O2 - Issue 2 - (Page 60)

[SNAPSHOTS] DENNIS WEDLICK WHEN ARCHITECT DENNIS WEDLICK VISITED THE RIVERHOUSE SALES Center, the last thing he needed was a light-strewn one-bedroom with dramatic Hudson River views and easy access to his favorite downtown pocket park. In fact, he already owned one just a few blocks away. So what compelled Wedlick to sign a contract on the spot? “The clincher was all of the commercial and institutional partners,” he explains. “Poets House, the New York Public Library Branch—and, of course, Birdbath Bakery.” Birdbath by City Bakery’s vegan gingersnaps may have sealed Wedlick’s commitment to Riverhouse, but there was also the matter of the low-flow water faucets, Energy Star appliances, and other sustainable features. “The concept behind the building suits my professional mission statement so perfectly,” says Wedlick, whose firm is masterminding an eco-friendly residential development upstate. “What really impressed me was that the green package wasn’t just about bamboo floors. There’s also an advanced air filtration system, stoves vented directly to the outdoors, and triple-glazed windows with solar shading. So much was invested in making the building environmentally friendly.” Wedlick is hoping that his new home will be the showcase that converts aspiring treehuggers to all-out sustainable living. “To move the environmental agenda forward, I think it’s important for people to have a firsthand experience of a green space. I fantasize that people will visit my new home and become inspired by just how fresh the building feels.” KAREN WHITFORD BACK IN THE ’70S, KAREN WHITFORD PHOTOGRAPHED ROCK STARS FOR A living. “But now I’m more into the country thing,” says the mother of three. “I mostly shoot horses, cows, and landscapes. It’s very pastoral.” Whitford’s yen for nature drew her to Riverhouse. “I lived in suburban Massachusetts for 25 years before moving back to the city in 2003,” she says, “I really missed greenery.” She sought refuge in the lawns and waterfront paths of Battery Park City and, at the first possible moment, she chose a Riverhouse three-bedroom with Hudson views that would comfortably house her sons and a digital photo studio. Whitford is excited to take advantage of her new home’s lush surroundings and its eco features. “I’m thrilled that my bamboo floors won’t be contributing to deforestation,” explains the longtime environmentalist, who recently donated a portfolio of her rock photos to a Rainforest Foundation fundraiser. Whitford is also a sucker for amenities like valet parking and the pet spa, where you’ll soon find her pampering her Pomeranian, Yorkshire terrier, and shih Tzu-poodle. Three dogs, too—should Whitford have opted for a duplex? “They’re all under 6 pounds,” Whitford says of her canine trio. And she points out, “My middle son, Graham, takes up the most space!” The 6-foot-tall teenager recently played guitar onstage alongside his dad, Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford. “Graham just taught himself to play guitar. He was a drummer until we moved to the city, but there was no way I was going to let him play drums in an apartment.” With some activities best left to the ’burbs, the only percussion you’ll hear in this happy home is the drumroll-like scampering of 12 tiny paws. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW KIST 60 [ O2GREENMAGAZINE.COM ] http://O2GREENMAGAZINE.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of O2 - Issue 2

O2 - Issue 2 Contents Letter Freshpicks Itinerary The Hunt Flight O2 Outer Beauty Fuel 4 Thought Health Tech One to Watch Great Outdoors Features Future Focus Musings

O2 - Issue 2

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