Brooklyn Bridge reclaimed

127 years ago the Brooklyn Bridge was built to connect Brooklyn to lower Manhattan. Approximately 50 years ago, during a renovation, several wooden beams were removed and placed in storage by the renovation contractor whose fondness for the Brooklyn Bridge would not allow him to reuse or discard the old beams. In early 2010 the building where those beams were being stored was sold by the decendents of that renovation contractor and the wood beams were sent to my friends at M. Fine lumber in Queens where I was among the lucky few who purchased some of them for use in a very special project...

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I have the best clients! In this case, 2 design-minded clients with an amazing loft on Greenwich Street in the West Village that features an amazing 165" wide arched brick window that was just begging for some love. The design we arrived at would not only conceal the old radiator that sat in the center of the window, but would provide open shelving on either side of the radiator for display of books and sculpture. The cabinetry is made of regionally produced, eco-friendly Maple plywood and solids and finished with Benjamin Moore's "Natura" paint purchased at Janovic.

Sitting atop the open cabinetry and spanning the entire length and depth of the window would be 2 joined Brooklyn Bridge beams allowing visitors to sit during parties and my clients to display prized items. In our celebration of the history of these 2 beams we elected not to mill or perfect the wood in any way. Instead, all prep work was performed with simple hand tools and all original nail holes and saw marks were left intact so as to preserve and display the story of these historical beams. The tung oil finish was carefully formulated and applied to further enhance and preserve these time-earned imperfections. Not only did the new cabinetry and original beams look and perform to the clients' expectations, but the resulting installation matched the original wooden casement windows so well that the entire installation looks original to the apartment. What an amazing privilege as a New York City woodworker to design and execute a vision that so proudly features a significant relic of our city's history.

*And a VERY special "Thank you!" to Solie Jordan of Soliemoves who carefully transported this 14' long plank of wood to the site and masterfully lifted it through the second floor window into the clients' home.

Please enjoy these pictures I took with my iPhone...

the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial To The Holocaust

About 3 months ago I was contacted by exhibit designer, Dan Fouad, from C&G Partners, LLC , an internationally-acclaimed design firm located in Union Square. Dan was working on a project for a new exhibit at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park and needed a sustainable furniture designer/builder to collaborate with in order to deliver something truly worthy of the exhibit's message and the amazing views the exhibit space provided of the Hudson River, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island.

Over a period of 2 months I worked with the C&G team comprised of exhibit designer, Dan Fouad, project manager, Laura Koo, partner-in-charge Jonathan Alger, and partner-in-charge/graphic design Emanuela Frigerio. Together, we arrived at an amazing, eco-friendly design utilizing Neopolitan Plyboo (bamboo plywood) and steel fabricated by the artisans at Metal Dimensions in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The design incorporated a 120 degree angle into each piece, which coordinates with the angle found at the end of the room where the glass walls look out onto the Hudson River.

Our eco-friendly materials were also finished in a very "green" way: The Plyboo was finished with a hand-applied, water-based formula so not only is the product earth-friendly, but it wasn't sprayed into the air so no airborne pollutants were created. The steel is 100% recyclable and was painted with a low VOC semi-gloss.

The 10 benches, 1 desk, and 1 kiosk will be in place for approximately 18 months with many thousands of visitors expected to use them so they need to be very durable. Fortunately, Plyboo is a very dense and reliable material that is more than capable of holding up to the repeated use much better than a typical veneered plywood and the steel base is made of 3/4" solid square tube, not hollow, so it too will last for many years to come.

Every project I undertake is important to me and I thoroughly enjoy every one of them. This project, like those before it, brought many challenges and many victories. What sets this project apart is that this exhibit is a living memorial to the Holocaust and the Museum it's housed in sits only steps away from Ground Zero. Being of Jewish heritage (on my father's side) and a New Yorker who not only lost friends on 9/11 but also worked recovery at Ground Zero this project hit very close to home for me. I can only hope each visitor to this exhibit feels the love and gratitude I put into each piece of furniture and takes a moment to reflect while sitting on one of my benches.

*Special thanks to everybody at C&G Partners who are an amazingly creative, brilliant, and organized team of professionals with whom I would eagerly work on any future project. Huge thanks to Alice Rubin at the Museum of Jewish Heritage whose attention to detail and kindness was ever-present and very much appreciated. Thanks to my friends at Soliemoves who did such an amazing job delivering all 12 of the pieces safely and quickly. Thanks to my friends Robyn Mierzwa and Kenon Perry who lent a big hand in the completion of these pieces. A big thanks to Avi Kendi at Metal Dimensions whose expertise and vision were an asset to this project. And thanks to my friends at Eco Supply Center who delivered the Plyboo for this project.

Please enjoy these pictures and let them inspire you to visit the museum and this amazing exhibit...












(photo credits: C&G Partners, LLC)