Page 9 - CooperatorNews May 2021

COOPERATORNEWS.COM COOPERATORNEWS — MAY 2021 9 212-683-6855 x7 info@dermerrealestate.com www.dermerrealestate.com Managing our clients for an average of 18 Years Why are our clients with us so long? One Reason - Financial Performance Operating Surplus Substantial Reserves     Balanced Budgets Common Area Upgrades   Limited Staff Turnover Much More  But don’t ask us, ask our clients. We will put you in touch with the Board Members we have served for the past 28 years. ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING SERVICES: - Structural - MEP - Interior Design BUILDING ENVELOPE / RESTORATION / FACADE INSPECTION SAFETY PROGRAMS CONSTRUCTION DEFECT TESTING / INVESTIGATION ENERGY CONSULTING FORENSIC TESTING / LITIGATION SUPPORT NYC SPECIAL INSPECTIONS 5 YEAR CAPITAL PLANNING 350 7th Avenue, Suite 2000 New York, NY 10001 (646) 292 - 3515 info@falconengineering.com www.falconengineering.com ENGINEERS, ARCHITECTS AND ENERGY CONSULTANTS customized with room numbers and light- ing,” they say in their blog. Similarly, they suggest “upscale partitions that can be used in place of the ubiquitous plexi-glass divid- ers” that are in place for COVID protection at front desks and doorman stations through- out co-ops and condos nationwide. Interior designers also mention more high-tech improvements like touchless eleva- tors, entries, and lighting, and smart home controls that provide health and safety en- hancement while also being “aesthetically pleasing in their elegance and simplicity,” ac- cording to Rodriguez. Other health-focused technology products—such as ventilation systems with UV light or high-effi ciency fi l- ters—are completely invisible to the resident, she continues. Bringing the Outdoors In Another popular element in post-COVID design, both for common spaces and indi- vidual residences, is the installation of natu- ral elements into the indoor environment. “In common areas where there’s a need to enforce separation and distancing,” says Ro- driguez, “greenery and planters can help ac- complish this goal in a way that actually en- hances the space’s aesthetic appeal.” In fact, Rodriguez continues, the ongoing distancing and isolation experienced during the COVID pandemic has reinforced the value of what the pros call “biophilic design”—elements of interior design that incorporate and/or mim- ic aesthetic and sensory characteristics from the natural world. “Staying indoors for months on end dur- ing quarantine has left many of us longing for some type of connection to nature and the great outdoors,” reports ALine’s blog. While biophilia doesn’t kill COVID or other germs, they say, it has been shown to improve mental health, boost productivity, and enhance air quality. Wellness considerations were top of mind before the pandemic started, but they have taken on even more importance as the need to prevent viral spread has become an existential imperative. Adds Rodriguez, “In terms of color and materials, we’ve seen a movement towards warmer, neutral tones that have a calming and soothing eff ect—something that’s espe- cially important when people are spending so much time at home. Taking inspiration from nature, materials and colors are an important element of biophilic design, which aims to re- connect people to the natural environment.” Where possible, multifamily buildings and communities are using design to make the most of the literal outdoors by expanding access to light and air, creating indoor-out- door entries and lobbies, or installing green walls and other organic materials. Ground- up design is putting much more emphasis on both private outdoor spaces like balconies and terraces and common outdoor elements like roof decks and courtyards. “Th e demand for apartments with balconies and outdoor space has surged dramatically,” notes ALine. Rodriguez agrees. “\[Th e year\] 2020 un- derscored the value of outdoor spaces. A balcony or a terrace felt essential during the pandemic, but the sense of serenity and sanc- tuary that people fi nd in these spaces will always be important. And as the mental and physical health benefi ts of biophilic design and access to light and air continue to make themselves known, more people will look for homes that off er outdoor access.” Uplifting By Design By and large, the attitude of interior de- signers is that home should always be a place of comfort and sanctuary. According to them, having more people spending more time within the walls of their homes than ever before this past year-plus has forced pro- fessionals in the fi eld to reexamine both their use of space and the way the space infl uences them. “My experience,” says Mullendore, “is that this period of COVID has challenged us all—not only our use of spaces, but it has tapped deep into our sense of humanity.” Milazzo Smith agrees: “I think any time that you spend time at your home, you should be inspired, and you should be nour- ished and you should be uplift ed. And I think there’s never been a time in my lifetime that I remember really needing that so much, and everyone around you needing that so much. Your environment has a psychological eff ect on you—the colors that you choose and the fi nishes that you choose to surround yourself with can really be uplift ing. Of course, we don’t know what our future holds as far as the pandemic, but I do see people nestling into their homes a little bit more, and getting used to that idea of being able to really, really get inspired by their home as well.” Rodriguez also has a similar perspective. “Wellness is really the focus now for design- ers, developers, owner/operators, and resi- dents alike,” she muses. “Many of the shift s and trends we’ve seen in the past year refl ect a growing recognition that our homes need to support our physical health and our emo- tional wellbeing.” Perhaps Mullendore sums it up best when he says, “I have seen families rediscover the joy of being at home, and being with each other, and this has prompted them to start paying more attention to the wellbeing and enjoyment of their most important space: HOME.” n Darcey Gerstein is Associate Editor and Staff Writer for CooperatorNews. “We had a tremendous positive reaction from brokers and buyers since the latest rul- ing,” says SJP CEO Steven Pozycki. “Buyers who came in two years ago have been waiting for us to come back.” He noted that many of the prospective buy- ers are from the neighborhood. At the end of March, opponents of the project made one last eff ort to halt the proj- ect, asking the Court of Appeals to take up the case. Th e court has yet to issue a decision, TRD reports. n PULSE... continued from page 4