RESIDENTIAL TOWER MECHANICAL VOIDS Text Amendment February 2019 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Nov 30, 2022 123 likes •245 views

DRAFT RESIDENTIAL TOWER MECHANICAL VOIDS Text Amendment February 2019 Introduction What is a Mechanical Void? NYC Zoning Resolution allows mechanical floor spaces to be excluded from zoning floor area calculations. There are no

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DRAFT

RESIDENTIAL TOWER MECHANICAL VOIDS

February 2019 Text Amendment

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DRAFT

Introduction – What is a “Mechanical Void”?

NYC Zoning Resolution allows mechanical floor spaces to be

excluded from zoning floor area calculations. There are no explicit height limits on these spaces.

In recent years, some developments utilized excessively tall

mechanical floors so that upper-story residential units are located above the surrounding context.

Known as a “mechanical void”
Mayor de Blasio asked DCP to examine the issue of excessive

mechanical voids and provide a recommendation.

DCP conducted a citywide analysis of recent construction to

better understand the mechanical needs of residential buildings and to assess where and when excessive mechanical spaces are being used.

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DRAFT

A Typical Tower

281 Fifth Avenue, MN (under construction) / C5-2 District

A typical tower has:

A mechanical floor at a lower level,

typically in between non-residential floors and residential floors

Taller towers typically have an additional

mechanical floor every 20 stories or so

A larger mechanical bulkhead on the top

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DRAFT 4

Excessively large, contiguous or clustered, residential mechanical voids in towers Proposal: What We Would Address

Cluster of voids in lower section

Standard Tower

Contiguous voids in lower section

Standard Tower

Contiguous voids in middle section

Tower on a Base

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DRAFT

Proposal: Our Goals

Limit the use of artificially tall residential mechanical voids
Encourage residential buildings that activate and engage with

their surroundings

Recognize the need for reasonably sized and distributed

mechanical spaces in residential buildings

Continue to support the bulk flexibility for design excellence

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DRAFT 6

Modify residential tower floor

area provisions in ZR 23-16 to count mechanical voids that exceed the height of 25 feet as “zoning floor area”

Mechanical penthouses above

the highest residential floor would not be subject to this regulation

If a mechanical void is 132 feet in height, that space would count as 5 floors of “zoning floor area” (132’ / 25’ = 5.28, rounded to 5)

Proposal: Basic Rule

3 stories/ 132 feet mechanical void

Proposal would not regulate mechanical penthouse

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DRAFT

Proposal: Clustering

If any mechanical floors are located within 75' of each other they would all count as “zoning floor area,” regardless of the height of each floor

A cluster of mechanical floors which total 80 feet would count as 3 floors

f “zoning floor area,” even when

each floor is less than 25 feet and noncontiguous (80’ / 25’ = 3.2 rounded to 3)

Mechanical penthouses above the highest residential floor Reasonably sized and distributed mechanical space Cluster of 20’ mechanical floors that totals 80’.

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DRAFT 8

For mixed-use buildings, non- residential mechanical spaces would also be subject to the same “25-foot/75-foot rule,” if non-residential floor space

ccupies less than 25% of a

building Proposal: Residential Voids v. Non-residential Voids

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DRAFT 9

For mixed-use buildings with substantial amount of non- residential floor space (i.e. more than 25%), non- residential mechanical voids would not be subject to this proposal.

Mt. Sinai Medical School /

residential tower on the right has three floors of mechanical spaces in the middle: two floors for medical use and one floor for residential use.

Proposal: Residential Voids v. Non-residential Voids

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DRAFT

Proposal: Text Amendment Summary

Modify residential tower floor area

provisions (ZR 23-16) to count mechanical voids that are taller than 25 feet as “zoning floor area”

Mechanical voids located within 75

feet of each other to count as “zoning floor area,” regardless of the height of each floor

Non-residential mechanical spaces

in mixed-use buildings to be subject to the same “25-foot/75- foot rule,” if non-residential uses

ccupy less than 25% of a building

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DRAFT

Proposal: Text Amendment Summary

No Action With Action

Excessive mechanical space Reasonably-sized mechanical space

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DRAFT

Proposal: Where These Regulations Would Apply

Residential tower developments

located within non-contextual R10 and R9 Districts and their equivalent Commercial Districts

Special Districts that rely on the

underlying FAR and tower height regulations

The proposal would also include

RESIDENTIAL TOWER MECHANICAL VOIDS

February 2019 Text Amendment

Introduction – What is a “Mechanical Void”?

excluded from zoning floor area calculations. There are no explicit height limits on these spaces.

mechanical floors so that upper-story residential units are located above the surrounding context.

mechanical voids and provide a recommendation.

better understand the mechanical needs of residential buildings and to assess where and when excessive mechanical spaces are being used.

A Typical Tower

281 Fifth Avenue, MN (under construction) / C5-2 District

A typical tower has:

typically in between non-residential floors and residential floors

mechanical floor every 20 stories or so

Excessively large, contiguous or clustered, residential mechanical voids in towers Proposal: What We Would Address

Standard Tower

Standard Tower

Tower on a Base

Proposal: Our Goals

their surroundings

mechanical spaces in residential buildings

area provisions in ZR 23-16 to count mechanical voids that exceed the height of 25 feet as “zoning floor area”

the highest residential floor would not be subject to this regulation

If a mechanical void is 132 feet in height, that space would count as 5 floors of “zoning floor area” (132’ / 25’ = 5.28, rounded to 5)

Proposal: Basic Rule

Proposal: Clustering

If any mechanical floors are located within 75' of each other they would all count as “zoning floor area,” regardless of the height of each floor

A cluster of mechanical floors which total 80 feet would count as 3 floors

each floor is less than 25 feet and noncontiguous (80’ / 25’ = 3.2 rounded to 3)

For mixed-use buildings, non- residential mechanical spaces would also be subject to the same “25-foot/75-foot rule,” if non-residential floor space

building Proposal: Residential Voids v. Non-residential Voids

For mixed-use buildings with substantial amount of non- residential floor space (i.e. more than 25%), non- residential mechanical voids would not be subject to this proposal.

residential tower on the right has three floors of mechanical spaces in the middle: two floors for medical use and one floor for residential use.

Proposal: Residential Voids v. Non-residential Voids

Proposal: Text Amendment Summary

provisions (ZR 23-16) to count mechanical voids that are taller than 25 feet as “zoning floor area”

feet of each other to count as “zoning floor area,” regardless of the height of each floor

in mixed-use buildings to be subject to the same “25-foot/75- foot rule,” if non-residential uses

Proposal: Text Amendment Summary

No Action With Action

Proposal: Where These Regulations Would Apply

located within non-contextual R10 and R9 Districts and their equivalent Commercial Districts

underlying FAR and tower height regulations

portions of Special Districts that impose special tower regulations