Her 60 White Street condominium conversion in Tribeca, where prices now start at $4.58 million, incorporates a high-insulation envelope to deter hot and cold air; local-sourced wood and marble; and — as testament to her dedication — the elimination of volatile organic compounds, which are extremely common chemicals in building materials.

“In luxury building, sustainability and energy efficiency should be the norm because they’re very achievable,” the Italy-born Mainetti tells Alexa. “The more people literally buy into this philosophy, the more inexpensive it is going to become to practice it.”

Her company Sorgente, which has an emphasis on historical preservation projects, also developed 34 Greene Street in NYC and owns the fully occupied Fine Arts and Clock Tower commercial buildings in LA. She hopes to bring a 60 White-style eco building to California in the near future.