‘Triberbia’ Couple Goes Green

The David Rockwell-designed Riverhouse got a celebrity boost when word spread that Leonardo DiCaprio and Tyra Banks had bought apartments in the “green” building. But Heather and Ross Bauer were sold on their two-bedroom, two-bathroom condominium long before Mr. DiCaprio and Ms. Banks decided to move in.For the Bauers, parents of an 8-month-old baby girl, much of the building’s appeal came from its location at northwest Battery Park, an area nicknamed “Triberbia” for its family-friendly, slower-paced atmosphere. But the couple also was intent on building a family on “green” principles.According to a city mandate, all buildings being built in the Battery Park area must conform to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. For Riverhouse, which has achieved gold status according to LEED standards and has plans to become platinum-rated, that means 20% of the building is made from recycled materials; more than 75% of construction waste generated is recycled; the kitchen and baths have water filtration; the planted roof terraces capture rainfall to be reused for irrigation, and photovoltaic cells on the roof convert sunlight into energy. (The elevator, amenities, and communal spaces run on solar energy.)In the Bauers’ apartment, renewable resources are everywhere: The floors are made of bamboo, and the kitchen and bathroom cabinets are teak wood, adding a boat-like feel to the just-off-the-Hudson building’s nautical style. The air inside the apartment has been filtered three times, and low-pollutant-emitting paints, adhesives, and sealants have been used. There are also energy-efficient Energy Star appliances, heat pumps with programmable thermostats, efficient lighting fixtures, and double-pane glass windows that prevent heat loss in the winter and maximize cooling in the summer.As an added bonus, the building management stocked the Bauers’ apartment with “green” household products before they moved in.Mr. and Mrs. Bauer said the “green” factor was a strong motivator in their decision to buy the apartment. “When you’re just building a family, you want to make sure that it’s in a clean, safe environment, and that’s what we found here,” Mrs. Bauer, 30, a registered nutritionist and author of “The Wall Street Diet,” said.The two closed on the apartment in February 2007. When they moved in this June, they were one of the first families in the building, and construction has not yet concluded.The Bauers said they “tried to stay true to the ‘green’ theme” and employed the work of designer Amanda Moore of Re:place, who furnished the building’s model apartments. She helped them find eco-friendly furniture from companies such as Oeuf, which uses organic material. She also encouraged them to buy dual-purpose pieces that would make the most out of the somewhat limited 1,100-square-foot space. Their Design Within Reach couch has storage space and also opens up to become a bed. They also have a credenza installed in a wall below the TV in the living room, which provides plenty of storage space and is situated just high enough to leave room for toy storage underneath.The building’s designers also made sure to make the most out of space. The open kitchen, for example, appears small, but there are lots of cupboards, and almost every inch of wall space can be opened for storage. Mrs. Bauer said that working in the kitchen, and keeping it organized, “is a pleasure.”Mr. Bauer, 34, who is chief operating officer of an employee benefits program called Plum Benefits, said, “It’s an incredibly well-designed apartment.”Thanks to clean lines, white walls, and furniture in earth tones, the Bauers have successfully achieved a “Zen-like feel,” they said. The result is an almost totally minimalist apartment.Benefits of the building, whose two-bedroom apartments start at $1.2 million, extend beyond the Bauers’ immediate space. In addition to all the nearby playgrounds, a bike and running path — Mrs. Bauer runs home from her Upper East Side office about three times a week — and river and sunset views outside the building, the Bauers liked the amenities the building offered. Aside from the usual gym and pools, once construction is fully complete, the building will feature a City Bakery, a New York Public Library branch, a poetry library called Poets House, and a children’s lighthouse-themed playroom.The community feeling helped Mrs. Bauer convince her husband to stay in the city and avoid the suburbs — for now. “It’s such a family-friendly neighborhood, and it feels so far away from the city in many ways,” Mr. Bauer said. “It’s all new, there’s no grid, there are no sirens — you can even smell the water.”

‘Triberbia’ Couple Goes Green

‘Triberbia’ Couple Goes Green

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