Story

Atlantic Terrace is an 80-unit, mixed-income home ownership development in the bustling Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, NY.

The project is Located on the redeveloped Brownfield site of a former gas station.A petroleum spill had occurred at the site. .  A Remedial Action Plan (RAP) was prepared for the property. The remedial methods included the removal of buried tanks, petroleum-impacted soil, Installation of a sub slab venting system, Installation of an engineered vapor barrier Application of an oxygenate to the underlying groundwater and Post remediation monitoring of groundwater.

The massing scale and articulation were designed to connect the low rise neighborhood on one side and the larger commercial scale of Atlantic Avenue and its converted loft buildings.  

The project is located in a commercial street with heavy vehicular traffic. The ground floor is designed entirely for neighborhood retail that is planned to serve the residents of the building and the neighborhood. The extra high ground floor elevates the residential floors above the street activity. The outdoor recreation space was located on the roof of the retail space on the quiet side of the building.

The rhombus shaped site presented an opportunity to create dramatic corners that anchor the building. Lighter metallic panels, on the upper floors act as accents on the facades to help reduce the scale of the building. Grouping the windows into larger expressions on the main façade echo the larger windows of the high floor loft building windows in the neighborhood.

The building is adjacent to a major transit hub, which with its access to public and alternate means of transportation is one of the major factors of the sustainability of the project. 

"Green" standards are incorporated into all aspects of the architectural design, construction, mechanical and electrical systems. The structure is a combination of concrete bearing walls and steel with hollowed core concrete plank slabs. The perimeter walls are all in concrete block with exterior brick and metal panels. The highly efficient HVAC system, combined with high-performance windows and a tightly constructed, well-insulated exterior wall, in addition to the high-albedo caps on the roof, creates an energy efficient and comfortable building.

Interior finishes include both recycled and rapidly renewable materials, locally built cabinetry. Recycled glass and concrete countertops bamboo kitchen cabinets, concrete pavers, engineered concrete flooring. Other recycled products include the ceramic tile in the bathrooms, and carpet tiles. All interior spaces have access to ample natural day lighting and natural ventilation. All plumbing fixtures are low flow/dual flush, and a planted outdoor terrace at the second floor, has no permanent irrigation, and is planted with native/drought-tolerant plantings.

All paints, adhesives, sealants and primers were low/no-VOC. All composite woods are urea-formaldehyde free .All appliances and lighting, are Energy Star rated, All exterior lighting is full cut-off lighting.

The project is designed to achieve a LEED-Gold certification from the USGBC is participating in the NYSERDA New York Energy $mart New Construction Program, and Enterprise Green Communities.

Client:

Fifth Avenue Committee / Mega Contracting, Inc. / Magnusson Architecture and Planning, PC

Architect

Magnusson Architecture and Planning, PC

Project Team:

Magnus Magnusson AIA, LEED AP,

Fernando Villa AIA, LEED AP BD +C,

Omalawa Musa, LEED AP BD+C,

Shefali Sanghvi, LEED AP BD+C