The Radio Tower & Hotel, located at 2420 Amsterdam Avenue in Washington Heights, is a mixed-use building located next to the George Washington Bridge, and which by its vibrant use of color provides a welcoming signpost to its thriving uptown Manhattan neighborhood. The façade was constructed out of ceramic-glazed bricks in different colors, with the areas of color visually representing the diverse uses within. The building was designed by MVRDV, with Youngwoo & Associates, LLC as the developer and Stonehill + Taylor as the Architect of Record.
CANY has a wealth of experience in brick-clad new construction developments of this type and size, including many residential developments and the Hampton Inn Brooklyn Downtown Hotel, also with Stonehill + Taylor.
As building envelope consultant for this project, CANY’s scope included design and detailing reviews, construction document development including the writing of exterior envelope specifications and performing construction monitoring. Our work during the design development phase included the development of the Energy Compliance Report using COMcheck software and assisting the Architect of Record with the preparation of the EN Drawings, all to demonstrate compliance of the building design with the New York City Energy Code. During the Construction Documents phase, CANY worked with the construction products supplier Hohmann & Barnard in developing the extensive Thermal Brick Support System used to support the brick veneer with a series of concealed hangers and continuous shelf angles.
During Construction Administration, our services included monitoring air infiltration and water resistance tests of multiple different configurations of installed window and terrace door systems, to reduce the risk of future leaks by streamlining installation methods and procedures, methods of which were developed in conjunction with the window manufacturer and the window installer.
