Brooklyn, NY Alloy Development (Alloy) has opened the Grow Room, a tranquil, tech-free space designed to promote well-being through interaction with nature at 505 State St., the city’s first all-electric skyscraper. As part of a suite of amenities at the 44-story tower, the Grow Room features an array of plants from around the world and offers residents a space to attend events like plant care tutorials and enjoy seating areas for individual and group reflection. 505 State St. is part of the first phase of the Alloy Block, a mixed-use development designed by Alloy that will comprise five old and new buildings, providing residential, office, and retail space, as well as the city’s first two public schools designed to meet Passive House standards.
Once complete, the Alloy Block will be home to roughly 850 residences, including 200 permanently affordable apartments, 100,000 s/f of class A office space, 50,000 s/f of retail space, and two Passive House public schools.
The creation of the Grow Room was a collaborative effort, brought to life by a team of designers and experts from various fields who shared the goal of creating a flexible and immersive space with optimal conditions for plants to thrive. Abby Lee, founder of Outlands Botanics, led the selection, installation, care, and maintenance of the plants, bringing her expertise in botanical design to the project. Rachel Johnston and Meaghan Lynch, founders of Studio Prospect, an architecture and landscape architecture firm, were responsible for space planning, as well as fixtures and finishes. Matt Maddy and Nico Arze of Walk and Talk Consulting, whose work is featured in city spaces such as All Night Skates, Russ & Daughters Cafe, and Lilia, oversaw the overall build-out of the space.
“A talented team of designers sought inspiration from gardens, greenhouses and plant shops to create a place for residents to connect with nature and themselves in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn,” said AJ Pires, president of Alloy Development.
“We’re excited to continue promoting a new era of sustainable living at 505 State St. and look forward to welcoming our residents to this truly unique space.”
In the Grow Room, residents of 505 State St. can enjoy a combination of more than 500 plants grown locally and from around the world, such as powderpuff trees from southern Florida and several tree ferns typically found in Australia. Water-based plants such as tropical lotuses and teacup alocasia can be found in a constructed bog in the space, and aerial orchids, Staghorn ferns, and Woodwardia chain ferns can be found hanging from custom trellises. The temperature and humidity, daylighting and grow lights, air flow, moisture control, and insect habitat are all carefully managed to support this living environment. The soil used in the Grow Room, provided by Organic Mechanics, is peat-free.
Sign up is quick, easy, & FREE.