With its highly-sustainable design and luxury finishes, The Lucida is a first-of-its-kind condominium on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The 20-story 500,000-sq-ft building represents the redevelopment of 11 contaminated Brownfield lots. Multiple “green” aspects were added to the building’s design, which is seeking LEED-NC Silver certification. A strict air quality plan was enforced, including the use of low VOC paints, glues and carpets and air-tight sealing of units. More than 20% recycled and regional material content was used and more than 80% of construction waste was recycled. Water runoff is reduced by the courtyard garden, which uses a lightweight soil that is 95% produced form New York City waste.
Darin Reynolds, project architect and senior associate at Cook+Fox Architects in New York, says the project is a “market-shifter” for his firm and the developer, Extell Development Co. of New York.