Reprinter from October 7, 2020 Business Insider, written by Natasha Solo-Lyons
Meet one of NYC's first resident landscape designer, who's on hand to build a 'garden oasis' for every luxury condo owner in his Tribeca building.
Among the changes the pandemic has brought to New York City real estate is increased demand for outdoor living.
Developers at 30 Warren Tribeca brought on a resident landscape designer to satiate the desire for urban yet outdoor living.
Todd Haiman, the resident landscape architect, says he's never been busier.
Todd Haiman. photo E.H. Rubin
Among the changes the pandemic has brought to New York City real estate is the demand for outdoor living.
And some spaces are taking an extra step to attract residents.
This is the case at 30 Warren Tribeca, where the new luxury condominium site's developers, Cape Advisors, have brought on veteran landscape designer Todd Haiman as its resident landscape designer, to provide residents with exclusive in-home services, fit for New Yorkers who aren't ready to escape the city just yet.
Cape Advisors and Haiman say the role is the first of its kind: To advise residents on how to transform their terraces and balconies into "garden oases." Haiman and his and his team provide customized design consultations and ongoing maintenance services for private terraces and outdoor spaces, services that are part of the development's Tribeca Select program, which provides residents with access to a collection of the neighborhood's best establishments.
"Residents can call on me to provide direction on how to make the most of their outdoor space, analyzing it from an architectural, aesthetic, functional, and sustainable perspective," he said of his new role. "I am available to consult with property owners, offer design proposals, execute approved designs, and manage these gardens for the residents."
30 Warren Tribeca. 30 Warren/Post-Office Architectes/Will Femia
The partnership comes as "New Yorkers with terraces, roof gardens, townhouse gardens are valuing their outdoor spaces and gardens significantly greater than ever before," according to Haiman, who told Business Insider that residents really want to "bring nature in."
And though the pandemic has induced in many a need to escape city-living, some are embracing a new look for apartment living in the pandemic and post-pandemic age.
"Urban dwellers are comprehending their need to be in nature, their inherent psychological and emotional ties to the garden, their desire for an urban oasis. The pandemic has intensified that desire." He said the demand for oases is soaring: "My iPhone won't stop ringing!"
Haiman said he's glad Cape Advisors had the "forethought to prioritize the emotional appeal and functionality of an indoor-outdoor lifestyle."
A penthouse terrace at 30 Warren. Post-Office Architectes
Haiman said he gets "great satisfaction creating a sensory and experiential space — as simple as placing a scented plant just outside of a door such that the plants oils are released as people brush past it, perfuming the air, stimulating olfactory senses."
Urban landscape design is really about improving a client's quality of life, according to Haiman, who was born in Brooklyn, received a Master's in Landscape Design from Columbia University, and said he's lived in Lower Manhattan for the last 25 years.
Though Haiman's relationship with the 30 Warren development is just beginning, he said he's excited about its potential, and what it means for outdoor living in New York real estate.
With 30 Warren, Haiman said he wants to create a "seamless relationship between the indoor and outdoor space." The goal is to provide custom outdoor spaces that address each client's "lifestyle, needs, and aspirations."
