Stephen Street Studios

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Location

Queens, New York

Construction Management

The Palombo Group

Project Description

The Palombo Group has obtained the Construction Management contract for Stephen Street Studios, which is a 8,800 square foot, former knitting mill that was purchased by the well known artist and photographer Jack Pierson. The redesign of the structure calls for a green roof with a decking area for entertaining and greenery inside the building as well. The green spaces are intended to provide artistic inspiration, an area for growing food, and an ornamental garden for viewing. The greenery will also help to insulate the building during both the Summer and Winter months. In the Summer, green roofs help to abate heat absorption, and in the Winter, they  help by limiting heat loss. Additionally, green roofs have a life span that is 200x that of a traditional roof, which gives the property value a boost and makes for a solid investment.

Green Roofs are a relatively new thing for the modern western world, but they have been around for centuries and can quickly make a marked difference. As pointed out previously, green roofs provide many benefits for the building owner, but the community also receives rather large benefits. Green roofs help to create a cooler environment by absorbing the rays from the sun that would otherwise be thrown off as heat, helping to cool off developed areas. The plants also absorb pollutants from the air and rain water, effectively removing them from the environment where they can cause harm. This is an important aspect for cities whose citizens have failing health due to the taxing nature of the chemicals in the air and water. Additionally, the absorption of rain water by the plant systems means less run off, which translates into less storm drainage needs for the municipality.

Work has begun at Stephen Street Studios and is expected to continue through March 2015.