View Gallery
Charlotte of the Upper West Side | 470 Columbus
Occupancy
2023Location
Upper West Side, NYCClient
Roe CorporationCharlotte of the Upper West Side is a new 9-story multi-family residential building at 470 Columbus Avenue, in the Upper West Side / Central Park West Historic District of Manhattan, NYC. The building is Manhattan’s first residential condominium to be certified by Passive House International as a Low Energy Building in a landmark district.
The façade is a modern interpretation of historic fenestration patterns and traditional district materials. Intended to dialogue directly with its immediate context, the façade draws inspiration from district traditions of sculptural brick, deeply raked terra cotta, planes of masonry, and robust cornices. Brick piers are interwoven with horizontal terra cotta units which align with adjacent terra cotta baguettes integrated into a suspended sunshade screen. The terra cotta and aluminum screen disguises heroically scaled street facing windows, framing legible openings that mirror the punched windows of adjacent tenement buildings. The distinctive screen provides privacy and shading, significantly cutting thermal gain.
The project sets new standards for energy performance, occupant comfort, and indoor air quality for residential buildings in NYC. To achieve Passive House goals, the design incorporates a nearly airtight building envelope, robust insulation, and triple-glazed windows with four layers of glass. The four layers of glass cut solar heat gain far below what is allowed by code and substantially improves acoustic attenuation of street noise.
HEPA-14 filtered fresh outdoor air tempered by recovered heat or cooling energy depending on season is supplied to every habitable room by a ventilation system, distinct from the heating and air conditioning system. The ventilation facilitates a fresh air exchange rate far above NYC code requirements. In addition, Charlotte of the Upper West Side is one of the first residential buildings in New York City to introduce Ultraviolet C energy throughout its air supply system to irradiate germs and viruses.
Alyssa Kapito Interiors & BKSK Architects collaborated on the Interior Design.
Awards
SARA National, Design Award of Honor; Best in Category, 2024
Chicago Athenaeum, Good Green Design Award, 2024
AIA New York State Design Award, Merit, 2023
Architecture Masterprize, Residential Architecture - Multi Unit, 2023
SARA New York Chapter, Design Award of Honor, 2023
Society of American Registered Architects New York Council (SARA | NY), Design Award of Merit, 2018
Chicago Athenaeum & European Centre for Architecture, Green Good Design Award, 2018
Driven x Design 2017 New York Design Awards, Silver Award, Architecture - Proposed, 2017
Multi-Housing News, 2017 Excellence Award, Silver - Unbuilt: Mid-Rise, 2017
Press
“The Newest Must-Have Home Amenity for the Rich: Purified Air,” Wall Street Journal , March 2024
“The Hot New Luxury Good for the Rich: Air,” The New Republic, February 2024
“Charlotte Becomes First Name In Passive House,” Passive House Accelerator, October 2023
“As the Climate Changes, Pressure Is Growing to Make Buildings More Efficient,” New York Times, September 2023
“Nice Shades: This NYC Passivhaus Condo Has Terra-Cotta Baguettes,” Tree Hugger, September 2022
“BKSK Architects Designed an NYC Condominium to Passive House and Beyond,” Green Building and Design, August 2022
“6 Extravagant Eco-Friendly Luxury Homes You Can Buy Right Now,” Gotham, August 2022
“Eco-friendly Homes Around the World Luring Conscious Buyers,” Luxury Travel Magazine, July 2022
“A Passive House of the Future in a Landmark Setting of the Past,” HenryBuilt, July 2022
“BKSK Architects realizes terra-cotta facade on an Upper West Side residential building,” The Architect's Newspaper, July 2022
“With Sustainability and Style in Equal Measure, this Cutting-Edge Condo is Manhattan’s Chicest New Resident,” Elle Decor, June 2022
“On The Market: NYC’s Charlotte Of The Upper West Side Is A Show-Stopper,” Gotham Magazine, December 2021
“Luxurious Makeover Comes To Upper West Side Residential Selection,” Forbes, October 2021
“Charlotte Of The Upper West Side Nears Completion At 470 Columbus Avenue,” YIMBY, September 2021
“Beauty Meets Sustainability In These Boutique Condo NYC Homes,” Luxe Interiors + Design, July 2021
“The Future of Everything | Home CLEAN AIR: THE NEXT LUXURY APARTMENT PERK,” Wall Street Journal, December 2020
“The Ultimate Map of NYC’s Passive House Movement, Includes 25 Energy-Efficient Overachievers now in the Works,” CityRealty, October 2017
COLLABORATORS
Ysrael A. Seinuck – Structural; GEA Consulting Engineers – MEP; RA Consultants – Geotechnical; Eckersley O’Callaghan & Partners – Exterior Wall Consultant; Metropolis Group – Expediting; IROS Elevator Design Services – Elevator Consultant; ZeroEnergy Design – Passive House Consultant; Future Green Studio – Landscape Designer; Construction Manager – Hudson Meridian & Construction Group.
Photography: Christopher Payne/ESTO; BKSK Architects; Henrybuilt
Renderings: BKSK Architects
"This building is defined not by how far above the ground we are but by how close we are to the principles that keep us grounded. Wellness, Beauty, Form and Function. - John Roe, Developer"