Perch Harlem, NY

The Perch Harlem development at 542 W 153rd Street is New York City’s first market rate rental apartment passive building. The seven-story structure, located in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood of Harlem, New York, was developed by the Synapse Development Group with its investment partner Taurus Investment Holdings.

The project focuses on low-impact living and community-oriented design, and adherence to passive building principles will dramatically reduce residents’ energy consumption and provide superior climate control and comfort. The essentially airtight building will feature triple-pane windows, an energy recovery ventilation system, and high-rated insulation.

Perch Harlem’s 34 market-rate homes will consist primarily of one- and two-bedroom apartments. The building’s landscape and interior designers, Me and General Design (M&GD), provide hallways lined with custom-designed wallpaper featuring “a motif inspired by the building’s exterior window design.” Building amenities include a rooftop deck and garden, gym, bike storage, residents’ storage, a laundry room, virtual doorman system, a resident communal room with kitchen, and a hypocritical 18 parking spaces mandated by city zoning. Northern views will capture the Hudson River and George Washington Bridge, while views to the south overlook low-rise Harlem and culminate with the Midtown skyline. Completion is expected in 2016.