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.