The Plan: Remote Work Inspired a Lot of the Design at Kips Bay’s Hendrix House

Hendrix House at 429 Second Avenue in Manhattan’s Kips Bay is designed to be a paradise for remote workers — at least those who pull in salaries high enough to make $1.6 million for a two-bedroom doable. 

Developed by New Empire Corporation, with interiors by Paris Forino and design architecture by DXA Studio, Hendrix House was conceived back in August 2020, when a lot of people were working remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

With work from home being a way of life at the time, everyone involved wanted to develop Hendrix House with plenty of amenities both in the units and throughout the building that could accommodate the needs of residents working remotely. 

“It’s funny because when we were designing it we were on Zoom doing our presentations for the first time,” said Wayne Norbeck, partner and co-founder of DXA Studio. “We were all very much aware of what that meant and how we weren’t prepared for it in terms of having a space carved out for remote work at Hendrix House.”

In each condo — of which there are 60 ranging in size from studios to two-bedrooms — there is space carved out for remote work in the form of desk areas in well-lit corners. 

If residents want to get out of their apartments but not leave the building to do their work, they can head to the lobby, hang a right, and work from the coworking lounge that features a kitchenette and access to shared outdoor space. There is also a grand spiral staircase that leads to a lower-level coworking space that includes conference rooms. 

But it’s not all work and no play at Hendrix House, which is named after the Hendricksen Kip clan, early Dutch immigrants in the 1600s who lent their name to Kips Bay. Other amenities at the 12-story building include a pet spa, a sauna, a steam room, a fitness center, and a communal rooftop with space for grilling, dining and lounging. 

The building is nearly completely sold with the remaining units ranging in price from $1.6 million for a two-bedroom to $2.9 million for a two-bedroom with outdoor space. 

Considering the time period in which the building was being developed and built, it was important to the teams behind Hendrix House that residents never feel boxed in when home. 

“One of the most important things was just the units being really light and airy,” Norbeck said. “We wanted to capture those distant views and light, and also really create a strong contrast to the neighborhood and really engage the sky as much as possible.” 

It was important, too, for the team behind Hendrix House that their building stood out from the plain brick facades that make up a lot of Kips Bay. The face of the building at the corner of 25th Street and Second Avenue is a mix of masonry, commercial brass and glass that is formed into sleek curves, creating a stark contrast to the surrounding properties.  

“We thought in a very abstract way: How do you weave different materials together on the facade? And that became one of the Core principles of the design,” Norbeck said. “We took a look at the surrounding context of the neighborhood, and we wanted to go beyond the lackluster quality of the neighborhood.”

Amanda Schiavo can be reached at aschiavo@commercialobserver.com.