The mixed-use retail and office development at 860 Washington Street is designed to maximize daylight in both the public realm and within the building itself. The building occupies a prominent corner within the Meatpacking District, nestled between the newly completed Standard Hotel and The High Line Building. The Meatpacking District is a unique neighborhood on the west side of Manhattan where the standard 19th century street grid merges with the earlier 18th century grid of the West Village. In recent years the neighborhood has been transformed as the meat packing industry has relocated and been replaced by a diverse mix of creative industries (particularly fashion), media, cultural venues, retail and hotels. In this context, James Carpenter Design Associates was asked to develop a simple, elegant glass building of timeless quality capable of respecting the neighborhood’s history and vitality.

The Proposed Building will be LEED Certified. The prominent materials on the building, terra cotta, metal, concrete and glass, all will contain a large amount of recycled content. Also, the large glass lites maximize views out of the building and daylight penetration into the building, reducing the use of interior electric lights. This project strives to employ the latest technologies to harness not only daylight but water. Water will be collected at both the roof at the Fourth Floor facing Washington Street and the roof at the top of the building roof and stored within a holding tank that can then be used to irrigate the new High Line park while minimizing the heat radiance effect. This water provides irrigation immediately adjacent to the plants ensuring adequate hydration and alleviating the municipal sewer system of excess capacity at critical times.