Back in February of 2008, Brooklyn-based Manifold Architecture Studio incorporated a variety of green design features into the conversion of a 1600-square-foot triplex apartment unit in a former synagogue along East Seventh Street in the East Village. The project, which was executed for Dominique Camacho and her partner Gary Hirschkron, was profiled earlier this month in the New York Times and is definitely worth a closer look from a green construction perspective. The building itself was built back in 1908 and converted in the 1980s into five separate residences; the couple purchased the penthouse unit in 2007 for $1.5 million.
It's not suprising that, as a former religious space, the unit offers extensive natural daylight; the living room actually once served as a prayer sanctuary. In addition to its location in a historic, landmarked structure, other green features that MAS incorporated into its design included a variety of low-VOC paints and sealants. Ms. Camacho, dubbed by the Times the project's "de facto environmental consultant," was actually inspired to take and pass the LEED AP examination after the renovation was complete (she is also the owner of Sustainable NYC, a store that offers a variety of green products from space at Avenue A and East 9th Street). In addition, black bamboo frames a private terrace to provide the couple with an additional layer of seclusion as MAS installed a glass door sliding system to blur the boundaries of indoor and outdoor spaces; the terrace was actually a separate project that was completed by MAS in May of 2008.
The building itself is landmarked and was formerly the Beth Hamedrash Hagadal Anshe Ungarn (Great House of Study of the People of Hungary); it features a limestone facade which "captivated" Ms. Camacho, according to the Times . Images below are via the MAS website.
- Hirschkron/Camacho (MAS)
- An Old Synagogue Shows Skin (NYT)
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