A mixed-use building at 223 and 227 Grand Street on the Lower East Side, with both structure and interiors designed byGene Kaufman Architect (GKA), has begun renting. The second-floor hair salon is fully leased, and the residential units are in process.
The seven-story, 23-unit structure offers 13,000 square feet of residential space and 6,500 square feet of retail. By combining 223 and 227 Grand, the design creates additional rental and commercial space.
The architects started with the existing buildings and modified them to create more spacious interiors and a significantly improved layout, with the two structures interconnected. This innovative design resulted in minimal excavation and foundation work and facilitated a smoother than usual construction process as well as reduced costs.
Said Gene Kaufman, GKA’s founder and principal: “This was an opportunity to create small, attractively priced and designed rental apartments, demonstrating that Manhattan can be affordable for young working people. At the same time, the efficient layout and low construction cost make this a very attractive proposition for the owner,” 223 Grand Street Property, Inc.
GKA’s interiors group, led by Natalia Tordorova, designed the buildings’ interiors.The apartments are characterized by clean lines and soft, calming gray-toned colors. The corridors have a warmer palette, with a pop of vibrant color on one side and unadorned birch on the other. The ceiling lighting alternates between large, visually-arresting globes placed in a non-linear fashion and strips of almost miniature globes hung in strips.
Gene Kaufman Architect (GKA) has a well-earned reputation in the real estate and private development arenas for high-caliber, high-impact designs that are innovative and highly efficient. For nearly 30 years, Principal Gene Kaufman and his team have cultivated strong, collaborative relationships with some of New York City’s most active developers, helping them to realize substantial bottom-line results through thoughtful design. Known as a hospitality designer par excellence, the firm also has a significant portfolio of commercial, educational and institutional commissions; residential projects; and urban developments, notably multi-family residences and adaptive-reuse projects. GKA’s special expertise in the niche areas of zoning, land-use changes, variances, urban planning and historic restoration is a critical resource for clients. In 2011, GKA joined forces with Gwathmey Siegel + Associates, the architecture practice of the celebrated modernists Charles Gwathmey, who died in 2009, and Robert Siegel. The resulting firm, Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman & Associates Architects (GSKA), works collaboratively with GKA to provide clients with the full spectrum of architectural services. For more information, visitwww.gkapc.com.
