in the zone adjacent to the facade was previously impeded by the sloped walls. 

Southeast corner of 5 Manhattan West.

Looking up at the south façade of 5 Manhattan West.

The south façade of 5 Manhattan West and

Southwest corner of 5 Manhattan West.

Northwest corner of 5 Manhattan West.

Glass curtain wall panels going up at the northwest corner pier.

Architects: REX (Five Manhattan West), SLCE (401 West 31st Street [Architect of Record], SOM (401 West 31st Street [Design Architect], 1 Manhattan West, Master Plan Architect); Landscape Architects: James Corner Field Operations; Developer: Brookfield; Program: Office, Residential, Retail; Location: Hudson Yards District, New York, NY; Completion: 2016 (Five Manhattan West, 401 West 31st Street); 2020 (One and Two Manhattan West).

North façade.

Construction has topped out and curtain wall installation is well underway at Soori High Line, the joint venture from developers Siras Oriel Development. The 11-story, 31-unit residential tower, designed by SCDA, is one of many going up adjacent to the High Line. Units in the building will range from one to five bedrooms spread amongst single, duplex and triplex configurations. Sixteen of the units even come with their own heated pool. Other amenities will include concierge, library, wine cellar and gym. Completion is slated for 2017.

Close-up of the north façade curtain wall.

Close-up of the north façade curtain wall.

North façade.

Looking up at the north façade.

Close-up of the north façade curtain wall.

Curtain wall installation at the northwest corner.

Curtain wall installation at the northwest corner.

Curtain wall installation at the northwest corner.

Architect: SCDA Architects; Developer: Blackhouse, Siras Oriel Development; Program: Residential; Location: Chelsea, New York, NY; Completion: 2017.

Rendering of 512 West 22nd Street by COOKFOX.

Construction is underway at 512 W 22, a warehouse to office conversion adjacent to the High Line. COOKFOX Architects are leading the design, which will convert the existing 5-story warehouse into an 11-story office tower. The massing features rounded corners and several outdoor spaces created by building setbacks and carved out spaces. To tap into the character of the neighborhood, the exterior façade will feature industrial sash-inspired windows, and anthracite terracotta, zinc and granite panels. The project is pursuing LEED Gold and construction completion is expected sometime next year.

Architect: COOKFOX Architects; Developer: The Albanese Organization; Program: Office; Location: Chelsea, New York, NY; Completion: 2017.

Concrete superstructure has topped out at Steven Holl Architects' public library on the Queens' waterfront in Hunters Point. The project broke ground last summer after spending nearly a decade in planning.

Situated among the recent crop of towers on the waterfront in Hunters Point, the structure rises to approximately 104 feet. Inside, the building will embrace the library typology's new role as community hub with a diverse array of programs. An adult reading collection, children's area, teen area, cyber-center, conference room and outdoor amphitheater will all be housed in the 22,000 square foot structure. This diversity in program is registered on the building's facades with large organic openings that provide light and views out. At night, the light will shine through the openings, a dramatic lantern on the Queens waterfront visible to the community and Manhattan. 

Completion is slated for sometime next year.  

Architect: Steven Holl Architects; Client: New York City Department of Design and Construction, Queens Library; Program: Library; Location: Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, NY; Completion: 2017.

Looking north from East 42nd Street.

Demolition has wrapped up at the site of One Vanderbilt, a future supertall tower to be constructed on a site adjacent to New York's Grand Central Terminal. Designed by KPF, the mixed use tower will rise 1,501 feet into the Midtown skyline. Excavation is now underway with the completion of demolition of the previous occupants of the full block site. TD Bank has already signed on as an office tenant. Construction is slated to complete in 2020.

Southwest corner of the site at East 42nd Street and Madison Avenue. 

Looking east from East 42nd Street.

Architect: KPF; Developer: SL Green Realty Corporation; Program: Mixed Use, Office, Retail; Location: Midtown East, New York, NY; Completion: 2020.

Looking up at the north façade from West 1st Street.

Construction is wrapping up at Skidmore Owings & Merrill's new United States courthouse indowntown Los Angeles. The building is designed as a glass clad cube that hovers over a stone base. As part of the sustainability strategy to achieve LEED Platinum status, a serrated curtain wall cladding will help to drastically reduce solar heat gain and maximize views.  Inside, the 633,000-square-foot facility will contain 24 courtrooms and 32 judges’ chambers.

U.S. seal glass frit close-up.

Tower base close-up.

Façade corner close-up.

East façade with the Los Angeles Times Building in the foreground.

West elevation from South Olive Street.

Looking east from South Grand Avenue and West 2nd Street.

Southwest corner from South Hill Street and West 2nd Street.

Façade close-up.

Façade corner close-up.

U.S. Courthouse with the Walt Disney Concert Hall in the foreground.

Architect: SOM; Program: Federal Courthouse; Location: Downtown, Los Angeles, California; Completion: 2016.

Tenants are starting to move in at Urby Staten Island in Stapleton. The two building rental property from Ironstate Development sits on 7 acres of land, formerly home to an unfinished naval base that closed in 1993. A Dutch architecture firm, Concrete, has designed the four and five story structures clad in window wall and metal panel.

Residents will have access to a bevy of amenities that include a bodega, communal kitchen, urban garden, two-floor fitness center, outdoor pool, filtered water bottle filling station, bike room, and digital package system. The communal kitchen will be overseen by a chef in residence and offer cooking classes to residents.

Communal kitchen.

Outdoor pool.

The 5,000-square-foot urban garden, managed by a resident farmer, will raise produce to be sold in the on-site bodega and for the meals prepared in the communal kitchen.

The two buildings offer 571 apartments that range in size from studios to two-bedrooms, including 115 affordable units. Some units feature waterfront views of Lower Manhattan and a leftover pier from the former naval base.

Living room of a multi-bedroom unit.

Kitchen.

Studio.

Bathroom.

At the eastern end of the site, residents will have access to a new waterfront esplanade with views to Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan.

View of Urby Staten Island from the Stapleton train platform.

A second phase of the development, offering an additional 325 units on an adjacent site, is scheduled to open in 2018.

Architect: Concrete; Developer: Ironstate Development; Program: Residential; Location: Staten Island, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.