NYC-So much concrete and what to do with it.Enter Matthew Blesso, by Anna Wilding

Just before I left NYC on my recent sojourn, I was compelled to shoot the cityscape.Layer upon layer of concrete.It does overwhelm you if you don't get out of the city enough  i.e. Every other weekend.

One of my favorite places to seek refuge in NYC is the refurbished Bowery Hotel. If you manage to extricate yourself from its roaring fires in the main room, you discover  a stunning atrium at the back. A great space ,rain or sunshine,filled with comfortable oversize wicker chairs facing onto the last remaining patch of private grass in NYC- (it is in fact that of a rather romantic old fashioned cemetry plot)

It was between the wicker chairs and the comfortable fire place on a rainy day that I found myself in a long and engaging telephone interview with whizz kid NYC property developer Matt Blesso.
I just like the guy. Amongst all these hardened property developers in NYC, and I have met a few, and of which there are as many hardened self centered bankers, it is refreshing to see a young man charged of a greater purpose than just himself,and making conscious efforts to build

eco friendly buildings in such a raw environment.Thereby,changing or hoping to influence the way big spending  New Yorkers interact with their environment. I say "big spending" with caution,as although, of course, Matt Blesso has made much of his money off "big spending" New Yorkers,he is also consciously trying to bring about plans for more affordable housing for those with somewhat lesser budget.Another words everyone except bankers.And count me, and everyone I know, rich and poor ,as one of those latter "lesser budget" people.
The day one of these banks fell over recently,a NYC banker, from that bank, walked away with a bonus of 38 million. No questions asked. Someone ,in the banking world, had the strangest thing to say to me in response-' bankers work hard they deserve it'  Rubbish- Doctors work hard - and they save lives! Mostly I see bankers saving themselves with little regard for everyone else. We all work hard. But I digress from the rich young man at the end of the phone, talking about what he is doing for his part, as the rain beats down.

Matt recently opened his own home to the masses to show his protocol for greener living.Situated in Manhattan the home is a 'natural ' haven in the midst of the Big Apple.

Matthew Blesso, founded Blesso Properties.He is a rare success in the property world that virtually every single board or committee he sits on, is with the aim of making things better. A cynic would say- Blesso is just catching a trend.Well, that may or may not be the case,but it's  a good trend to catch.He is also putting his money where his mouth is and making it personal.

For the past few years, Blesso has been researching the newest and most effective green “home” technologies, and he is now showcasing some of those products and systems in his own Noho loft, which the company is using as a testing ground for future projects. The Blesso loft integrates environmentally-sustainable features which will be incorporated in the firm’s future projects, it also serves as a platform for the firm’s remarkable design capabilities.

Partnering with renowned architects Joel Sanders and Andrea Steele and leading landscape designer Diana Balmori, Blesso sought to utilize both tactile and visual elements of nature and accent their relationship with the existing urban conditions. The guest bathroom with walls and a floor made of excess cork from the bottle stop industry. The master bath  feature a planted green wall from which the faucets pour water into a solid teak sink. Additional green features include a rainwater collection cistern, energy-star rated appliances, furniture made of recycled or salvaged materials, soundproofing insulation created from recycled denim, and dual-flush water conserving toilets. The “green roof” garden provides energy-saving benefits to the entire building in winter and summer. Additionally, it decreases the urban heat island effect and reduces storm water run-off and pollution by retaining and absorbing rainwater, a benefit to the city at large.I will make a note here, that of course virtually every country house in the world used rainwater cisterns,and I grew up with them,  so it is interesting to see them being reborn in the modern era in a city like New York. I say ,that we sometimes have to look back to create our future forward.

Blesso’s home weaves elements of a garden through a New York City bachelor pad. And yes, girls,he is a bachelor..and I am sure loving every minute of it!

With his signature aesthetic, dubbed modern eco-urbanism, Blesso and his team have brought natural features like plants and natural fibers indoors, while transporting interior aspects such as furnishings, a mini-kitchen, bed, and even a large movie screen to the outdoors. The design team’s approach to this project was informed by a desire to create a living space that is both beautiful and comfortable and that minimizes environmental impacts. Part of the challenge to the designers’ natural aesthetic came from the many pipes, vents, railings, and other urban infrastructure so ubiquitous in New York City buildings. Rather than try to hide these characteristics of urban life, the residence embraces them .
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When asked about his new home and his vision behind it, Blesso states, “by blurring the distinction between inside and outside - literally bringing the garden to the interior and the living spaces to the exterior, the project implements a “green-ness” beyond a list of eco-friendly materials and systems. It sustains the experience of nature itself, not solely its precious resources.”

The loft is sustainable,unique- who else uses denim to soundproof walls? I loved the idea.

The property great rightly  recently garnered top national honors and recognition from leaders in the architecture and design fields. The projectwas selected among the award winning projects in the 2008 Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) Professional Design Awards Program, won a Best of Year merit award from Interior Design Magazine, and won an Honor Award from the AIA Westchester/Mid-Hudson Chapter, a New York based chapter of the AIA in 2008.

If you are intersted in one of Matt's properties or Matt designing  a property for you go to www.blessoproperties.com- and by they way- get one of me while you are at it! Thank you.
Back to the rain and my wicker chair.