1401 - Welcome to Brooklyn! September 8-14, 2003 | March 8-14, 2004 HI, I'M BOB VILA.
WELCOME HOME AGAIN
TO A BRAND NEW SEASON
OF PROGRAMS,
THIS TIME COMING TO YOU
FROM THE STREETS OF
NEW YORK CITY.
BROOKLYN, TO BE SPECIFIC,
AND AN AREA KNOWN AS DUMBO,
DOWN UNDER THE MANHATTAN
BRIDGE OVERPASS.
WE'LL BE GIVING YOU
A CLOSE LOOK AT
THE NEIGHBORHOOD TODAY
LEARNING A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE AREA
AND CHECKING OUT THE BUILDING
THAT WE'RE CONTEMPLATING
TOTALLY REHABBING.
STICK AROUND. IT'S GOOD
TO HAVE YOU HOME AGAIN.
CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE
BY SEARS
WELCOME TO NEW YORK,
THE BIG APPLE,
OUR LOCATION FOR
OUR LATEST CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
WHEN MOST PEOPLE
THINK NEW YORK CITY
THEY THINK MANHATTAN,
WHICH OF COURSE,
IS ONE OF FIVE BOROUGHS...
STATEN ISLAND, BROOKLYN,
QUEENS, AND THE BRONX.
AND WE'RE IN BROOKLYN.
THAT IS THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE
JUST BEHIND ME.
LET ME GIVE YOU A QUICK
CAPSULE HISTORY OF BROOKLYN
GOING BACK TO THE 1600s,
WHEN YOU HAD A LOT OF
DUTCH SETTLERS
FROM LOWER MANHATTAN
ROWING OVER HERE
TO TRADE WITH THE DELAWARE
INDIAN TRIBES THAT LIVED
IN THIS REGION.
EVENTUALLY, THEY BOUGHT
LAND FROM THE INDIANS
AND CREATED A SETTLEMENT
WHICH THEY NAMED "BREUKELEN".
IN THE 1700s, WHARFS AND DOCKS
WERE BUILT AROUND HERE.
AND BY THE 1900s,
WITH THE INVENTION
OF THE STEAM BOAT
BY MR. FULTON,
YOU HAD A LOT OF COMMERCE
IN THIS AREA.
IN FACT, YOU HAD
THE CONSTRUCTION OF
AMAZING WHARF BUILDINGS
AND FACTORIES AROUND HERE,
MANY OF WHICH SURVIVE.
SOME OF THE BUSINESSES
THAT WERE TAKING PLACE HERE
INVOLVED THE MANUFACTURING
OF PAINTS,
THE MAKING OF
CARDBOARD BOXES,
TIN CANS, SOAPS,
AND OF COURSE, LOTS OF
PRODUCTS FROM ALL OVER
THE WORLD
WHICH WERE BEING BROUGHT HERE,
LIKE COFFEE, FOR EXAMPLE.
THE NICKNAME OF
"THE WALLED CITY"
WAS GIVEN TO BROOKLYN
BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRUCTION
OF ALL THESE BIG
BRICK BUILDINGS.
BUT IT WAS PRIMARILY
IN THE 1880s,
WHEN THEY DECIDED
TO BUILD THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE,
THAT THINGS REALLY CHANGED.
THAT BRIDGE DATES TO 1883.
THINK OF IT--HORSE POWER
REALLY MEANT A HORSE.
AND WHAT WE HAD WERE TROLLEYS
BEING PULLED BY HORSES,
PEDESTRIANS, AND EVEN
A FEW BICYCLISTS
COMING BACK AND FORTH.
AND WE SAW COMMERCE
REALLY THRIVE IN THIS PART
OF GREATER NEW YORK.
IT WASN'T UNTIL REALLY
THE MID-20TH CENTURY,
AFTER WORLD WAR II,
THAT MUCH OF THIS COMMERCE
DECLINED
AND WHICH CREATED REALLY
A LARGE INVENTORY
OF EMPTY WAREHOUSE BUILDINGS,
FACTORY BUILDINGS,
WHICH WERE RIPE FOR
CONVERSION TO HOUSING.
20 YEARS AGO IS WHEN
YOU FIRST STARTED SEEING
SOME OF THE URBAN PIONEERS
COMING OVER TO BROOKLYN
TO THIS PARTICULAR AREA
WHICH TODAY IS CALLED DUMBO--
DOWN UNDER THE MANHATTAN
BRIDGE OVERPASS.
WE'VE GOT MANY BRIDGES
THAT CONNECT MANHATTAN
TO BROOKLYN;
AND THE TWO SOUTHERLY BRIDGES
ARE THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE
AND THE MANHATTAN BRIDGE.
BUT LET'S GET CLOSER
TO WATER STREET
TO HAVE A GOOD LOOK
AT OUR LITTLE PROPERTY.
THE DUMBO NEIGHBORHOOD TODAY
IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST
EXCITING AREAS ANYWHERE
IN GREATER NEW YORK.
YOU'VE GOT YOUNG PEOPLE,
ARTISTS MOVING INTO LOFTS
ALL OVER THE PLACE.
I'M WALKING ON OUR STREET,
WHICH IS WATER STREET.
IT DATES BACK
A COUPLE OF CENTURIES
AND IT ORIGINALLY LED DOWN
TO THE RIVER
TO FULTON'S FERRY BOAT WHARF.
BUT RIGHT NOW, LET'S MEET
A NEW MEMBER OF THE CREW,
MY SON CHRISTOPHER
WHO'S JOINING US
AS CLERK OF THE WORKS.
HI, CHRIS.
HI.
HOW ARE YOU?
NOW YOU LOOKED AT
A LOT OF BUILDINGS
IN DUMBO
BEFORE WE DECIDED
ON THIS ONE, RIGHT?
YEAH. WELL, WE LOOKED
AT SEVERAL BUILDINGS
IN THE WATERFRONT AREA,
DUMBO, VINEGAR HILL.
THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAD
WAS THAT MANY OF
THE BUILDINGS HERE
ARE ENORMOUS,
50-100,000 SQUARE FEET
BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL
INITIALLY MADE FOR
HUGE, HEAVY INDUSTRY.
AND THE PERFECT
CONVERSION CANDIDATES
FOR ORGANIZATIONS LIKE...
DAVE WALENTAS
AND TWO TREES
MANAGEMENT,
THEY'VE DONE SOME
LARGE CONVERSIONS
IN THE AREA.
OBVIOUSLY,
WE WANTED TO DO
SOMETHING MUCH SMALLER.
AND SO HERE WE ARE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK,
THOUGH?
WELL, IT'S SHOT.
YEAH.
THERE'S NOT A SINGLE
ASPECT OF THIS
BUILDING
THAT WOULD PASS CODE
IN NEW YORK CITY TODAY.
THE FACADE IS
ENTIRELY IN DISREPAIR.
YEAH.
IT WOULD ABSOLUTELY...
HAVE TO BE TORN DOWN.
[BOB LAUGHS]
WELL, IT CAN
BE RESTORED, THOUGH,
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT
THE BUILDINGS ACROSS
THE STREET
ARE SIMILAR VINTAGE
MID-19TH CENTURY.
WELL, THAT BUILDING
ACTUALLY IS A BEFORE
AND AFTER OF THIS ONE.
THIS BUILDING
AND THAT BUILDING
WERE BUILT AROUND
THE SAME TIME
AND THAT'S BEEN
TOTALLY REPAIRED
AND IS EVENTUALLY
WHAT THIS IS GOING
TO LOOK LIKE.
RIGHT. AND WHAT
WE HAVE HERE
IS AN INTERESTING
COMMERCIAL FACADE.
IT'S PROBABLY 1850s.
IT'S GOT CAST IRON
WINDOW ELEMENTS.
THE LINTELS AND THE APRONS
ARE ACTUALLY CAST IRON.
AND IT'S GOT A SHAFT WAY
ON ONE SIDE
WHERE THERE'S
AN ELEVATOR
BECAUSE THE COMMERCIAL
USE OF THE PROPERTY
INVOLVED A--
INITIALLY
A PEPPER FACTORY.
PEPPER FACTORY.
Bob: LET'S GO IN
AND TAKE A CLOSER LOOK.
WHEN WE COME BACK,
WE'LL FIND OUT IF THERE'S
ANY HOPE
FOR THE INTERIOR
OF THIS BUILDING.
STICK AROUND.
WOW, CHRIS,
THIS IS GORGEOUS.
THIS IS PRACTICALLY
IN MOVE-IN CONDITION.
JUST KIDDING.
WELL, YOU WOULDN'T
HAVE RECOGNIZED IT
THREE WEEKS AGO.
WE'VE ACTUALLY SPENT
THE LAST TWO WEEKS
EMPTYING THIS PLACE
OUT OF 40 YEARS WORTH
OF GARBAGE.
SO THIS WAS REALLY
A STORAGE SPACE FOR
A LONG TIME?
THIS HAS BEEN USED
AS A STORAGE SPACE
EVER SINCE IT CEASED
TO BE A PEPPER FACTORY.
SO YOU HAD EVERY SORT
OF GARBAGE
STACKED TO
THE CEILINGS IN HERE.
AND IT'S REALLY ONLY
IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS
THAT WE'VE GOTTEN IT
ALL CLEARED OUT
SO THAT WE COULD SEE
WHAT WE HAD TO WORK WITH.
THE STRUCTURE IS ABOUT
AS BASIC AS IT GETS.
YOU CAN LOOK AT
EVERYTHING AND
YOU CAN SEE
EXACTLY HOW
IT'S HELD TOGETHER.
YOU'VE GOT THESE
OVERSIZED POSTS
AND BEAMS AND RAFTERS.
THEY'RE OVERLAPPING
OVER HERE.
BUT WHAT IT REALLY
INDICATES IS THAT
IT WAS BUILT TO
HOLD A LOT OF WEIGHT.
THIS IS A VERY
UTILITARIAN
BUILDING.
IT'S BUILT TO TAKE
HUGE AMOUNTS OF WEIGHT
FROM THE TOP
AND BRING IT DOWN
TO THE BOTTOM.
WELL, AND PLUS
IT'S RATED FOR
MACHINERY, I SUPPOSE.
THERE'S STILL SOME
REMNANTS OF SOME OF THAT.
LOOK AT
THE MASONRY WALL
OVER HERE.
THE STRUCTURAL BRICK WALL
IS RELIEVED
EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE
BY A WOODEN PLANK.
AND THEN EVERYTHING
WAS WHITEWASHED,
PROBABLY BECAUSE
THEY WERE IN THE FOOD
BUSINESS HERE, RIGHT?
YEAH, THAT MIGHT
HAVE BEEN IT,
BECAUSE THIS WOULD
HAVE BEEN WHERE
THE OFFICES WERE,
AS WELL.
PEOPLE WOULD HAVE
BEEN COMING IN
AND OUT OF HERE
SO YOU WANT AS CLEAN
AN APPEARANCE
AS POSSIBLE.
ELEVATOR?
THAT WAS AN ELEVATOR
AT ONE POINT.
THE MACHINERY
IS STILL THERE
UP ON THE ROOF.
IT'S BEEN OUT OF
SERVICE FOR SOME TIME.
BUT IT'S ANCIENT.
IT'S ANCIENT.
IT'S ORIGINAL,
SO AT SOME POINT,
IT WAS BLOCK
AND PULLEY
AND THEY WERE USING
MAYBE HORSE POWER--
LIKE A BIG
DUMBWAITER.
EXACTLY, TO GET
ALL THIS BULK UP
TO THE TOP FLOOR.
SO BIG SACKS OF PEPPER
UP TO THE TOP,
THEY GRIND IT,
THEY PROCESS IT.
THEY USE HOPPERS
AND PIPES AND THINGS
LIKE THAT
TO DISTRIBUTE IT--
AND IT'S SHOT
DOWN THROUGH HERE
AND IT WAS PACKAGED
DOWN HERE
AND STORED
AND SHIPPED OUT.
VERY INTERESTING.
WHAT'S THE BASEMENT LIKE?
THE BASEMENT
IS A NIGHTMARE.
YOU DON'T WANT
TO GO THERE NOW.
THE RATS ARE
STILL IN RESIDENCE?
THERE'S STILL SOME
VERMIN DOWN THERE
AND WE'VE GOT
A LITTLE BIT
MORE WORK TO DO.
LET'S LOOK AT
THE SECOND FLOOR THEN.
OK.
OH, WOW.
THIS IS STARTING TO LOOK
INDUSTRIAL, ISN'T IT?
VERY MUCH SO.
WITH ALL THESE
DIFFERENT WEIRD THINGS
COMING OUT OF
THE CEILINGS.
THIS IS A WOODEN--
IT'S A WOODEN CHUTE.
YOU'VE GOT THESE
THROUGHOUT EACH FLOOR.
AND THEN OVER HERE,
YOU'VE GOT SOME SORT OF--
ANOTHER METAL--
IT'S A STEEL HOPPER.
AND ABOVE US,
YOU'LL SEE WAS
THE GRINDING OPERATION.
SO I THINK THIS IS WHERE
THE ROUGHER--
SO THEY REALLY
TOOK ADVANTAGE
OF GRAVITY
TO DISTRIBUTE
THE RAW MATERIAL
THROUGHOUT HERE.
ABSOLUTELY.
AND THE TIN CEILING.
YOU PROBABLY FIGURE
THIS WAS MAYBE
A LITTLE OFFICE CORNER?
THIS MIGHT HAVE
BEEN ANOTHER LITTLE
OFFICE CORNER.
THEY KEEP THINGS
A LITTLE BIT NEATER
OVER HERE.
THERE'S A GHOST
OF A WINDOW HERE.
RIGHT. THIS IS WHERE
WE SEE HOW THIS BUILDING
WAS ONE OF THE FIRST
ON THE BLOCK.
YOU SEE THE GHOSTS
OF WINDOWS ON EACH SIDE.
SO, AS THESE BUILDINGS
WERE BUILT UP AROUND IT,
THEY HAD TO
CLOSE THINGS OFF.
THE EMPIRE STORES
NEXT DOOR DATE
FROM 1869.
SO THIS
PREDATES 1869.
AND THERE'S STILL
SOME MACHINERY LEFT
OVER ON THIS SIDE.
RIGHT.
NOW THE WHEELS INDICATE
THAT IT WOULD HAVE
HAD LEATHER STRAPS
OPERATING THE WHOLE THING.
EXACTLY.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT
THE ENERGY SOURCE
WOULD HAVE BEEN
BUT MAYBE A STEAM ENGINE
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
COULD HAVE BEEN.
WE HAVE SOME
EVIDENCE OF THAT.
THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN
SOME SORT OF A GRINDER.
YEAH.
ALL RIGHT,
LET'S LOOK AT
THE NEXT FLOOR.
BOY, THIS IS
NEVER-ENDING.
THIS STUFF IS
ALL OVER THE
BUILDING, HUH?
JUST KEEPS GOING.
WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE
THIS IS?
THIS IS ANOTHER ONE
OF THE ORIGINAL SIFTERS.
THESE WERE ON
THE TOP FLOOR--
NOT THE TOP FLOOR--
SO THIS IS PROBABLY
REALLY MID-19TH CENTURY,
ALL WOODEN BOX
WITH SOME SORT OF
BLADE CONTRAPTION.
THIS IS PRETTY
ORIGINAL TO THE BUILDING.
BUT YOU WOULD
FILL THIS UP
WITH PEPPERCORNS
OR WHATEVER
YOU'RE SIFTING.
SORT THEM, AND THEN
IT WOULD GET PASSED ON.
AND THEN THERE'S
MORE HOPPERS OVER THERE
AND THERE'S
HOLES IN THE FLOOR,
SQUARE CUT HOLES.
THIS IS THE BUSIEST
OF THE FLOORS.
YOU'VE GOT A LOT
OF THE HEAVIER
EQUIPMENT UP HERE.
SO ALL THE RAW
MATERIAL WOULD COME UP
IN THE ELEVATOR,
GET PROCESSED,
SIFTED THROUGH HERE.
THIS IS LIKE
THE SAME AS THAT,
BUT PROBABLY
A NEWER MACHINE
SINCE IT'S STEEL.
AND IT'S GOT DOORS
ON EITHER END,
BUT YOU CAN REALLY SEE
THE SIZE OF
THE OPERATION HERE.
FABULOUS.
NOW, WHAT'S THE FLOOR--
WE'RE ON THE THIRD?
WE STILL HAVE
ONE MORE FLOOR.
WE'RE ON
THE THIRD FLOOR.
WE'VE GOT
THE FOURTH FLOOR
ABOVE US
AND THE FOURTH FLOOR
IS A VERY DIFFERENT STORY.
IT'S MISSING
MOST OF ITS ROOF.
WE'VE GOT A BIG
PIGEON PROBLEM
UP THERE.
A LARGE PIGEON
POPULATION.
WE'VE ALSO NOTICED
THAT THERE WERE SOME
SQUATTERS LIVING
ON THE FOURTH FLOOR.
THE FIRST TIME
I WENT UP THERE,
WE NOTICED
A BATHROOM THAT
HAD BEEN INSTALLED.
THEY'D SHEET-ROCKED
THE WALLS
AND THEY'D ORDERED
SOME WINDOW CASINGS.
SO THEY WERE REALLY
TRYING TO MAKE--
SOMEBODY WAS TRYING
TO MAKE A REAL
PENTHOUSE UPSTAIRS.
HA HA HA.
NOT JUST
THE PIGEONS.
AND THIS PROBABLY
HAPPENED WITHIN
THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
THEY'RE SINCE GONE,
BUT THE EVIDENCE
IS STILL THERE.
OK. BUT THERE'S
A LOT OF POTENTIAL
ON THAT TOP FLOOR.
A LOT OF POTENTIAL.
IT'S NOT SURROUNDED
BY EITHER BUILDING,
SO YOU COULD POP OUT
SOME WINDOWS,
GET SOME MORE
LIGHT IN THERE.
AND THERE'S
A LOT OF CEILING HEIGHT.
YOU COULD HAVE ACCESS
TO THE ROOF OR
A ROOF DECK.
IT'S GOT DIRECT
ACCESS TO THE ROOF.
SO WHAT WE DECIDE
TO DO WITH THAT
IS STILL IN DEBATE.
NOW BACK HERE,
CHRISTOPHER--
THE CEILING HEIGHT
HERE IS 8 1/2.
IT VARIES
ALL OVER THE BUILDING,
BUT THE FOOTPRINT,
OBVIOUSLY, IS THE SAME.
ROUGHLY 1100
SQUARE FEET PER FLOOR.
WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE
THE BEST ADAPTIVE RE-USE
OF THE STRUCTURE WILL BE?
AT THIS POINT,
WE'RE THINKING
OF PUTTING IN
THREE--ABOUT 1100
SQUARE FOOT LOFTS
ON THE TOP FLOORS.
SO OPEN PLAN
APARTMENTS?
OPEN PLAN LOFTS.
MAYBE TAKING OUT
SOME OF THE BEAMS,
BUT KEEPING THE SPACE
ROUGHLY SIMILAR TO
WHAT IT IS NOW.
WHAT ABOUT
THE GROUND FLOOR
AND THAT BASEMENT
WE HAVEN'T TOURED?
WELL, THE GROUND FLOOR
AND THE FULL BASEMENT,
WHICH IS ALSO
THE SAME FOOTPRINT,
IS PROBABLY GOING
TO BE TURNED INTO
SOME SORT OF COMMERCIAL SPACE.
WE'RE THINKING ABOUT
A RESTAURANT AT THIS POINT
OR A BAKERY.
THIS IS GONNA BE
A FUN PROJECT.
EXACTLY.
IN A MOMENT,
CHRIS VILA
MEETS WITH THE ARCHITECTS
TO TALK ABOUT THEIR PLANS
FOR THE SECOND FLOOR APARTMENT.
NEXT TIME ON...
WE'LL BE STARTING THE SEASON
WITH A PROJECT
IN NEW YORK CITY.
BROOKLYN, TO BE SPECIFIC,
IN AN AREA CALLED DUMBO--
DOWN UNDER THE MANHATTAN
BRIDGE OVERPASS.
IT'S ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING
AREAS IN GREATER NEW YORK.
WE'LL BE LOOKING
AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD
AND LEARNING A BIT ABOUT
THE HISTORY OF THE AREA.
ALSO, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK
AT THIS ABANDONED
FACTORY BUILDING
AND TALK ABOUT THE PLANS
WE HAVE FOR TOTALLY
REHABBING IT
INTO THREE GORGEOUS APARTMENTS.
SO DON'T MISS IT.
THAT'S NEXT TIME
ON HOME AGAIN.
NEXT TIME ON...
WE'LL BE IN NEW YORK CITY
TO START TRANSFORMING
THIS ABANDONED BUILDING
INTO NEW LOFT APARTMENTS.
DON'T MISS IT.
SO CHRIS,
WE'RE GONNA HAVE
THREE APARTMENTS
IN THIS BUILDING
AND THREE DIFFERENT TEAMS
OF YOUNG ARCHITECTS
WORKING,
ONE FOR EACH FLOOR.
SO ANDY AND JARED
ARE HERE.
WHY DON'T YOU REVIEW
WITH THEM THEIR PLANS
FOR THIS FLOOR
AND I'M GONNA LOOK
FOR JACK BEYER--
HIS FIRM IS DOING
THE FACADE WORK. OK?
OK.
HI, JARED.
HOW'RE YOU DOING?
HEY, ANDY.
THIS IS YOUR FIRST
REAL LOOK AROUND THE BUILDING.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
IT'S REALLY GREAT
TO BE HERE
AND SEE IT FOR
THE FIRST TIME
AND ACTUALLY LOOK AROUND.
THE LAST TIME
WE WERE HERE,
IT WAS FULL OF JUNK.
COVERED IN JUNK, RIGHT?
THE DEVELOPER SAID
THAT HE WANTS TO DO
TWO BEDROOMS.
WHAT KIND OF PROBLEMS
DO YOU THINK WE'RE GONNA
RUN INTO HERE?
THE FIRST THING IS REALLY TO
SOLVE THE CIRCULATION PROBLEM.
WHERE DO WE LOCATE
THE STAIR?
AND WE EXPECT THAT
WE WOULD PUT A STAIR
ABOUT HERE
THAT WOULD CONTINUE UP
TO THE UPPER FLOORS
AND KEEP THE UPPER
PART OF THE STAIR
THE WAY IT IS NOW.
SO THAT'LL ELIMINATE
ALL THESE CRAZY STAIRWAYS
THAT ARE GOING UP
TO THE FOURTH FLOOR.
IT ENDS UP BEING
A BOX HERE
AND YOU LOSE SOME SPACE,
BUT IF YOU COME OVER
TO THE ELEVATOR SHAFT,
THIS OBJECT HERE,
SO THIS WHOLE SPACE,
WHAT ARE WE DOING
WITH THIS?
WE'RE GONNA RECLAIM THIS
BECAUSE WE DON'T
NEED IT ANYMORE.
WHAT THAT DOES IS WE GET
ABOUT 70 SQUARE FEET BACK
IN THE APARTMENT.
THE OTHER THING THAT
IT GETS IS IT GETS US
A THIRD WINDOW.
SO WE'RE KNOCKING
OUT ALL THESE WALLS
COMPLETELY.
THIS THING IS GOING
AND WE'RE GONNA GET
A THIRD WINDOW
IN THE FACADE
WHICH WILL BRING
LIGHT INTO THIS AREA.
AND WE BEGIN TO
SEPARATE THE APARTMENT
INTO THREE ZONES.
ONE IS THIS SORT OF
LIVING ZONE WHICH
HAS THE MOST LIGHT.
THE SECOND IS THIS
UTILITY ZONE
WHICH HAS IN IT
THE KITCHEN,
THE BATHROOM
AND THE STAIR
AND ALL THE UTILITIES
FOR THE APARTMENT.
AND OF COURSE,
THE THIRD ZONE
WHICH REQUIRES
THE MOST PRIVACY
WOULD BE
THE BEDROOM ZONE
WHICH WOULD HAVE
BOTH ACOUSTICAL
AND VISUAL PRIVACY.
AND THE LEAST LIGHT
IN THE BACK.
HOW EXACTLY DO YOU
THINK YOU CAN DESIGN
ALL OF THESE ZONES?
WE HAVE TWO STRATEGIES.
RIGHT NOW,
ONE STRATEGY
IS TO COMPRESS
AS MUCH OF THAT
SERVICE STUFF
INTO THE CENTER
OF THE APARTMENT
AROUND THE STAIR CORE.
SO WHAT WE WOULD HAVE
IS BATHROOM AND KITCHEN
RIGHT IN
THE CENTER SPACE
LEAVING THE FRONT
OF THE APARTMENT
AND THE BACK OPEN.
WE'LL SEE
THE BRICK WALLS
EXPOSED.
WE WANT TO KEEP
AS MUCH OF THE NATURAL
OLD CHARACTER OF
THE BUILDING INTACT.
THE SECOND STRATEGY
IS TO BUILD A CABINET.
SOME MILL WORK
WHICH WOULD RUN
THE LENGTH OF
THE APARTMENT.
THIS WOULD BE DONE
OFF-SITE?
OFF-SITE.
IT WOULD BE JUST
BROUGHT IN AND
INSTALLED
AS A PIECE
OF MILL WORK.
THAT WOULD START
HERE, RUN ALONG
A LINE ALONG THESE
COLUMNS
ALL THE WAY
INTO THE BACK OF
THE APARTMENT.
THAT WILL CONSOLIDATE
ALL THE THINGS THAT
ARE FUNCTIONAL,
KITCHEN, BATHROOM,
CLOSETS, STORAGE--
EVERYTHING
IS CONTAINED THERE.
RIGHT, AND IT WILL LEAVE
THE APARTMENT EXPOSED
AS IS IN ITS
OLD CONDITION.
THE PERIMETER WALLS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK
ABOUT THE OVERALL
FINISH WHEN IT'S DONE?
HAVE YOU GIVEN THAT
ANY THOUGHT?
WE'D LIKE TO DO
SOMETHING CONTEMPORARY
THAT WOULD REALLY
CONTRAST WITH
THE EXISTING CONDITIONS,
I THINK, WE'RE IMAGINING
THAT THE EXISTING CONDITIONS
REMAIN INTACT
AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
AND THAT WHATEVER WE DO
IS DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT
AND CONTEMPORARY.
NEXT, I'LL MEET WITH
ARCHITECT JACK BEYER
AND TALK ABOUT HIS PLANS
FOR RESTORING
THE BUILDING'S FACADE.
A LOT OF NEW YORK CITY'S
BEST-LOVED HISTORIC LANDMARKS,
LIKE GRAND CENTRAL STATION
AND SOUTH STREET SEAPORT,
HAVE RECENTLY HAD
SERIOUS FACELIFTS.
THE ARCHITECTURAL FIRM
OF BEYER, BLINDER, BELLE
WAS BEHIND THESE
AND AN ECLECTIC MIX
OF OTHER PROJECTS.
THEY'LL BE COLLABORATING
WITH US HERE IN DUMBO.
LET'S MEET JACK BEYER.
NOW JACK,
JUST CONTEMPLATING
REMODELING SOMETHING
THAT'S THIS FAR GONE
TAKES A LOT OF BRAVERY,
RIGHT?
HOW DO YOU DEAL
WITH IT?
THE FIRST THING
YOU HAVE TO HAVE
IS A BRAVE CLIENT.
AND THEN
THE SECOND THING
YOU HAVE TO DO
IS REALIZE THAT IT'S
NOT JUST THE BUILDING
YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT,
IT'S HOW YOU GET IT
THROUGH ALL THE
REGULATORY AGENCIES,
HOW YOU GET IT APPROVED,
AND ALL OF THE THINGS
THAT ARE UNDER
THE SURFACE
STRUCTURALLY
AND MECHANICALLY.
RIGHT, SO LANDMARKS
PRESERVATION,
ALL SORTS OF REVIEW,
WHAT HAPPENS FIRST?
WELL, I WOULD SAY
THE FIRST THING,
OF COURSE,
IS TO COME UP
WITH THE IDEAS.
DO THE RESEARCH ON
THE HISTORY OF THE BUILDING,
WHICH WE'RE WORKING
WITH BILL HIGGINS ON.
AND THEN,
ONCE YOU HAVE A BASIC IDEA
THEN YOU GOTTA GO
RIGHT TO THE LANDMARKS
COMMISSIONS.
AND THERE ARE TWO
THAT HAVE JURISDICTION
OVER THIS PROJECT.
FIRST THE NEW YORK CITY
LANDMARKS COMMISSION
AND SECONDLY,
THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT
OF THE INTERIOR REGULATIONS,
WHICH ARE ADMINISTERED
BY THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
SO YOU HAVE
TO SATISFY BOTH.
IN MANY TIME PERIODS
AND MANY LOCATIONS,
THIS JUST WOULD BE
A TEARDOWN.
OH, I WOULD SAY
THAT IN NEW YORK CITY,
NO WAY.
THIS IS A TOWN
THAT DEFINITELY
RESPECTS ITS LANDMARKS.
THE LANDMARKS DESIGNATION
HAS PROTECTED THE CITY
IN MANY WONDERFUL WAYS.
AND NOT JUST AESTHETICALLY.
I THINK ECONOMICALLY,
IT'S BEEN A FANTASTIC THING
FOR THE CITY.
FOR SURE.
LET'S TAKE A CLOSE LOOK
AT SOME OF YOUR PROPOSED
CHANGES TO THIS FACADE.
WE'VE GOT A BUILDING
THAT WE KNOW WAS
ORIGINALLY RESIDENTIAL
AND THEN BECAME
A COMMERCIAL BUILDING
IN THE 19TH CENTURY.
WHEN THE BUILDING
WAS CHANGED FROM
RESIDENTIAL TO COMMERCIAL,
TWO SIGNIFICANT
THINGS HAPPENED.
ONE, THEY ADDED
ANOTHER FLOOR.
AND SECONDLY,
THEY COMPLETELY REDID
THE GROUND FLOOR.
SO THE DESIGN
AND THE NATURE
OF THE CONVERSION
NOW THAT WE'RE CONTEMPLATING,
WILL NOT GO BACK
TO THE ORIGINAL
RESIDENTIAL USE AT ALL
OR THE RESIDENTIAL
LOOK OF THE BUILDING.
IT WILL KEEP THE BUILDING
THE WAY IT IS PHYSICALLY
BUT THEN TRANSFORM IT
COMPLETELY ON THE INTERIOR
TO A NEW RESIDENTIAL USE.
AND THE EXCITING
THING TO WATCH HERE
IS THAT WE'RE GONNA
HAVE THREE TEAMS OF
YOUNG ARCHITECTS
THAT WORK ON
THE INTERIOR CHANGES
AND YOUR FIRM,
WHICH HAS A LOT
OF EXPERIENCE
IN HISTORIC
RESTORATION WORK,
IS REALLY JUST CONCERNED
WITH THE FACADE.
THAT'S RIGHT.
RUN US THROUGH
WHAT YOU INTEND
TO DO HERE.
WELL, THE FIRST THING
YOU HAVE RECOGNIZE
IS WHAT A MESS
IT REALLY IS.
HA HA HA.
AND THIS IS A BUILDING
DISORDERLY AND COMPLETELY
WITHIN NEED OF TOTAL REPAIR--
IS STRUCTURALLY SOUND.
IT IS
STRUCTURALLY SOUND.
SO WE FIND THAT THAT
IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
THING TO BE SURE ABOUT.
EVEN THOUGH THERE'S
SOME FAILURES HERE AND THERE
WITH BRICKS AND SO FORTH,
THE BUILDING IS STABLE.
SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO--
IN THIS SKETCH,
ILLUSTRATES A FEW
BASIC IDEAS.
NUMBER ONE,
WE'RE GONNA PUT BACK
THE WINDOWS
IN THE SAME DESIGN
THAT WERE THERE
IN THE 1880s,
WHICH ARE 6 OVER 6
WOOD WINDOWS PAINTED
AND THEY WILL ALL BE
OF THE SAME GENERAL
PROPORTIONS.
THE WINDOW SIZES
ARE ACTUALLY
SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
SO THAT'S NUMBER ONE.
THE SECOND THING
WE WILL DO
IS WE WILL REBUILD
THE ENTIRE FIRST FLOOR
FOR TWO ENTRANCES
AND A SHOW WINDOW.
THE ENTRANCE ON THE LEFT
WILL BE FOR THE NEW APARTMENTS
ON THE UPPER FLOORS.
THE ENTRANCE ON THE RIGHT
WILL BE FOR
A RETAIL STORE
THAT WILL OCCUPY
THE GROUND FLOOR.
AND THE WINDOW IN THE MIDDLE
IS A SHOW WINDOW FOR IT.
NOW ANOTHER IDEA,
WHICH PROBABLY HAS
A LEVEL OF CONTROVERSY TO IT,
IS TO BUILD AN ADDITION
ON THE TOP
SET BACK 20 FEET
FROM THE FRONT
OF THE BUILDING.
SO IT WILL BE
VERY HARD TO SEE IT
FROM NORMAL WALKING AROUND
AND LOOKING UP FROM
THE SIDEWALK.
THE LANDMARKS COMMISSION
HAS IN MANY INSTANCES
APPROVED SUCH AN IDEA,
BUT THERE'S NO ASSURANCE
THAT THEY WILL NECESSARILY
APPROVE IT HERE.
AND THE BUILDING IS SUCH
THAT IT IS
NOT A SIGNIFICANT
MAJOR LANDMARK
IN THE DISTRICT.
IT'S A CONTRIBUTORY
LANDMARK,
NOT A SPECIFICALLY
DESIGNATED ONE.
IT PROMISES
TO BE MOST EXCITING.
THAT YOU SO MUCH,
JACK.
NICE SEEING YOU.
WELL, THIS IS GONNA BE
ONE OF THE MOST
AMBITIOUS PROJECTS
I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH
IN A LONG TIME.
AND WE'RE OUT OF TIME.
COME HOME AGAIN NEXT WEEK
WHEN WE'LL BE GETTING STARTED
WITH DEMOLITION
AND LOOKING FOR CLUES
TO THE HISTORY OF THIS BUILDING
WITH HELP FROM
AN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN.
UNTIL THEN, I'M BOB VILA.
IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU
HOME AGAIN.
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