Charlotte of The Upper West Side | 2017-2021

Location: New York, New York, USA
Architects: BKSK Architects LLP.
Lead Architect: Todd Poisson
Interior Designers: Alyssa Kapito Interiors
Landscape Architects: Future Green Studio
General Contractor: Hudson Meridian Construction Group
Client: The Roe Corporation
Photographers: Christopher Payne/Esto

Charlotte of the Upper West Side is a 9-story mixed use building at 470 Columbus Avenue. The design features a modern interpretation of traditional district architectural typology. The design is cohesive–warm materials, modern detailing and concepts of screening appear throughout especially in the jewel of the design: cleverly disguised, heroic glass windows. Intended to dialogue directly with the surrounding architecture, the design drew inspiration from traditions of sculptural brick and terra cotta details, planes of masonry, and robust cornices.

CUWS is layers of masonry – the brick piers are interwoven with horizontal terra cotta baguettes to create a suspended rain screen that conceals large, contemporary windows, framing legible openings that mirror the punched windows of adjacent tenement buildings. Inside, the horizontal screening a modern serene quality and the layers of masonry give way to contemporary wood.

The project sets new standards for energy performance, occupant comfort, and indoor air quality for residential buildings in NYC. Charlotte’s namesake is a real child; the building’s focus on sustainability, and health and wellness, is a purposeful endowment toward her generation’s future.

The architects utilized, and even enhanced, Passive House design standards leading to a PHI Low Energy Building Certification. Passive House design relies on a nearly airtight building envelope, with robust insulation and, in this case, street-facing windows with 4 panes of glass. Filtered fresh outdoor air is supplied to every habitable room by a separate ventilation system, distinct from the heating and air conditioning system, substantially raising the indoor air quality CUWS is one of the first condominium buildings in New York to introduce Ultraviolet C energy throughout its mechanical system to irradiate germs and viruses. Meeting exceptional energy efficiency and low energy use requirements, the project is the first LPC approved condominium built to PH standards in Manhattan.