pratt PeoPle
PrAtt people
samy brahimy B. Arch. ’80
Co-owner iBeC Building Corp., a Brooklyn-based residential development and management company. Photographed at the Clermont Armory towers, a mixed-use apartment building in fort Greene, owned by iBeC.
What potential DiD you see in Fort greene anD Clinton hill When you began buying real estate there in the 1980s? I saw beautiful historic buildings in a newly designated Landmark District. There was an active community of urban pioneers determined to restore dignity to a neighborhood that had declined dramatically in the 1950s and 1960s. Property prices made economic sense, and there was a reasonable chance that property would increase in value. What Was the very First builDing you purChaseD in the Fort greene/Clinton hill neighborhooD? The building was a former Masonic lodge (built circa 1874) at 165 Clermont Avenue that was fire-damaged, abandoned, and in a state of disrepair. I fell in love with the top-floor meeting room, which was one large space with an 18-foot ceiling and a large (missing) skylight.
matt & kim
matt Johnson, B.f.A. film ’04, kim schifino, B.f.A. illustration ’02 Keyboardist/vocalist and drummer/vocalist, respectively, of the Brooklyn-based band Matt + Kim, known for its distinctive brand of dance punk rock. Photographed at the Siren Music festival on Coney island.
What proJeCt are you most prouD oF? The adaptive reuse of the former Clermont Avenue Armory. My partners and I converted this National Guard Armory (built in 1873), which was in a state of neglect and disrepair, into a thriving residential building. We were able to preserve three of the tremendous wrought-iron trusses that spanned the main drill hall.
Why the shiFt From art to musiC? [Matt] It’s not much of a shift. Music was always my first love, ever since I first got a bass when I was 14. [Kim] Being creative is being creative; the more you understand how to compose in any art form—drawing, photography, or whatever—the better you can compose a song.
is there anything you learneD at pratt that has inFluenCeD your Career? Pratt taught me to be self-motivated, to think outside the box, and to adapt to change.
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p r att f o lio
phoTo: diAnA pAu
phoTo: diAnA pAu
Where Do you see the next areas oF groWth in brooklyn real estate? As land prices in the more established neighborhoods have become prohibitive, outlying neighborhoods such as Red Hook and the Gowanus Canal area show upward potential. However, growth in those areas will need to be preceded by investment in infrastructure, transportation, and environmental remediation by the public sector. Given the budget crisis, that is unlikely in the near future.
Why DiD you name your seConD album Grand ? For the street we live on in Brooklyn. It kept coming up in lyrics as we were writing the album, so it seemed only fitting to call it that. What is it about brooklyn that keeps you here? We love being surrounded by so many creative people doing awesome things that make us want to do awesome things, too. We call it “art school competitiveness.”
hoW Do you get suCh lively album anD CD Covers? Kim has made our two album covers, also our demo cover and a seven-inch sleeve. She finds working on band-related art (T-shirts, stickers, and buttons) to be the only time she gets to work on art at all! What's the most important lesson you learneD at pratt? The ability to tell when something isn’t working—because then you can keep reworking it until it does. What's your FonDest memory oF pratt? [Kim] My senior art show. My dad came up to help with the installation and my friends, the band Japanther, played at the opening, which turned into a sweet final party.
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