"Mother Tree" inspired by Palm Trees

This 14 story new residential building by KUSHNER STUDIOS, located in the recently rezoned section of Gowanus Brooklyn was conceived as a "Mother Tree". This contemporary forestry theory was an apt working metaphor for the building.

Photo credit: Adam Kushner

Photo credit: Adam Kushner

Sited on a prominent corner, it is meant to foster community growth through its backyard gardens and neighborhood-based retail tenants. It also has a second reference back to the Caribbean roots of its owner/developers. Palm trees, commonly seen throughout their birthplace, are reconsidered in several ways here including a unique ground floor system of two-story high 3D printed commercial entryways and storefronts which reflect the unique leaf patterns found at the base of such trees. This would be the first use of 3d printed parts integrated into a skyscraper in the United States.

Photo credit: Adam Kushner and Dan Bernard

Photo credit: Adam Kushner and Dan Bernard

The building will include 81 residential units, comprising one, two, and three bedroom apartments, of which 25% will qualify as mixed income housing. There will be approximately 4,000 sf of retail tenants, a 10-car garage, and a common rear yard garden. The building will also have a multi-purpose recreation space for all tenants, as well as available individual tenant storage lockers in the cellar.

Photo credit: Adam Kushner

Photo credit: Adam Kushner

Photo credit: Adam Kushner

The mock-up itself is a ½ of one full gateway measuring 5’ wide by 18.5’ high. It incorporates a doorway as well as a balcony atop it. It is composed of 7 different pieces, each printed by a robotic 7-axis mobile mounted printer. All pieces were printed in our production facility in Rochester, New Hampshire, and then trucked to the current yard where it is being displayed. In total it is a double-walled print to allow for expandable insulation and weighs approximately 12,000 lbs.

KUSHNER STUDIOS

Kushner Studios is an Architecture and Design firm in New York City. Since its establishment in 1994, the firm has designed and built a diverse range of projects in both size and scope KUSHNER os has developed an ongoing portfolio of projects that span from conceptual to urban site planning.