What makes a home a luxury home? Mansion Global’s Lucy Cohen Blatter asked Barbara van Beuren, one of the country’s few women real estate developers. Van Beuren, a registered architect, co-heads up New York’s real estate development firm Andrew along with her husband Stephen Glascock.

The firm’s projects include a hotel to condominium conversion at 110 Central Park South; a Yorkville condominium, Citizen 360, on NY’s Upper East Side; 207 W79th, a condominium in a landmarked building on the Upper West Side; and a major site currently in progress in Hamilton Heights for two 11-story buildings.

Dream Property?

  • A home in which the rooms integrate the indoors and outdoors including the landscaping
  • Contemporary design that utilizes natural materials
  • A warm climate with abundant light dancing in the space
  • If not water views then a pool

What does luxury mean to you?

  • Luxury is quality rather than quantity
  • Luxury means well crafted, well detailed, well designed, well located

What area will be the hub for luxury properties?

  • Accessible areas…areas that one can easily get in to and out of
  • Accessibility to great climate, culture, activities, restaurants

Where are the luxury markets in the world today and why?

  • “Follow the money and you’ll find luxury homes.”
  • London, New York, Hong Kong, San Francisco

The most valuable amenity to have in a home right now?

  • Technology that is integrated into one platform to control the home’s environment
  • Technology that controls the home’s air, light, energy use, security system, entertainment, sound, etc.
  • Access to workout spaces

 Best piece of real estate advice?

  • “Make sure you don’t fall in love with anything. That’s when you’re going to make mistakes.
  • Understand a property, do your do diligence be able to say no and walk away.”

Best areas for real estate investing?

  • Attributes that make the space valuable – views, high ceilings, light, good proportions
  • Anywhere near parks and water views
  • NOT no-man’s-land

Currently best resale value in NYC?

  • Tried and true areas
    • 5th Avenue
    • Central Park West
    • Highline
    • Chelsea
    • Tribeca
    • SoHo
    • Downtown
  • Parts of Brooklyn

 

 

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