Sustainable Facade at The West on 11th Avenue in New York

Ambitious Project

A few months later they called us back: ‘We’re working on an ambitious and large scale project in New York and we think the Truffle would give the façade the perfect look and feel’.

This is a real honour because Concrete is very picky with the projects they work on. They don’t take shortcuts in materials or ambition and thrive by redefining what’s come before.

What followed was a year of closely working together to further develop the Truffle Shine into a brick with the right colour and texture for this project in Manhattan.

No less than 42 different shapes and sizes of this brick were made to fully cover each corner and curve of the façade with its shiny grey/silver look.

Meet The West

The West is a human-scaled, environmentally conscious hub of vibrant neighbourhood life. The condos, mixed with studios, 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments, are designed from the inside out.

The building, a new residential development at 646 Eleventh Avenue is the largest condo offering on Hell’s Kitchen’s Eleventh Avenue (aka “Auto Row”).

The building features extensive communal spaces and outdoor areas and the base of the building offers a loft-type experience, with a robust brick façade made with custom WasteBasedBricks®.

The full block-front project replaces a low-slung Lexus dealership and is to bring a twelve-story condo with an auto showroom on its ground floor.

The façade of the first seven floors echoes the loft buildings dotting the area, while the upper floors are modern, featuring terraces of various sizes, a fully-glazed facade, and a rooftop terrace. The eighth floor represents a break in the form and hosts a large outdoor terrace with a lounge and dog run.

This project was developed by SK Development together with Ironstate. Construction by CMA.

The Area

The neighbourhood is spacious and bright but still undiscovered by most. A new bike lane will also connect this once-isolated area to the rest of the city.

Residences

For homes at The West, Concrete took inspiration from classic New York City lofts with natural oak flooring, high ceilings, and oversized windows that provide expansive views. The kitchens are finished with marble countertops and backsplashes, custom cabinetry, and slimline Bosch and Miele appliances.

Amenities

Additional amenities include a fitness centre, yoga studio, children’s playroom, dog grooming station, greenhouse, and rooftop pool with sweeping Hudson River views.

Cloud Residences

Sitting above the building’s base, the top five stories compose The Cloud. These airy apartments on the top floor make the most of the views over Manhattan and the Hudson River. The glass boxes jump in and out, creating a contemporary ‘cloud’-like building on top of the industrial base.

Taking inspiration from the classic New York City penthouse, Concrete designed Cloud Residences to maximise light, space, and alluring waterfront views.

Each Cloud Residence features natural oak floors and sliding glass walls that allow maximum flexibility for a personalised home design. Custom kitchen elements include honed Calacatta marble countertops and backsplashes, a bespoke cabinetry system in contrasting pale grey, and Rohl nickel fixtures. For master bathrooms in Cloud Residences, spaces are finished with lustrous Calacatta marble countertops and nickel fixtures by Rohl, with white ceramic tile wainscoting above terrazzo flooring.

Media Mentions

• A new brick building in Manhattan is made of 577,367 pounds of recycled waste [fastcompany.com]
• the west, a building in new york with a recycled-brick façade [designboom.com]
• Concrete creates The West, its first residential project in Manhattan [dutchcultureusa.com]
• A new building in manhattan is made of 577,367 pounds of waste [coolhunting.com]
• A new brick building in Manhattan is made of 577,367 pounds of recycle [thefifthskill.com]
• Bricks Made of 577,367 Pounds of Recycled Waste adorn this Manhattan Building’s Facade | The West [surfacesreporter.com]
• A New Brick Building in Manhattan is Made of 577,367 Pounds of Recycled Waste [wasteadvantagemag.com]