25 West 88th Street

The owners of this 8,000 sq ft single family home have created one of the finest contemporary townhomes on the Upper West Side. This home has received national designation as a Platinum Certified LEED Home and Passive Energy Certification, possibly the first in Manhattan to be so awarded. Built with six floors and a finished cellar, the home offers six bedrooms plus several activity rooms designed for yoga, meditation, exercise and crafts. The design and construction decisions were a collaboration between the extremely knowledgeable owners, Baxt/Ingui Architects, arguably the best NYC LEED and Passive home builders, and Robert Taffera Inc., renowned and discerning builders of brownstone homes. The result at 25 West 88th Street is a masterpiece of design, detail, energy savings, quality of life and environment which the new owners will benefit from for years to come.

25 West 88th Street Features
Completely new construction within exterior structural walls allowed for the highest quality and state-of-the-art execution of every detail
High speed elevator (100 ft/sec) stops at all seven levels, including cellar and penthouse
Large eat-in chef's kitchen outfitted with Gaggenau, Wolf, SubZero and Miele appliances
42" Wolf barbeque grill with dedicated gas line in backyard
500 bottle wine cellar
Penthouse terrace has outdoor gas fireplace
Upper floor kitchenette for guests and penthouse entertaining
Built-in speakers throughout house and outdoor areas are connected to a central audio/video server controlled by iPads and iPhones
Bathrooms throughout house appointed with Waterworks fixtures
Steam shower adjacent to studio appointed for yoga, dance, art and entertainment
EcoSmart Ethanol fireplaces provide instant, odor-free fires requiring no clean up
CAT6 wiring for all telephone, television, computer and entertainment systems to all interior rooms
Lutron Homeworks System control of all lighting and window shades allows for automatic on/off/ dimming to match owner schedules and remote control access from iPhones and iPads
Security motion detectors, video cameras and alerts with remote control via iPhone or iPads
Irrigated planting terraces and green roof prepared for deep bed gardening (up to 100 lb live load)
Planted garden, auto watering, rock sculptures, Koi Pond with year round water circulation system
Custom outdoor fencing and benches made from recycled Coney Island boardwalk

Superior Climate & Energy Management

Crestron control of HVAC coupled with superior insulation creates draft-free, equalized temperatures throughout the entire house for remarkable year-round comfort
Zola tilt-and-turn European-designed triple pane glass windows create noticeably quieter, more relaxing environment
Continuous hospital grade (HEPA 13) air filters and plasma ionizers create superior air quality by eliminating all microbes, odors and other contaminants
Tensui System's triple filtration of water supply completely eliminates all microbes, toxins and unwanted metals from drinking, cooking and cleaning water throughout the house
Whole house humidification system provides health benefits and superior care for possessions
Back-up gas fired electric generator protects against electric grid brown-outs and black-outs
Solar panels provide up to 5KV of energy generation
Superior insulation, windows/doors, LED lighting and energy generation result in 75% energy savings

Other LEED/Sustainability Features During Construction

Commitment to local sourcing of most woods and other materials
Sustainable forestry practices for all tropical/exotic woods
Recycling of on-site materials, minimized construction waste and best waste management practices
All surface coatings (paints, waxes and lacquers) have no/low volatile organic compounds to avoid human contact with potential toxins

25 WEST 88TH STREET LAYOUT:
GARDEN LEVEL: Below the restored L-shaped stoop is a front garden and a gated service/family entrance. This leads into a Porcelanosa tiled mudroom where custom cabinets and hooks provide convenient storage. There is storage for bicycles and strollers directly the stoop. The garden level has a powder room, formal dining room situated at the front, and an open, expertly designed, eat-in kitchen at the rear. The service stairway here is open tread and surrounded by a 3-story wall of windows, connecting the garden floor to the cellar area below and the parlor floor above. The kitchen has custom cabinetry, 2 sinks, 2 Gaggenau stoves, a Wolf induction cook top, 2 dishwashers, Subzero refrigerator/freezer, wine refrigerator, and a book matched granite countertop dining island. There is also a desk/study area and banquette dining. The rear garden is lush with wood and stone elements and a koi pond.
PARLOR FLOOR:
From the top of the elegant stoop one enters the gracious foyer. A paneled office is immediately off this entrance. There is an EcoSmart Fireplace (http://www.ecosmartfire.com) in the office and another in the living room. The living room with wet bar and glass enclosed ante room has abundant light and garden views. The home's custom staircase has wonderfully soft elliptical lines framing an impressive view to the home's skylight 4 floors above. Zola triple glazed windows (http://www.zolawindows.com) throughout.
3RD FLOOR(MASTER SUITE): A privacy door separates the full floor suite. Features include: EcoSmart fireplace, a meditation room in the extension overlooking the garden, a hallway of closets which incorporates Sagatsune hinges (http://www.sugatsune.com/) allowing the doors to open parallel to the walls. The master bath is sun-filled with 3 windows overlooking West 88th Street. All fixtures are Waterworks, Toto and Robern. There is an under counter refrigerator and heated floor. The 'wet room' contains 3 showerheads and soaking tub.
4TH FLOOR: The 4th floor has 2 bedrooms in the front and 1 large bedroom in the rear. There is a terrace off the back bedroom where herbs, strawberries and raspberries have been grown. There are 2 full bathrooms on this floor.
5TH FLOOR: The 5th floor and 6th floors were planned for entertainment. The 5th floor has a guest bedroom with ensuite bath. Adjacent to this room is a kitchenette with refrigerator, sink, dishwasher and washer/dryer. In the front there is an open studio which could be used as living space for a guest or perhaps walled off for another bedroom. Currently it is used as a yoga/work out studio and piano room. There is another full bathroom on this floor.
6TH FLOOR: The top floor is about natural light with floor to ceiling glass at both ends. A TV/media room can easily be partitioned off into a separate bedroom. The roof terrace has built-in benches and decking constructed of recycled wood from the Coney Island Boardwalk. Plantings frame the sitting area on two sides and chairs are staged around a gas fireplace. Stairs take you to the roof where solar panels and mechanicals have been installed. There is room for growing a small vegetable garden (the roof has been built to support a 100 lb./ft. live load).
CELLAR/RECREATION SPACE: Windows that begin at the Parlor Level continue 3-stories down to the cellar level, bringing light and turning it into another level of living. Back staircase and elevator access. A 500 bottle wine cellar constructed with wood from the original townhouse beams is cooled naturally since it is below grade. Professional grade laundry facilities, room for a ping pong table or pool table. There is a full bath with oversized shower that is intended for washing large and bulky items and large pets.