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Best of 2014: MDU Lessons From the Tallest Residential Building in America
Image from Flickr CC user Steven Severinghaus
December 31, 2014
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Skyscrapers are amazing. If you live in a city where you are used to them, it is easy to get, if not jaded, inattentive. The only time many of us pay any attention to them is if we have to wait for an elevator, or if we see tourists staring up in wonder. The more churlish sneer at that, but many of us, especially those in the building trades, take a certain amount of pride. That’s right, we might think- we can build things like this, that would have made even the most egotistical and pharaonic head of an ancient king explode with envy and awe.
Skyscrapers are also a monument to efficiency, creating millions of square feet of room without a proportionately large footprint. Take two buildings in Chicago, for example- the Willis Tower (formerly Sears) has 4.5 million square feet, or a half-million more than the Merchandise Mart, which takes up many blocks of property. As MDU builders and operators, we admire that kind of space use. That’s why, instinctively, it is easy to feel pride at New York’s 432 Park Avenue, which poured concrete this October and is the tallest residential building not just in America, but the entire Western Hemisphere. But while it is easy and right to feel awe at the technological, architectural, and engineering prowess that went into such a building, its reception also offers valuable lessons as we look back on the year.
How the Tallest Residential Building Imposed Its Will
The sheer numbers involved with this building are staggering. At 1396 feet, its top floor is the highest in New York, even taller than that on the Freedom Tower (which is taller due to a spire). It tops the iconic Empire State building by hundreds of feet. It can be seen from every borough. It takes a lot to dominate the New York skyline, and this has done it.
Some of the other numbers make you take a step back as well. For instance, there are only going to be 104 units in it, which seems almost impossible, until you realize that this building was created for a very specific clientele: specifically, one that can afford tens of millions of dollars for an apartment. The penthouse, which has arguably the best views in America, will run you $95 million. There has of course been backlash, which is somewhat predictable when even Forbes is calling you a monument to inequality.
We’re not here to weigh in in that debate. What we are here to do is to show that the most-talked about building of the year can offer some lessons when building your presumably-more-modest MDUs.
Lessons from 432 Park Avenue
Aesthetics matter
While there has been backlash, it hasn’t been as intense as you might think, and that’s partly because, for all its assumed vulgarity, 432 is not an unlovely building. It is slender, which takes away some imposition, and has a repeating facade that allows it some grace. When designing and building your MDU, contact not just experts on electricity or plumbing, but on people who understand the area you are building in. They can help you fit it into the aesthetic of the area. Especially these days, people are less likely to move into a building that seems out of place or ugly.
Understand the market
20 years ago, this building wouldn’t work. There just weren’t enough ultra-wealthy around to fill it. But as the Forbes article points out, that number has exploded, making such a building plausible. When starting your next MDU project, it is important to know how the market is going to work. It is tempting to build something that is incredibly fancy and will attract the richest residents, but the local economy should dictate what is possible. You don’t want to have the nicest empty building on the block.
Be part of the community
One thing that has so many people cheesed off is that 432 Park doesn’t have its primary entrance on Park Avenue. It’s on 56th. They paid $11,000 to get the more famous and luxurious-sounding address, something that could throw off GPS and just add to confusion. Now, no one is actually going to forget which building it is (nor could the miss it) but the point is that a lot of residents took it as a thumb to the eye. Understand the area in which you are building. Know what people want, what they are looking for, what they need. Be a part of your community. If you are not from the area, learn about it and hire people who know.
It doesn’t take much to make your MDU not just livable for your residents, but something that allows them to be a full part of where they live. It takes decency, understanding, and flexibility. It’s not for me to say if the builders of 432 Park have those, but I do know you can build something just as long-lasting and wonderful if you stick to those principles.
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NEW YORK is Back!
“Office buildings are our factories – whether for tech, creative or traditional industries we must continue to grow our modern factories to create new jobs,” said United States Senator Chuck Schumer.
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Enjoy your dominance while you can 432 Park Avenue, because you are gonna have to share it pretty soon
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