On the Domino Sugar refinery site, new Brooklyn condos offer views of the Manhattan skyline

In Brooklyn, New York’s Williamsburg neighborhood, the new One Domino Square is the first condominium development and the third ground-up residential building on the site of the Domino Sugar refinery.

The 700,000-sf project is adjacent to Domino Square and anchors a new 11-acre public park. It’s part of Two Trees Management Company’s transformation of the Domino Sugar factory site just north of the Williamsburg Bridge into a mixed-use neighborhood with office and residential space, public space, retail, and food and beverage offerings.

One Domino Square comprises two towers atop a shared seven-story podium. The 550-foot, 55-floor south tower has 400 rental units, while the 450-foot, 39-floor north tower has 160 for-sale units. The residences range from studios to four bedrooms and include two-level penthouse units with terraces. The podium houses 40,000 sf of amenities and ground-level retail.

The towers are clad in iridescent porcelain tiles that contrast with the industrial brick of the nearby Domino refinery. The project marks the first exterior-cladding use of the tile, which is manufactured in Spain by Cor Asociados Arquitectos. The structures’ luminous quality is enhanced by the podium’s façade, which is made up of light grey granite with custom reflective back-painted grey glass spandrels.

With views of the Manhattan skyline, the units feature ceilings that start at 10 feet, light oak flooring, marble and travertine finishings, and tilt-and-turn windows for optimal views and daylight. Each unit also includes sconces and mirrors custom designed by Annabelle Selldorf.

Residential amenities, located on the fourth through sixth levels of the podium, include indoor and outdoor pools, a media room with a wet bar, an open-air solarium, a social lounge with table games, multisport simulators, children’s playroom, and coworking spaces with river views, with Selldorf furniture throughout the spaces. The sixth floor features a 6,500-sf terrace with the outdoor pool, and the eighth floor offers a 5,000-sf terrace with semi-private entertaining areas.

Scheduled to be completed in fall 2024, One Domino Square recently launched sales, with prices starting at $1.25 million for a one-bedroom unit.

On the Building Team:
Owner/developer: Two Trees Management Company
Design architect: Selldorf Architects
Architect of record: dencityworks architecture
MEP engineer: Cosentini Associates
Structural engineer: Rosenwasser / Grossman Consulting Engineers

On the Domino Sugar refinery site, new Brooklyn condos offer views of the Manhattan skyline — Courtesy of Two Trees Management

The U.S. is ill-prepared to provide adequate housing for the growing ranks of older people, according to a report from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. Over the next decade, the U.S. population older than 75 will increase by 45%, growing from 17 million to nearly 25 million, with many expected to struggle financially.

Yale University breaks ground on the nation's largest Living Building student housing complex

University Buildings | Dec 8, 2023

Yale University breaks ground on nation's largest Living Building student housing complex

A groundbreaking on Oct. 11 kicked off a project aiming to construct the largest Living Building Challenge-certified residence on a university campus. The Living Village, a 45,000 sf home for Yale University Divinity School graduate students, “will make an ecological statement about the need to build in harmony with the natural world while training students to become ‘apostles of the environment’,” according to Bruner/Cott, which is leading the design team that includes Höweler + Yoon Architecture and Andropogon Associates.

Almost a million apartment units are currently under construction in the U.S., says Apartment List.

MFPRO+ News | Dec 7, 2023

7 key predictions for the 2024 multifamily rental housing market

2024 will be the strongest year for new apartment construction in decades, says Apartment List's chief economist.

Codes and Standards | Dec 7, 2023

New York City aims to spur construction of more accessory dwelling units (ADUs)

To address a serious housing shortage, New York City is trying to get more homeowners to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The city recently unveiled a program that offers owners of single-family homes up to nearly $400,000 to construct an apartment on their property.