When one thinks of New York apartment buildings, often visuals of cramped units lined along windowless hallways come to mind. With real estate prices always at a premium, it’s rare that residential buildings in the five boroughs provide any green space for residents to privately enjoy away from the city’s nonstop bustle. 450 Warren, a forthcoming 18-unit building in Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood designed by SO–IL and developed by TANKHOUSE, seeks to break that mold with amenities conducive to an indoor-outdoor lifestyle often found in cities with more temperate climates like Los Angeles or Miami.
From the beginning, SO–IL partner Florian Idenburg intended for 450 Warren to achieve both the intimacy of a private home yet feel situated within a dynamic shared community. Instead of arraying units along dimly lit hallways like most New York buildings, 450 Warren instead offers semi-enclosed outdoor foyers surrounding an open-air central courtyard of three gardens with plant species native to the nearby Gowanus Greenway. Each garden will feature a smart irrigation system from the Danish firm Metropolder, marking the first time its environmentally friendly wares will appear in a condominium in the United States.
