Thursday, 1 September 2016
How builders rely more on elevators for evacuation in a post-9/11 world
Builders are increasingly relying on advancements in elevator technology for emergencies
Bucking convention, skyscrapers world over have begun relying more on elevators as a means of escape and evacuation during an emergency instead of stairs. The Commercial Observer has examined this trend in a feature out this week that compares buildings trends in Asia and the United States.
Based on the CO’s reporting, two major trends have emerged in the post 9/11 world in relation to skyscraper construction. In Asia, a lot of skyscrapers rely on what a principal at the architecture firm, Gensler described to the CO as, "a system of local and express elevators."
These buildings are designed with what are known as sky lobbies which are essentially large common areas that generally function as an atrium or a coffee shop. People then ride an express elevator from here to one of the landing floors in the building, and then take local elevators to go to their particular floor. In case of an evacuation, people would walk down to the nearest landing floor and take the express elevator to exit.
As a Department of Buildings spokesperson informed the CO, that trend hasn’t quite made it to New York yet. In this city, signage and lights in the building point to the evacuation elevators on the designated gathering floors. In addition, builders are adopting more resilient construction techniques in the city. Many of the new buildings are being built with thick concrete cores which are surrounded by strong protective walls. This not only creates larger and more open office space, but the core area also houses the escape routes and stairwells.
Elevators in some cases are becoming pressurized to prevent the smoke from elevator shafts to spread onto different floors. One and Seven World Trade Center both have such pressurized elevators. A new technology being tested out is the twin elevator system, where two elevators operate in the same shaft but with their own mechanical system and counterweight. This uses less floor space and can move people faster.
from
http://ny.curbed.com/2016/9/1/12752486/skyscraper-construction-safety-elevator-9-11
New York Knick Joakim Noah nabs $5.8M Chelsea penthouse
The penthouse, fit for a Bond villain, has a front door that unlocks with a fingerprint
Newly minted New York Knick Joakim Noah has settled in some enviable new digs. According to the New York Post, the star player—a New York native—just purchased a $5.8 million Chelsea penthouse that is, per its listings, "the crown jewel" of the neighborhood.
And indeed, the 2,297-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom condo at 555 West 23rd Street comes with a staggering roster of perks, not the least of which includes a 2,000-square-foot terrace with Hudson River views with a built-in hot tub, surround sound, and self-watering planters.
The apartment’s interior is not too shabby either. The penthouse is fit for a Bond villain, with a front door that unlocks with the scan of a fingerprint and gives way to 12-foot ceilings, enormous windows, wide-plank walnut floors, and a kitchen outfitted with Bosch, Viking, and Miele appliances including a wine refrigerator.
Noah will also have access to the building’s other amenities, including a sundeck with a reflecting pool, a shared lounge, a garage, and a health club. The building is also close to the High Line, and more importantly for Noah, the indoor basketball courts at Chelsea Piers.
from
http://ny.curbed.com/2016/9/1/12751342/new-york-knicks-joakim-noah-home-nyc
East Harlem bus depot on burial ground will give way to memorial
Along with the memorial, the city also wants to bring 730 apartments to the site
A massive new development is in the works for the 126th Street bus depot site in East Harlem with plans for apartments, retail, and offices, the Commercial Observer reports. The focal point of this development however is a memorial to African slaves who were buried at the site in the 17th century when part of it housed a church and the other a burial ground.
Plans for the memorial were first revealed in the summer of 2014 when the New York Post reported that the former bus depot would close in January 2015, and the ownership of the land would transfer back to the city from the MTA. The burial itself had been discovered seven years prior by construction workers. Community members have since campaigned to have a memorial at the site.
Last week, the city’s Economic Development Corporation announced its tentative plans for the site in the City Record, and they include 730 apartments spread out over 655,215 square feet, half of which will be affordable units. Plans also call for 315,000 square feet of retail and office space. About 30,000 square feet will be set aside for the memorial. In addition, the EDC is hoping to develop a 300-car parking area above ground, and an 18,000-square-foot outdoor area.
Planning is still in the early stages, but a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) for the site will likely get underway early next year so the city is able to alter the existing zoning at the site and sell it to a developer. The city plans to issue an RFP once the ULURP is completed.
from
http://ny.curbed.com/2016/9/1/12749072/harlem-burial-ground-bus-depot-memorial-development
Mr. Robot: Mapping the USA Series' NYC Filming Locations
See where Elliot, Mr. Robot, and the rest of the fsociety crew hang out in the five boroughs
Mr. Robot is one of the most—if not the most—visually stunning shows currently on TV. Creator/director Sam Esmail's unorthodox camera angles and stark wide shots set an unsettling mood in line with the mental state of the show's main character, a disturbed, drug-addled hacker named Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek).
But aside from Elliot and the various other tech geniuses, dastardly CEOs, and untrustworthy imaginary friends that populate Mr. Robot's world, the show's other protagonist is New York City. Esmail & Co. film on location in visually arresting spots all over the city, from the shiny megatowers of midtown to the boardwalks of Coney Island to the outer reaches of Queens.
You may not encounter E Corp ads or fsociety graffiti tags in the real world, but there are still plenty of IRL locales New Yorkers can visit to get a glimpse into Mr. Robot's gorgeous, paranoid hackerscape. And check back as we add more locations in the weeks to come. (Beware: Spoilers ahead.)
from
http://ny.curbed.com/maps/mr-robot-nyc-filming-locations