12 Warren Condos, New York City

Form follows function—and in this case, the form is a staggering construction of bluestone that makes up the modern 12 Warren building in Manhattan’s historic Tribeca neighborhood. The hand-laid stones from the Catskill region in upstate New York provide a natural oasis for city dwellers, while handcrafted furnishings and mindful methods remind residents to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

The beautiful brainchild is from DDG, an innovative bicoastal firm that wants to make it easier for residents to go green. The LEED-certified homes set a standard for conscientious living and use concrete to reduce the urban heat island effect, which is caused by human activity in a city combined with rising temperatures. The building collects storm water for reuse, and the units employ secondary heating elements to minimize electrical output from the heating and cooling system, saving money and energy.

The 13-floor building is composed of duplex and triplex residences (from 3,800 square feet). Each unit integrates the asymmetrical slabs of bluestone to bring the naturescape inside with jagged rock archways and wall features. Throughout the contemporary layouts, an acute attention to detail is apparent in the accents of Austrian white oak, Black Saint Laurent marble countertops, elegant Carrera marble bathrooms, wet bars with custom cabinetry, and 7-foot-tall windows looking out to the Hudson River and Brooklyn Bridge. The building’s amenities include an expansive fitness center, a landscaped roof terrace, and concierge services. For two-wheel enthusiasts, there is a convenient bike storage area to encourage less automotive use.

Other designers in the Big Apple are unveiling eco-friendly options, as well. The residences at SoHo’s 570 Broome, for example, feature self-cleaning slabs of stone to reduce containments and purify the air through photocatalysis—a chemical process that involves the absorption of light by one or more reacting species.

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Photo: Courtesy Bruce Damonte

Exterior of the building built with rough-hewn bluestone locally sourced from the Catskills

Photo: Courtesy Field Condition

Photo: Courtesy Bruce Damonte

Terrace

Photo: Courtesy Robert Granoff

Hallway with integrate bluestone

Photo: Courtesy Robert Granoff

Photo: Courtesy Robert Granoff

Dining room to terrace

Photo: Courtesy Robert Granoff

Dining hall

Photo: Courtesy Robert Granoff

Outdoor patio

Photo Credit: Robert Granoff