Addressing Pre-existing Conditions

Mercer 40 Residences is a new 156,000sf, 15-story (two levels below-grade), 40-unit luxury residential condominium. As parking is at a premium in SoHo, one major design task was to provide parking for Mercer 40’s residents. The discreet underground parking garage for Mercer 40 required the excavation of two additional subterranean levels. The foundation work for this project was typical to New York City, requiring some de-watering at the northwest corner, as well as sheeting and shoring along three sides of the site, including MTA sheeting and shoring. A concrete sheer wall runs alongside an existing building at north end of the project site. Site work included the removal and replacement of sidewalks and curbs.

Unique Project Elements & Obstacles

Installing the curtainwall system on the core section of the north wall was the project’s biggest challenge. The fabricator designed the system specifically for this building. This project marks the cutting-edge use of glass and the largest panes ever used on a residential project. The goal was to have unit owners be able to expose their residences to the open air by opening up the wall of their unit. On the lower floors, six-foot wide sash windows open by dropping down to create a safety railing. On higher floors, windows open 17-20ft wide. All window movements operate via key-operated motors with a built-in monitoring system. Each assembly unit weighs 1,100 pounds, which required an augmented structure to carry the additional load. It was imperative that the infrared safety system function properly should the moveable unit need to stop in an emergency. The team worked to overcome the software and hardware issues, leaving the operable window systems functioning properly and most importantly, safely.