Brilliance Lighting Award !
325 Kent Ave is a residential building that is part of the larger Domino Sugar site being developed by Two Trees Management, Inc. The building has a noticeable ‘hole’ in the center- a playful nod to the ubiquitous ‘Sugar’ donut. The building was designed by Ismael Levya Architects, while the interiors were developed by Leeser Architecture. Blondie’s Treehouse, Inc built all three main exterior amenity spaces.
The Courtyard is 9900 SF. A central, rectilinear dry-bed leads through a random planting of large Shade trees, ferns and perennials and ends at a blackened steel water feature. The water spills into a reflecting pool that features a 12’ tall sandstone sculpture by Lluis Lleo. Two thirty foot built-in benches flank the deck that surrounds the end of the reflecting pool.
55,000 sq ft green roof
This 55ksf extensive green roof serves multiple functions. While the local environment benefits from a reduction of the heat island effect, minimized storm runoff and added protection to the roof membrane, this sedum green roof transforms a series of bare, unattractive spaces into a vibrant, lush amenity for the residents of this new development. The green roof is perhaps the most visible element of the suite of high end amenities and finishes envisioned by the developer, and emblematic of the continuing evolution of this historic neighborhood.
Kips Bay Showhouse
Each year, celebrated interior designers transform a luxury Manhattan home into an elegant exhibition of fine furnishings, art and technology. Blondie’s is proud to participate in this year’s showhouse by providing the botanical decor including an exterior moss wall, water feature accents and greenery.
The Show House receives as many as 15,000 guests annually from across the nation. Since its inception, the Show House has raised over $21,000,000 for the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, which currently reaches over 10,000 young people at nine locations throughout the Bronx. Today, the club is proudly one of the most prominent and responsive youth development agencies in New York City and a flagship of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
9,500 sq ft of Dumbo rooftop…
On the Brooklyn waterfront nestled between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges is 45 Main Street, a 475,000 square-foot office building and one of the signature properties of the neighborhood known as DUMBO. Here, developer Two Trees Management has converted the former factory building to create a mix of private and co-working spaces with incredible views a short walk to the waterfront. With the ground floor dedicated to retailers and the arts, the rooftop is a 9,500 square-foot shared space designed by Landscape Architect James Corner Field Operations and built by Blondie’s Treehouse Inc. We retrofitted the rooftop on this historic building with a mix of stone and wood surfaces. A herringbone pattern of grey and white granite creates a distinct area for blue bistro tables. In the south section of the rooftop an elevated ipe platform introduces an additional level for more casual lounging. Large planters of weathered Corten Steel feature Gleditsia, Amalenchier, Dogwood and Witchhazel as well as perennials and grasses. Custom ipe benches create privacy seating and serve as space dividers along the north and east walls. To install this project on time, Blondie’s brought in a 140-ton crane and secured permits allowing the closure of Washington Street. In a single morning, we lifted 250 cubic yards of soil and drainage stone, twenty-five 15’ trees, each with 30” root balls, 1,600 one gallon perennials as well as pavers and a variety of construction materials. Without the crane, this material would have required the freight elevators for a solid week, a difficult prospect in a busy building at full occupancy. Over a period of nearly four weeks, Blondie’s craftsmen and gardeners fabricated custom woodwork and planters and carefully planted thousands of perennials, shrubs and trees, transforming this rooftop from an empty and unutilized space into a fully realized, functional and quite gorgeous urban landscape.
