A new project by architecture firm ODA New York has turned a condo upside down in its latest project, 100 Norfolk, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The 120-foot-high building inlcudes 36 units spanning 12 floors and over 50,000 square feet. But what New Atlas writer Adam Williams says makes this building unique is the cantilevered design which utilizes the ample air space above the narrow plot the project sits on.
"Instead of locating the bulk of the building's mass at its base – where fresh air and sunlight are diminished, and street noise abounds – ODA wondered whether the massing could essentially be reversed, with a narrow base rising to a more expansive top," explains the firm. "Basically, could 100 Norfolk be oriented upside down?
"Leveraging its masterful command of zoning laws – including those pertaining to the transfer of available air rights – ODA looked to a neighboring property for the answer. Or, more accurately, ODA looked above it, where the firm identified 11,000 sq ft [1,021 sq m] of unused air space ripe for construction."
ts narrow base expanding as the building rises offers the benefit of there being more residential units available the higher the tower rises, meaning more people get the benefit of the better views, which is the opposite effect of a standard tapering tower. It also creates a large rooftop terrace area that can be enjoyed by all residents.
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