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September 21, 2007 -
Spotlights
All New Yorkers have witnessed the city's hipster tendency of heading east, and how these tenants skyrocket the value of where they settle. Now, Rafi Elbaz, founder of Lifeform studio, has developed a new project that goes further east and settles in the up and coming neighborhood of Bushwick, with 163 Montrose; a newly renovated green building for the young, hip and environmentally-conscious
With the meticulous transformation of a rundown apartment building into a green-design project, 163 Montrose is attracting a new breed of environmentally-conscious tenants. It is now occupied by young professionals including photographers, fashion editors, journalists and Ivy League professors. It counts with outdoor areas accessible to the tenants, and rescues the original flooring and building's structural members in a fresh new way.
Lifeform believes in contributing positively to the developments in these up and coming areas, by incorporating progressive style and sustainable materials into its projects.
The neighborhood of Bushwick, located in East Williamsburg Brooklyn is conveniently situated on the Montrose stop of the L train. 163 Montrose transformeda run down construction into a three stories loft like apartment building.
The renovations included gutting out apartments and the structural reinforcing of the building, foundation, new kitchens, bathrooms, electrical, plumbing, the entire renovation of the backyard, and the construction of a second floor outdoor deck.
Environmental features were given to this renovation by restoring the wooden floors to its original condition in a recycling process. The facade was fully reformed using a natural mineral plaster and energy saving double glazed windows. Most notably, the studio has salvagedold wooden columns and beams and reused them for structural and architectural purposes.