SWA Architecture Weekly Blog

Hello and welcome back to the SWA Architecture Blog.  The blog where we take a look at projects that SWA Architecture has worked on in the greater Northeast area.  This week we are going back to the well and giving you an update of a restaurant from Ellen's Stardust/Iridium group.

I am of course speaking of the old location of food network star Guy Fieri's restaurant, the 500-seat monster, Guy's American Kitchen & Bar in Times Square.  It is unknown why it closed down but the people with Ellen's Stardust/Iridium group are very happy to be taking over.

As you can tell by the photos the spot is almost ready to open and it is beautiful.  They have numerous restaurants in New York City that are all quite successful so I would bet on this spot as well being a success.  With a nice dance floor to boot, this will most certainly be a New York hot spot.

 
SWA Architecture is responsible for redesigning the space with an interior designer, and are also responsible for the filing for architecture and expediting.  This is the fourth spot SWA Architecture has done with this group.  We will revisit this spot once it is open for business.

That's it this week for this week's SWA Architecture Blog.  Stay tuned for some great projects coming your way in the next couple of weeks.  Also, don't forget to give us a follow on instagram - @swa_architecture

SWA Architecture Weekly Blog

Hello and welcome back to the SWA Architecture weekly blog.  If this is your first time checking us out here is a brief synopsis of what we cover.  SWA Architecture is an architecture firm that has projects all over the greater Northeast area.  We do all projects ranging from restaurants to apartments to houses to you name it, we've done it.  The purpose of this blog is to give you glimpses into some of the beautiful work we do.

This week we take a look at the New York Language center in Manhattan.  This is one of many New York Language centers that can be found in New York City.  As the title illustrates, the New York Language Center mission is to provide affordable english classes to international students.  

SWA were the architects, planners, interior designers and expediters.  As you can tell by the pictures everything came out wonderfully and the client couldn't be happier.  We are proud to be involved in a project that helps out so many people in our country.

That's it this week for the SWA Architecture weekly blog.  Stay tuned next week for another blog post.  Also give us a follow on instagram - @swa_architecture

SWA Architecture Weekly Blog

Hello and welcome back to the SWA Architecture Blog.  The blog where we take you inside all the wonderful projects that SWA Architecture has been a part of.  This of course is a bonus post!  If you haven't seen our last couple of posts please check them out.  They are all about some prestigious awards we received from the International Architecture Awards.  We are very proud of it.  This week we go back to looking at some classic SWA Architecture projects.

We are returning to a project we once blogged about.  We are looking at an exquisite penthouse in Soho.  Last time we saw this project it was in the very early stages of construction and we showed a couple pictures of it in construction and some renderings of what it will become.  This time we get to show you what this beautiful apartment has become.  As you can tell by the photos it really came together in a magnificent way.

This is an SWA Architecture design and permitting project.  This project is also one of the original loft buildings in New York City.  In fact, our client was one of the pioneers in enacting the loft las now practiced in New York City.

SWA Architecture is responsible for designing a rood access stair and penthouse for this spot.  We also modified the interior space of the loft.  That's it for this weeks bonus blog post.  Stay tuned for some pretty spectacular projects coming your way next week.  Don't forget to give us a follow on instagram - @SWA_Architecture

SWA Architecture Weekly Blog

Hello and welcome back to the SWA Architecture weekly blog.  The blog where we take a look at different projects that SWA Architecture has been a part of.  If you didn't see our last post, please go check it out.  It was about a very prestigious award that was given to SWA Architecture.

This week we again are going to share with you an award that SWA Architecture has won from the International Architecture Awards.  This time we submitted for a building we worked on located at 134 W Houston.  We have previously written about this project multiple times so take a look at our previous posts to get an in-depth look at that projects.  We are again very flattered and humbled by this award.  We put in a lot of hard work and we truly appreciate the recognition.

That's it this week for the SWA Architecture weekly blog.  Stay tuned for a possible bonus post later this week.  Also, give us a follow on instagram - @swa_architecture

SWA Architecture Weekly Blog

Hello and welcome to a special bonus post from the SWA Architecture weekly blog.  In this blog we usually take a look at different projects that SWA Architecture has worked on.  Today, however, will be a little different then to what you are used to.  We will be sharing with you something we are very proud of.

Recently, we entered an International Architecture Award for the Urban Design.  We know our work is the very best and we are very proud of what we put into the world, but we are humble and had no expectations when we entered.  Well, it would appear that we are not the only ones who recognize our work as being the best.  We placed in first in the International Architecture Award for Urban Design.  Submitting for the work we do on Sidewalk Cafes, as you can tell by the pictures.  We are very flattered to be recognized.

We had to submit photos of our work, and provide some information about Sidewalk cafes.  Here is the information we submitted -


Unlike the outdoor eating cafes in Europe which appeared spontaneously whenever there was something delightful or fascinating to look at nearby, the history of New York City's sidewalk cafes was not as organically accepted in the physical and legislative landscape; the process has been slow and arduous.  The sluggish evolution is a result of the inability to envision a way to capture space within the rigidity of the streets and the stringent New York City zoning laws created in 1916 that mandate local uses within specific districts.

New York City is in constant flux.  Neighborhood skylines are reshaped daily, large developments and urban planning schemes continue to evolve within the city making new connections and to previously ignored blighted waterfront and industrial neighborhoods.  The flexibility that can easily accommodate successful developments in such large scale is possible because of the amenable marvel of urban planning that is the Manhattan grid.

"In 1807, frustrated by years of uncontrolled development and a decade of public health epidemics attributed to lower Manhattan's cramped and irregular streets, New York City's City Council petitioned the state legislature to develop a street plan for Manhattan above Houston Street, at that time a rural area of streams and hills populated by a patchwork of country estates, farms and small houses.  The adoption four years later of the Commissioners' Plan established the grid of 12 north - South avenues and 155 east - west streets that, though it would take most of the 19th century to build, continues to fundamentally she like in New York."

The Manhattan grid has endured many changes through the last two centuries and continues to accommodate developments that reshape the experience.  We sought out to add a new evolutionary layer and focus to produce an outdoor urban experience.  The motivating idea, in tune with the Fred Koetter, is the creation of side walk cafes.  

The process began with contacting the Mayor of NYC Michael Bloomberg directly to map out neighborhoods that were rude for the proposed program whereby a committee was established including various commissioners and city planning agencies to modify the Zoning las.  In cooperation with the Mayor and the City Planning Commissioner we established an amendment to the local zoning las including creating The Small Sidewalk Cafes Rule which allows a single row of outdoor seating on the sidewalk along the exterior of the restaurant; a first in New York City history.

The rule also established a more efficient review and approval process and eased the zoning regulations to allow more outdoor dining.  Since the creation of this ruling outdoor eating has flourished in Manhattan.The city is an outdoor theater.  Diners can sit along the exciting energetic streets and enjoy the performance.  The outdoor dining is inspired by the older European cities; however, the sidewalk cafe experience is uniquely New York.  The colors and shapes created by the sidewalk cafes break the monotony of the concrete city landscape, enhancing the pedestrian experience.  The Cafes provide links and connect neighborhoods creating a visual web of miniature utopias.

That was a lot for this award as you can tell.  We will cover another award we submitted for next week.  Again, we are so proud to be recognized and hope you enjoyed seeing our hard work paying off as well.  That's it this week for the SWA Architecture weekly blog, stay tuned for next week.  Also, give us a follow on instagram - @swa_architecture 

SWA Architecture Weekly Blog

Hello and welcome back to the SWA Architecture weekly blog.  The blog like no other, where we examine different projects that SWA Architecture has worked on.  Last week we put up a couple great projects with two posts.  This week we will be coming right back with a couple of posts you don't want to miss.

The first project is a house we designed in Far Rockaway.  Above are photos of the space and below are some 3-d models.  We are the architects, planners, interior designers and expediters for this project.  This is one of approximately 40 houses we have designed in that area.  So if you're looking to design or redesign your house, give us a call.

That's it this week for the SWA Architecture weekly blog.  Stay tuned for a couple bonus posts coming about something we are very proud of.  The next post will be different then any post we have done and you will not want to miss it.  Also, do us a favor and give us a follow on instagram - @swa_architecture