Ask a Developer: Building into the Fabric of a Community with Adam America Real Estate

Building a space that epitomizes timeless design for living requires more than an expertise in architecture and development. Designing high-quality, multifamily housing must start with a steadfast commitment to building a space that is true to the ethos of a neighborhood and a community. At heart, the space must be rooted in utility and the everyday needs of its residents.

In this new blog series focused on design, Bosch will provide insight into the process by which new buildings are integrated into neighborhoods and spotlight designers that feature Bosch products frequently in their work.

Bosch sat down with Tomer Yogev, a Managing Partner from Adam America Real Estate (AARE), to discuss the creative process of envisioning a space before development and why AARE chooses to integrate brands like Bosch to build homes that are designed for living and that will stand the test of time.

Bosch: Thank you for sitting down with us today! Let’s start with a brief introduction. Tell us a little about yourself and your role at Adam America Real Estate (AARE).

Tomer Yogev: I am a Managing Partner at AARE, and I specialize in new developments, conversions, and renovations. In terms of my process, I think of myself as a “hands-on” developer and believe strongly in taking a building all the way from the early phases of development through the entire process until the residents move in, to ensure everything meets our criteria and standards for excellence.

I have extensive experience in both project management and development, with a portfolio of properties spanning across North America and Israel.

Bosch: Tell us about the real estate development work you do at AARE.

Tomer: Founded in 2009, Adam America Real Estate is a privately held real estate development and investment company that has grown to become a leader in the development of high-quality multifamily housing in the New York metropolitan area, as well as in Florida and Connecticut.

AARE is unique in our approach in that we are a very hands-on developer. Throughout the process, we take on the roles of developer, investor, and contractor: we like to create the vision, but we also like to execute the vision and ensure that the execution lives up to our standards.

AARE prides itself on building residential developments that are contextual to their neighborhoods, and as a result, we have become one of the most active developers in the New York rental and condominium market. We believe that each building should make an original statement — blending into the community, while creating an environment that meets the individual lifestyles and everyday needs of its residents.

At AARE, we measure the success of a building by how much it is used. When we come back to visit the buildings, we want to see them being used to their full potential and that the design accommodates the lifestyles of the residents, while making people’s lives easier.

That focus on improving quality of life is why we choose Bosch. We always choose appliances that best suit the people who live within our buildings. We’ve noticed that residents enjoy the features that Bosch appliances offer because the appliances are designed to make their lives more efficient. And we like using Bosch because we know the products represent the best in the industry. Through my experiences working on developments and living internationally, I’ve always known Bosch was highly regarded on the global stage, in Europe as well as North America, and Bosch is well-known for their legacy of quality and timelessness.

Bosch: As a builder, what is the first step to creating a new, high-end building design?

Tomer: AARE will always consider the following questions when designing a new building:

1. What are the trends? Meaning: not only what are the new design trends, but what are the trends specific to this community?
2. What draws people to come into the neighborhood?
3. What can we offer that other developers simply do not have?

The answers to those questions inform the design, and we try to celebrate those elements within the project.

Bosch: Give us a bit of background on your most recent project, The GALERIE.

Tomer: The GALERIE is a 184-unit building that we just completed in Long Island City. Directly across the street from MoMA PS1, GALERIE is a place designed for art and artists, and the architects and designers have infused GALERIE with a unique artistic sensibility. At AARE, we believe the design should always be true to the neighborhood and fit the demographic, and with the GALERIE, you can see that the design truly reflects the artistic community.

The entire building is fitted with the full Bosch package. We feel that Bosch products meet the standard of longtime use and longevity that we strive to include in all our projects. We considered this project our way of being a local shareholder in the community.

Bosch: That’s interesting…tell us more about how you designed this building to fit into the ethos of the community.

Tomer: The building is located across the street from MoMA PS1, one of the largest art institutions in the United States dedicated solely to contemporary art, and we’ve chosen to showcase their artwork in the front lobby. When people first walk into the building they often immediately say, “I want to live in this building”, and that’s not a superlative.

We also designed this space to include a lot of natural light— something that is important to an artist’s projects and sensibility — by providing floor-to-ceiling windows throughout. The outer facade has an industrial metal look to fit in with the surrounding Long Island City neighborhood. At the top of the building, we took some artistic liberties ourselves and built a mini-glass tower with the last few floors.

To create an open space that encourages a sense of community and belonging, we placed a courtyard in the middle of the project, including a sculpture garden that opens up to a swimming pool. The courtyard was designed to be a place for people to sit and enjoy a private outdoor space that offers a lot of greenery, while also serving as an inspirational space to fuel the creative process.

Bosch: The building sounds exquisite and we’re sure your residents love the building as much as we’ve loved hearing about it. Thank you so much for speaking with us today. On behalf of the Bosch family, we deeply appreciate your insights into your thoughtful design, development work, and the creative process.

Developing a residential space comes with the implicit responsibility of designing for life: not just designing a space that is keen to the eye in the view of prospective residents, but also a design that is rooted in a commitment to improving the everyday lives of its residents. Bosch appliances share this vision and deep commitment of “designing for life” with our partners at Adam America Real Estate.

The famous designer and writer Donald Norman articulated this best when he said, “Design is really an act of communication, which means having a deep understanding of the person with whom the designer is communicating.” Bosch appliances and AARE’s most recent development The GALERIE both reflect this deep understanding of people, their everyday needs, and the essence of a home.