36 Jones Street is a ground-up mixed-use building located in Jersey City, New Jersey. The 2,045-square-meter structure includes an 84-square-meter street-facing commercial space and 10 apartments across five floors.
The building strives to create not only individual homes, but also a sense of community for families and young professionals. It breathes new life into the burgeoning New Jersey neighborhood. The boutique-sized multifamily housing building is unusual for Jersey City, which has recently become known for its high-rise building developments with smaller living units. 36 Jones Street targets the swathe of families and young professionals looking for New York-style buildings just across the Hudson River. Its walkability and proximity to public transit facilitates access to professionals working in New York City.
“We are excited to contribute to the exciting rebirth of this iconic urban neighborhood. 36 Jones Street speaks to the families and professionals that call Jersey City home, so it was important to convey that, from the inviting lobby entrance to gathering spaces on the roof top,” says Esther Sperber, founder of Studio ST Architects.
The building’s developer believes people are social creatures who need to connect with each other. The roof deck, gym, and shared bookshelf in the lobby all offer moments of connection between residents.
“This building celebrates the balance between private space in your apartment and communal connection,” says Ulie Bardosh, Jud LLC. “Esther has been my creative partner in the design of this building. She understood my passion to create a unique building for this neighborhood. She translated my desire to create a welcoming, nurturing home and community for families and young professionals into a distinctive, inclusive building, a rare find that celebrates the history of the neighborhood and connects the past to the present and the community members to one another.”
The building was designed to exceed the energy standards and create many opportunities of indoor/outdoor living. One-third of the building’s roof was dedicated to a green roof, reducing the heating and cooling consumption. The building offers bike storage to further encourage sustainable living. The façades exceed the required energy codes, and triple glazed windows lower energy cost while also reducing the transmission of street noise, creating a calm environment.
Nestled in a quiet street, the building’s multi-tone exterior–clad with metallic, gray, stacked bond-pattern bricks and wood paneled balconies–provides a crisp, modern look that balances warmth with durability, while maintaining continuity with the vibrant surroundings. The façade is enriched by planters on each balcony and visible greenery from the communal green roof. The structure makes full use of the building site, which formerly contained an outdated single-family home. The angled dark brick façade steps back from the sidewalk and property line to maintain a regular footprint, providing a tucked away entry and a transition from the street into the building. This angled gesture widens the sidewalk in front of the building’s commercial space, whereas the entry and outdoor balconies above, demarcated by cherry wood siding, maintain continuity with the angle of the adjacent buildings and street. The design for this modern and sophisticated building addresses families’ and professionals’ needs for larger interiors, access to outdoor living spaces and affordability.
Team:
Design Architect: Studio ST Architects
Architect of Record: Jorge Mastropietro Architects Atelier
Owner’s Representative: Winston Consultants, Inc.
Structural Engineers: Firmitas Engineering & Structural Design
MEP Engineers: Concord Consulting
Civil Engineering: Dresdner Robin
General Contractor: Atlantic Artisan Construction
Photography: Bilyana Dimitrova
