Metropolitan Exchange Building Community
We are architects, designers, scientists, inventors, urban planners, writers, filmmakers, musicians, chefs, and socially-conscious entrepreneurs. Our work is diverse, but we have in common our creativity, productivity, and professionalism. We benefit from the inspiring energy and camaraderie of our shared space.
Building
We are seven stories of open-loft work space; workshops and facilities; and communal areas for gathering and events. Space is managed cooperatively and flexibly to support each tenant’s needs and new ideas. We foster and nurture Brooklyn's growing creative industry.
Building
- To provide a supportive environment for new ideas and fledgling ventures.
- To encourage innovation, experimentation, and creative collaboration.
- To help the arts and socially-responsible businesses become a robust economic and political force.
About the owner, Al Attara:
Al Attara grew up in Brooklyn and attended Parson’s School of Design. The unstructured learning environment there, and the opportunity it afforded for eclectic groups to mingle, is what first inspired his enthusiasm for the cross-pollination of ideas and disciplines. Over the years Al has been a furniture designer, hemp clothing manufacturer, Xerox artist and much more.
In 1979 he bought the old bank building at 33 Flatbush Avenue, intending to create a cooperatively-owned space for designers of all sorts to work in an integrated community. He wanted to allow people of diverse talent and vision to connect in an environment flexible enough to nurture whatever sparks of inspiration the friction might generate. Al hoped the ideas seeded in such a space would spread, and grow, in the wider community.
33 Flatbush Avenue has been a sanctuary for many artists and intrepid entrepreneurs over the years. At times it has persisted solely because of Al’s enormous generosity, and his staunch commitment to his vision. Many times he has declined personal enrichment in order to support instead the ideas and the people sustained in this space.
Member Directory
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Marc Schwartz,
IdeaSphere LLC Co-author of this site. A stunt-coding love cloud for the whole world to enjoy. -
Andrew Personette,
EcoSystems tall dark... -
Jessica Banks,
RockPaperRobot short,blonde.... -
Martina Decker,
Decker Yeadon LLC -
paul sladkus,
Good News Planet -
George LaVoo,
LaVoo Films George LaVoo most recently wrote and directed "A Dog Year" for HBO Films, starring Jeff Bridges in an Emmy-Nominated performance. Prior to that, Mr. LaVoo wrote and produced "Real Women Have Curves," starring America Ferrera and winner of the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award for Best Film. Mr. LaVoo also was named one of Variety's "10 Producers to Watch" at the Cannes Film Festival. He is currently teaching directing and screenwriting at the School of Visual Arts, NYC. -
Kaja Kuehl,
youarethecity -
Martin Bourqui,
Responsible Endowments Coalition hay guys -
nurhan gokturk,
Planetary ONE -
Jenna Spevack,
Artist Jenna Spevack uses drawing, installation, and digital media to observe the shifting natural and social-political environments. From the visualization of biological processes, conversations, scientific theories, and systems of belief, she examines ideas of interconnectedness, impermanence, and the interaction of forces, both observable and invisible. -
Charlene Manuel,
Seed Media Group -
David,
Planetary ONE -
Annie McShiras,
Responsible Endowments Coalition -
Dan Apfel,
Responsible Endowments Coalition -
Sarah J Hart,
The Perspective Project writer, editor, reporter -
Caroline,
Runa LLC I am the Sales and Operations Manager for Runa (a tea company) on the 5th floor. -
Mitchell Joachim,
Planetary ONE + Terreform ONE Dr. Joachim is Co-founder of Planetary ONE + Terreform ONE, design groups that integrate ecological principles in the urban environment. He is a Clinical Associate Professor at NYU. Previously he was selected to be the Frank Gehry Chair at the University of Toronto and has taught at Pratt, Syracuse, Parsons, and Columbia. Mitchell has been an architect with Gehry Partners and Pei Cobb Freed, and held a research fellowship with Moshe Safdie. He was awarded a TED Senior Fellowship for the TED 2011 Conferences, and in 2009, Rolling Stone magazine named him one of its; "100 People Who Are Changing America". He earned a PhD at MIT, MAUD at Harvard, and M.Arch at Columbia. -
Matt Tyson,
EcoSystems The world will not evolve past its current state of crisis by using the same thinking that created that situation. - Albert Einstein - -
PowderKeg,
PowderKeg PowderKeg provides work space and support to professional and emerging women writers. Located in the BAM Cultural District in Brooklyn, PowderKeg is an urban writers' retreat offering writers respite from the demands of city life as well as camaraderie and community. -
Al Attara,Founder of the 33 Flatbush community; loather of permanence; believer in "plugging in;" encourager of innovation, creativity, and community.
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Marni Majorelle, Eric Majorelle, Dary Thach, and Cameron Hendrick,
Alive Structures Alive Structures is a certified woman owned business based in Brooklyn, NY. Our team of committed environmentalists have a practical plan to improve air and water quality, reduce energy dependence, create open green space, and stimulate educational opportunities in New York City. We are certified green roof installers, landscape designers, conservationists and educators. All of our projects include the use of natives- a decision based on a strong company background in biology conservation and landscape design.
Organizations
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Ideasphere LLCHacks mainly
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Responsible Endowments CoalitionThe Responsible Endowments Coalition (REC) works to build and unify the college and university-based responsible investment movement, both by educating and empowering a diverse network of individuals to act on their campuses, and by fostering a national network for collective action. We empower young people to defend human rights and the environment while making both corporations and universities accountable to global stakeholders. Our goal is to foster social and environmental change by making responsible investment common practice amongst colleges and universities, and to support the next generation of activists with a new and powerful toolkit.
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The Perspective ProjectAn inquiry into perspective, and the consequences.
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Planetary ONEPlanetary ONE is a unique cross disciplinary partnership of designers and scientists collaborating to pioneer visionary socio-ecological and infrastructural strategies for urban environments. Each of our practitioners have achieved individual success in their respective fields allowing us to offer high quality professional services in architecture, landscape, planning, urban design, infrastructure, and applied ecological research. With the fusion of our repertoire of skills and experience in Planetary ONE, we are poised to provide innovative design solutions to respond to the challenges of urbanization. We endeavor to be at the vanguard of progressive urbanism through engagement with a diverse clientele and across multiple fields.
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EcoSystemsEcoSystems is a creative platform that delivers furniture and interiors under a strict environmental and social framework; fun, beauty and functionality emerge from our collaborations.
Posted By: Marc Schwartz
Date: Wed, Apr 14, '30
Posted By: Marc Schwartz
Date: Thu, Dec 30, '11
Posted By: Marc Schwartz
Date: Wed, Dec 31, '11
Posted By: Marc Schwartz
Date: Sun, Mar 5, '11
Posted By: Mitchell Joachim
Date: Thu, Mar 3, '11
Posted By: Sarah J Hart
Date: Fri, Jan 12, '11
Posted By: Marc Schwartz
Date: Sat, Jan 22, '11
Posted By: Marc Schwartz
Date: Sat, Jan 13, '11
Posted By: Mitchell Joachim
Date: Fri, Jul 5, '11
Posted By: Marc Schwartz
Date: Wed, Jan 12, '11