In the woodsy living room, a France + Son floor lamp illuminates a CB2 sofa and DWR chair, all upon a rug by Lulu & Georgia. Photography by Travis Mark.
In the woodsy living room, a France + Son floor lamp illuminates a CB2 sofa and DWR chair, all upon a rug by Lulu & Georgia. Photography by Travis Mark.

MESH Architectures and The Brooklyn Home Company Complete New York City’s First Mass Timber Condominium

Last year, the International Code Council approved the use of mass timber as a tall building material. Meanwhile, MESH Architectures principal Eric Liftin had seen Pratt architecture students experimenting with the material, and wanted to try it out for himself.  The alignment of timing and curiosity results in this summer’s opening of 670 Union, co-developed with The Brooklyn Home Company, a 22,000-square-foot building with 14 condos from studios to 3-bedroom residences. 

“The materiality of a space affects our energy and our mood much more than most people realize,” Liftin says. “When the material of the very structure of the building is visible and also beautiful, a special, tectonic quality emerges.” The six-story building integrates a modular brick façade and 17-foot-width into its mass timber, matching its neighbors; what sets it apart, of course, is the rich character of the wood, left visible across ceilings and structural elements. “Concealed joints fasten the timber beams and columns together,” he says. “Concealing these interlocking aluminum plates protects them from potential exposure to fire’s heat, while leaving the joint looking simple and effortless.” 

Speaking of heat, the building was also constructed with Passive House principles, with triple-glazed windows, Zahnder energy-recovering ventilation, air-source heat pumps for heating and air conditioning, and solar photovoltaic panels on the roof. And the timber itself is GLT, produced mostly from softwood trees sourced in second-growth forests—proving that mass timber buildings might just be the next cool idea. 

A Kraus sink with Brizo faucet finish kitchen cabinetry by Reform; the porcelain countertops are from Infinity. Photography by Travis Mark.
A Kraus sink with Brizo faucet finish kitchen cabinetry by Reform; the porcelain countertops are from Infinity. Photography by Travis Mark.
The dining area offers a table by France + Son, with Vitra chairs. Photography by Travis Mark.
The dining area offers a table by France + Son, with Vitra chairs. Photography by Travis Mark.
In the woodsy living room, a France + Son floor lamp illuminates a CB2 sofa and DWR chair, all upon a rug by Lulu & Georgia. Photography by Travis Mark.
In the woodsy living room, a France + Son floor lamp illuminates a CB2 sofa and DWR chair, all upon a rug by Lulu & Georgia. Photography by Travis Mark.
In the primary bedroom, Crate and Barrel lamps on Jenni Kayne tables bookend The Brooklyn Home Company’s custom bed with vintage fabric. Photography by Matthew Williams.
In the primary bedroom, Crate and Barrel lamps on Jenni Kayne tables bookend The Brooklyn Home Company’s custom bed with vintage fabric. Photography by Matthew Williams.
A BBDW mirror hangs above a custom bench by MESH Architectures. Photography by Matthew Williams.
A BBDW mirror hangs above a custom bench by MESH Architectures. Photography by Matthew Williams.
The walls of the primary en-suite bathroom are clad in 2 inch carrara marble mosaic tiles; above Restoration Hardware medicine cabinets, the vanities offer custom marble by Reform and Brizo faucets. Photography by Matthew Williams.
The walls of the primary en-suite bathroom are clad in 2 inch carrara marble mosaic tiles; above Restoration Hardware medicine cabinets, the vanities offer custom marble by Reform and Brizo faucets. Photography by Matthew Williams.
MESH Architectures custom-designed six different hexagonal tiles for the project, which mix with Roots Custom flooring in southern yellow heart pine engineered with a white stain. Photography by Matthew Williams.
MESH Architectures custom-designed six different hexagonal tiles for the project, which mix with Roots Custom flooring in southern yellow heart pine engineered with a white stain. Photography by Matthew Williams.
A Design with Reach pouf and rug brighten up the kids room, with a Jenni Kayne desk and custom bed by The Brooklyn Home Company. Photography by Matthew Williams.
A Design with Reach pouf and rug brighten up the kids room, with a Jenni Kayne desk and custom bed by The Brooklyn Home Company. Photography by Matthew Williams.
Jenni Kayne designed the bed, tables, and chair in the guest room, with CB2 lamps. Photography by Matthew Williams.
Jenni Kayne designed the bed, tables, and chair in the guest room, with CB2 lamps. Photography by Matthew Williams.

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