Reclaiming An icon: Brooklyn's Domino Sugar Refinery

Domino Sugar Refinery Photos by Paul Raphaelson.

Domino Sugar Refinery Photos by Paul Raphaelson.

Domino Sugar Refinery Photos by Paul Raphaelson.

Reclaiming An Icon

Recently, The Hudson Company was honored to be selected to custom mill 45,000 board feet of Reclaimed Heart Pine Beams and Mixed Softwood Decking salvaged from Williamsburg's historic Domino Sugar Refinery. Rich in over a century of colorful history (the factory complex was built in the 1880s and was once the largest of its kind in the world), the riverfront Domino facility was an icon of the Williamsburg skyline for more than a century. And although the refinery is now gone, much of the grand old icon of New York's industrial past is being preserved in an innovative and sustainably-minded way.

After being salvaged by Brooklyn-based developers Two Trees, the reclaimed wood from the Domino facility was transported to our Pine Plains, NY mill to be de-nailed, graded, planed, and profiled for use as park benches, furniture, and other on site décor for the buildings and park structures that will replace the old factory (exciting details and timelines for the Domino Redevelopment Project can be found here). 

Now that much of the original manufacturing facility is gone, Two Trees, along with SHoP Architects and James Corner Field Operations, have developed a vision for the future that preserves a number of relics from the historic Domino complex: including two 80-foot tall historic cranes, large cylindrical syrup cranes, and more than twenty stone columns from facility's warehouse. Along with the new luxury and affordable housing units being built on the site of the old Domino complex, the developers are executing a master plan that includes community-focused gardens, public parks, playgrounds and sports fields.

Stay tuned to www.thehudsonco.com in the coming months, where we will be sharing more about our involvement in this exciting development, including imagery and details on how the reclaimed wood from inside the Domino factory is put to use in the Domino Redevelopment Project.

In the meantime, you can learn more about Two Trees here, more about SHoP Architects here, more about James Corner Field Operations here, and see more of Paul Raphaelson's pre-demolition Domino Sugar Refinery photos here.

Domino Redevelopment renderings by Two Trees Management.

Domino Redevelopment renderings by Two Trees Management.

Domino Redevelopment renderings by Two Trees Management.

The Hudson Co. Featured on Architizer.com

The August 15 profile of The Hudson Company on Architizer.com.

The Hudson Company on Architizer.com

Thanks to Sydney Franklin and the entire team at Architizer.com for featuring us on their site this month. Their profile of The Hudson Company - Good Wood: The Epic Journey of Reclaimed Timber Flooring is a fantastic overview of the people, products, and process that make The Hudson Company who we are.

Here's an excerpt:

"With a few exceptions, no single architectural project is entirely made of building-products sourced from the same place. It takes a village of manufacturers — all working in conjunction with architects, engineers and contractors — to compose a proper shelter for us to inhabit. Everything from the exterior cladding and the roof to the window hinges and the kitchen countertops are hand-selected from around the world and chosen for their performance and aesthetic quality. The same goes for something as seemingly simple as flooring: As an interior structural element that heavily contributes to the experiential qualities of a space, it’s imperative that architects choose the most appropriate material to go beneath our feet.

This is where wood comes in. We all know what bad wood flooring looks like, but truly great wood flooring is an instant turn-on. It’s sexy. It’s clean. It has a level of depth and texture that fake wood flooring, ceramic tiles and even concrete can’t inherently produce. It’s all-natural and cuts to our core. Each individual plank features a distinct pattern and porosity that can’t be precisely reproduced in the plank next to it."

Read the full story here. 

The Hudson Company + FAIR for Collective Design 2017

For the 2017 Collective Design Fair, The Hudson Company was proud to collaborate with designer Brad Ford and FAIR.

For FAIR's Collective Design installation, we provided a custom milled floor made from unfinished 2 5/8" Reclaimed Oak, New Face. The flooring material was reclaimed by The Hudson Company from a Pennsylvania dairy barn and re-milled at our Pine Plains, NY mill.

About FAIR: In October 2014, Interior Designer Brad Ford organized a modern makers craft fair in upstate New York called Field + Supply. The focus was on modern, elevated craftsmanship showcasing artisans from the Hudson Valley area as well as makers who work in New York City and Brooklyn. FAIR is an extension of that concept and is now a permanent showroom at the New York Design Center.

About Collective Design: Collective Design brings together creative voices from around the world in a lively, essential discourse on modern and contemporary design and art. Based in New York City and active in the arts community throughout the year, Collective Design presents engaging conversations and educational programs to foster dialogue, encourage the exchange of ideas, and build a growing audience for collectible design and art. 

Learn more about Hudson Company Reclaimed Oak, New Face flooring.

Setting The Stage: The Hudson Company + Field & Supply 2016

“In designing the stage, I was inspired by artist Donald Judd. I wanted to create a simple form that complimented the materials (White Oak) but didn’t distract from the natural surroundings.”

— Designer Brad Ford

Donald Judd, Untitled sketch, 1967, Graphite on paper. (C) Judd Foundation.

Donald Judd, Untitled Works in Concrete: Chinati Foundation, Marfa, Texas, 1984.

Finished Field + Supply stage, designed by Brad Ford and built with Hudson Company White Oak planking.

Setting The Stage at Field + Supply 2016

This October, The Hudson Company was proud to be a partner of Field + Supply, an event led by New York based designer Brad Ford. Over the past three years, this multi-day experience has grown to include bespoke furniture, ceramics, and textiles. And for this year's Field + Supply event, The Hudson Company partnered with Brad Ford to create a temporary stage for the weekend's lineup of musical performances.

Inspiration and Construction

According to Ford, the inspiration for the event's all wood stage actually came from sculptor Donald Judd, well known for his work in concrete, "In designing the stage, I was inspired by artist Donald Judd. I wanted to create a simple form that complimented the materials (White Oak) but didn't distract from the natural surroundings." Andrew Phillips of The Hudson Company points out that, "from a builder's perspective, Brad's design is extremely clean, uncluttered in detail, and understated. Simplicity in design is easy to conceptualize but always more difficult to execute."

When it came time to bring Ford’s design to life, the stage's structure was first built on site at The Hudson Company in Pine Plains, NY so that materials could be custom cut and fit to the stage's exact dimensions. Because the stage was going to be a relatively large, temporary structure, it had to be easy to build, assemble and dismantle in a short time. The stage's design called for The Hudson Company’s Center Cut White Oak to 'wrap' the stage surfaces completely, thus creating the solid mass that inspired Ford. Once the stage had been mocked up in Pine Plains and the cladding cut to fit, it was then disassembled, transported, and reassembled at the Field + Supply event site, Hasbrouk House in Stoneridge, NY.

A Quiet But IMpactful Statement

Looking back on the 2016 Field + Supply event, Ford is overwhelmed with the overall experience, "This year's Field + Supply was by far my favorite. The lush, open setting was idyllic, the crisp fall weather was perfect, and I think we had the best group of vendors to date. But one of this year's highlights was definitely the live music with The Hudson Company's stage serving as the backdrop. I think the stage made a quiet but impactful statement, which is a philosophy I share and admire in The Hudson Company."

From the beginning, this one-of-a-kind stage was meant to be temporary, built solely for this year's Field + Supply event. But, in fact, it looks like our little stage will live on and be used for future events at the Hasbrouck House.

Learn more about Hudson Company Center Cut White Oak wood surfaces.

Learn more about designer Brad Ford and Field & Supply.

The stage structure being mocked up at The Hudson Company Mill in Pine Plains, NY.

Onsite stage build at Hasbrouk House, Stone Ridge, NY.

“From a builder’s point of view, Brad [Ford]’s design is extremely clean, uncluttered in detail, and understated. Simplicity in design is easy to conceptualize but always more difficult to pull-off.”

— Andrew Phillips, The Hudson Company

Hudson Company Center Cut White Oak planking in detail.

The finished stage in action during Field + Supply 2016.

Inspired By: Sustainable Development at 60 White Street, New York

Watch Giglio on White, a short film documenting the redevelopment of 60 White Street in New York.  

“With this project, we are preserving history and the environment. We’re setting an example of the power that we all hold in deciding how to live.”

— Veronica Mainetti

The historic floor joists inside 60 White Street.

An Ambitious resurrection in Tribeca

Developer Veronica Mainetti of Sorgente Group of America has big dreams for the property her team is reclaiming at 60 White Street in TriBeCa.

"After unveiling these gorgeous buildings from all of the years of use and abuse," Mainetti says, "I find myself breathing with it for the first time. All of the rooms are emptied, revealing the incredible structure that it houses. This is the point of rebirth. This is where the bond really begins between the building and me. It is as if the energy is finally awakening for the first time in decades and one can truly feel the soul of these beauties."

As a fifth-generation member of the Mainetti family, Veronica Mainetti was named President of the Sorgente Group of America in 2004 and, under her stewardship, Sorgente continues to expand its US portfolio with key acquisitions in California and New York, where most of their landmark properties are located, including the iconic Flatiron Building.

With 60 White Street, Mainetti's passion is deeply personal, "The unique opportunity to preserve a piece of history is extremely rewarding and humbling for me, it is what I love most about my job. Bringing back these facades to their original state from 1869 will be an absolute honor."

Sustainable Materials, sustainable Rebirth

At 147-years-old, the cast-iron building at 60 White Street is looking better than ever thanks to a painstaking three-year, sustainable restoration. The eight-unit condo conversion reused a whopping 80% of materials salvaged from the original structure and is kitted out with the latest passive house technologies (including a brand new class of window developed specifically by Zola for the project), as well as a blue roof rainwater collection system, an air-purifying green wall in the lobby, and radiant heat throughout the residences for comfort and energy-efficiency.

“Everything from day one has been about having this building perform in a smarter way,” explains Mainetti in the trailer for a documentary she produced to chronicle 60 White’s restoration. “Passive house windows set a new energy standard with modern technology. What doesn’t come from the existing structure is locally sourced.”

In addition to its impressive material reuse rate, the building was designed with a highly insulated envelope to keep energy usage to a minimum. European window company Zola developed a new class of 3-paned, passive house-certified windows for the project that keep drafts and noise out while staying true to the structure’s 1869 facade. The sumptuous marble that lines the bathrooms, kitchens and common areas was sourced locally at Vermont Danby Marble. 

For the 60 White Street project, The Hudson Company has provided 18,000 square feet of high quality, high character Reclaimed Oak [Engineered, New Face]. Before being incorporated in the the 60 White Street project, this reclaimed wood material was redirected out of the waste stream and then custom milled at our FSC-certified mill in Pine Plains, New York. The rugged, natural textures of this Reclaimed Oak provide a rich complement to 60 White Street's salvaged brick walls, creating a warm and distinctive interior materials palette.

“The challenge is the convince others what a sustainable future really is,” says Mainetti. “With this project, we are preserving history and the environment. We’re setting an example of the power that we all hold in deciding how to live.”

Learn more about Hudson Company Reclaimed Flooring here and explore more about the 60 White Street development here.

Detail exterior shot at historic 60 White Street. 

Developer Veronica Mainetti of Sorgente Group of America at The Hudson Company Mill.

Detail from the historic facade at 60 White Street.

*Some of the above editorial content has been sourced and repurposed from www.60white.com. All photos are still images taken from the film Giglio on White, copyright Sorgente Group of America and Two Penguins.

Installation in Focus: 1 Hotel Central Park, NYC

All photos courtesy of 1 Hotel Central Park. Photos by Eric Laignel.

“Sustainability aside, the 1 Hotel Central Park appeals aesthetically: an inadvertent conservatory, a place to dive into nature right in the heart of the city.
”

— Forbes Magazine

The power of design to affect change

The development team behind the new family of award-winning 1 Hotels (Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Miami) is driven by a passion for design and a commitment to authenticity and sustainability. At the heart of their vision for a new kind of hotel experience, is the intentional and creative use of 'natural materials.' 

At 1 Hotels, it’s our intention to reconnect people with nature through good design and to do it sustainably. We’re constantly inspired by what we find in our environment and seek to bring the outside in...

One of the deeper intentions driving our design ethos is an idea that if you can create empathy or appreciation in things derived from nature, people are more likely to place more value on those objects. So by using natural materials, we hope to affect a change in the way people value nature.

Whether it be beetle kill pine in the halls of 1 Hotel South Beach, Reclaimed Redwood from nearby water towers for 1 Hotel Central Park, or living plants in each room, all have been placed there deliberately to engage the senses and bring our guests closer to the natural world.

Throughout the development of 1 Hotel Central Park, The Hudson Company worked closely with both the project designers AvroKO and the client to kit out 1 Hotel Central Park with a wide range of high-quality, high-character reclaimed wood flooring, paneling, and beams products, as well as several one-of-a-kind wood installation pieces (see photos above and below).

Bringing The Outside In: A wide range of Reclaimed Wood at 1 Hotel Central Park

Included at the extraordinary new 1 Hotel Central Park is 50,000 square feet of 8" wide Select Harvest Oak [Silt Finish] flooring, 30,000 square feet of Reclaimed Barn Siding [Grey Board], 50 Reclaimed Hand Hewn Beams, 1,500 square feet of Reclaimed Redwood [NYC Water Tanks], 2,000 feet of Reclaimed Mixed Softwoods [Threshing Floor, Old Face], Reclaimed Travaux Maple [New Face, Chevron] flooring, and a custom finished, debarked Spalted Elm Stump.

To learn more about 1 Hotel Central Park, visit their official website. To learn more about how you can elevate your next design project with any of the Reclaimed wood products mentioned or show here, please contact us today. 

All photos courtesy of 1 Hotel Central Park. Photos by Eric Laignel.

“We’ve designed our hotel and products to highlight the startling beauty of nature, fusing luxury with responsibility to create refreshing experiences. At 1, you’ll find open spaces bathed in natural light, food made with the freshest organic ingredients, and recycled and reclaimed wood and materials. By focusing on simple things that make life better, we’re introducing a new way to experience luxury living.”

— Barry Sternlicht CEO & Chairman, 1 Hotels

All photos courtesy of 1 Hotel Central Park. Photos by Eric Laignel.

Installation in Focus: City Point, Brooklyn, NY

The Hudson Company at City Point

City Point is downtown Brooklyn's ambitious, new, mixed-use urban development led by The Brodsky Organization and Cook + Fox Architects. For the complex's residential lobby, The Hudson Company custom milled Reclaimed Softwood Joists [Original Face], specially sourced from industrial sites in the surrounding area. The wood used by The Hudson Company for this installation is FSC-certified 100% Recycled. 

Reflecting brooklyn now

According to the official City Point website, 'City Point is the largest food, shopping and entertainment destination in Downtown Brooklyn. It includes retail, residential, and office space located along Brooklyn’s busiest retail corridor at the corner of Flatbush and Fulton.'

As The New York Times reports, 

'Once packed with theaters, restaurants and a range of stores, Downtown Brooklyn saw its fortunes turn in the mid-20th century along with much of the rest of the borough. And the area, which contains a crossroads of subway lines and major streets, near the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, has been the subject of intersecting ideas about revitalization ever since...City Point, a major development in Downtown Brooklyn, is offering touches that seem to cater to Brooklyn’s homespun, forward-thinking spirit: a movie theater that serves beer. A reinvented shopping mall. A food hall for start-up restaurateurs.'

The Hudson Company is proud to be a part of this exciting new development in the heart of Brooklyn. Contact us to learn more about our sustainable, character-rich Reclaimed Softwood Joists [Original Face] and other FSC-certified wood flooring, paneling, and design products.

Artist's rendering. 

“We have to build something that reflects Brooklyn now. We’re not Manhattan. We’re not the suburbs. We’re something different.”

— Developer Paul Travis, from The New York Times

Accent wall in the City Point residential lobby, featuring Hudson Company Reclaimed wood.

Accent wall detail.

Installation in Focus: 'Stonewood Farm' private residence, New York

The Pleasures of Country Living

‘Only by letting nature in can we create a sense of coherence and kinship among house, landscape and environs. Only with that connection can a home be nurturing and invigorating.’ -Designer Ken Holzberg

When designer Ken Holzberg was ready to build his dream home at Stonewood Farm, near Millbrook, New York, the goal of his project was to create something new, while still retaining a sense of continuity with the past.

Describing his inspiration for the project, Ken writes, ‘Farmhouses and their outbuildings have always been thoughtfully tied to the land...they are made of honest, natural materials – typically what is locally available – further connecting them to their surroundings.’

When Ken approached The Hudson Company in search of the perfect materials for his project (reclaimed wood flooring, exposed beams, and vintage doors), we knew we were collaborating with an accomplished designer with an eye for detail. From hand picked cabinet hardware to custom-made light fixtures, Ken curated the perfect palette of materials and textures. ‘If I had to describe my style in one word, I would call it eclectic,’ writes Holzberg, ‘I love to take old, beautiful materials and objects from different eras and places – pieces that would never have otherwise known each other – and put them together to give them new life against the backdrop of an understatedly elegant room.’

perfectly imperfect: The Right Materials for home

Upon visiting The Hudson Company Mill, Ken was able to find flooring materials, exposed beams, and antique lumber that fit his precise vision. Choosing to incorporate 1,000 square feet of Reclaimed Hemlock floors, Reclaimed Softwood Beams [Original Face]. and an additional 3,000 square feet of Reclaimed Mixed Softwood [Threshing Floor] flooring - both sourced from historic farm buildings in the area - Ken was able to achieve the desired effect of a modern, informal home that is rich in historical character.

‘When all is said and done,’ writes Holzberg, ‘I think Stonewood’s interior spaces work so well for me because they are infinitely approachable...everything is perfectly imperfect...nothing is too precious to touch, eat at, or sit on. Everyone can feel welcome and comfortable in our home.’

This installation profile originally appeared in The Hudson Company Journal, Volume 1. To request a print copy of The Hudson Company Journal, please contact us at info@thehudsonco.com.

RECLAIMED MIXED SOFTWOODS [THRESHING FLOOR, BARLEY FINISH]

RECLAIMED HEMLOCK [MUSHROOM WOOD] FLOORING

RECLAIMED SOFTWOOD BEAMS [ORIGINAL FACE]

Installation in Focus: West 29th Street Loft, New York

A Whimsical New York Loft, A Durable Pre-Finished Flooring Solution

This 4,000 square foot West 29th Street Loft, designed by the talented team at Studio DB was completed in the summer of 2013 and features Hudson Company Select Harvest White Oak [Cascade Finish] flooring. Because the client in this project was a family with four kids, the architects incorporated a lot of creative and durable elements into their design solutions - not least of which was their choice to use The Hudson Company's pre-finished Select Harvest White Oak flooring. 

On their website, Studio DB outlines the the design program for the loft's design: "The kitchen anchors a large, open living and dining room with window exposures on three sides. Access to the kids' bedrooms is off a custom wallpapered hallway with a zip-line down the middle.  The kids' rooms each connect to a shared loft space, with unique access from each bedroom including a colorful rock wall, monkey bars, and a concealed ladder.  The interconnected loft ends at a slide which filters down into a corner playroom. The master suite is a more sophisticated space. A light filled study is tucked behind the master bedroom, which is separated by steel and glass doors."

To learn how The Hudson Company can help you reach your goals for your next design project, contact us today at info@thehudsonco.com.

Photos by Mike Garten for Studio DB, Copyright of Studio DB.

Hudson Company Reclaimed Heart Pine Floors on Architizer.com

Hudson Company Reclaimed Heart Pine [Chalk Finish] featured on Architizer.com

We were thrilled last week, when The Hudson Company's Reclaimed Heart Pine [Chalk Finish] floors were featured on Architizer.com as one of their featured 'Products of the Day.'

The timing of Architizer's feature on Reclaimed Heart Pine [Chalk Finish] seems especially apropos as we approach the first anniversary of the opening of New York's new Whitney Museum of American Art - a large-scale installation in which The Hudson Company provided over 60,000 square feet of wide plank, Heart Pine floors. To meet the custom design needs for the new Whitney project, The Hudson Company collaborated with the architectural teams at The Renzo Piano Design Workshop and Cooper Robertson Architects throughout 2013 and 2014. At the time of the Museum's opening, Jerry Saltz of New York Magazine described the Whitney's interiors and floors as, 'open, simple, Shaker-like; the wide-plank pine floors are perfect.' 

But whether installed on a massive scale (a la the new Whitney Museum) or used in a more intimate, residential application, there is just something special about these particular Reclaimed Wood flooring.

About Reclaimed Heart Pine [Chalk Finish]

Part of what make's our Reclaimed Heart Pine so special is its unique origin story. 

For the past two centuries, Longleaf Heart Pine was a predominant standing timber across a large span of the eastern seaboard. Its prevalence and unique properties made it the most widely utilized timber in American construction. 

Today, our Reclaimed Heart Pine flooring are sourced from abandoned or de-commissioned factories and warehouses located around the Hudson River Valley, some of which were constructed during the Industrial Revolution. You can learn more about The Hudson Company's reclamation process in our three part series 'Crafting The Whitney Floors.'

Product Specs:

Hudson Company Reclaimed Heart Pine [Chalk Finish] floors are available at dimensions of 3/4" x 4-8" x 2-12'. Tongue & Groove. End Matched. Shown pre-finished in Chalk. Floors are also available unfinished.

Click here to learn more or quote Reclaimed Heart Pine for your next project.