Sackett Union

Brooklyn, NY, USA

Photo © Albert Vecerka/Esto

Architects: ROGERS PARTNERS Architects+Urban Designers

Location: 291 Union Street, 11231 Brooklyn, NY, USA
Year: 2013

As one of the first new, residential buildings in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood, Sackett Union, Alchemy Properties Inc.’s latest development, was designed to complement the fabric of the historic neighborhood while providing a modern take on the organically mixed apartment developments of 19th century New York City and its boroughs. Sackett Union, a seven-story, 140,000-sf mixed-use development featuring 32 distinct condominium residences, 11 townhomes, and commercial and community facility, includes a variety of residential units offering many family-friendly options. To invoke a house-like feel, the condominiums utilize a split-level, interlocking design with master bedrooms on the upper floors. The townhouses include both single and multi-family which have double height spaces on the garden. With four units located along Union Street and seven units on Sackett Street, some of the townhouses include portions that can be rented out by the owner. Three of the 32 residential units facing units on Union Street are individually accessed maisionettes. Each of these units has an approximately 40-foot rear yard located at the ground floor behind comprised of concrete pavers and lawn.

In addition, to address community concerns regarding the impact of a new development on the character and culture of the area, the scale and material selection were carefully considered during the design process. The brick facades on the lower level continue and hold the material palette and scale of the neighborhood, while the window glazing on the top two loft floors demarcate the material line and are set-back to reduce the bulk of the building from the street. In addition to helping maintain the neighborhood scale, this voluntary set-back, at the 6th floor, resulted in additional terrace spaces and penthouse units. The window pattern reflects the diversity of window sizes, representative of the mix of commercial and housing types, seen in a typical block in New York City.

Sackett Union is designed to be mindful of a neighborhood with 200-year-old roots in Brooklyn yet responds to the needs and demands of an evolving population.