New model for affordable housing completed in New York

Published by Max Salsbury for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Development

A freshly completed block of affordable housing in New York is to be the model for future developments.

The project, designed by British architects Grimshaw, consists of a 20-storey tower at the north end of the site with subsequent buildings stepping down to three-storey townhouses in the south.

Grimshaw won the first juried design competition for affordable housing in New York City in 2006.

The brief called for the ability to replicate the design, sustainable practices and ‘healthy living’ principles in the hope that the scheme could be a model for future developments in the city.

Standing in the south Bronx, the building features a series of gardens that start in a shared courtyard spiralling up through a series of green roofs.

The garden roofs are eco-friendly, being able to dissipate heat and absorb rainwater runoff.

In addition, each apartment has two facades allowing plenty of cross-ventilation and daylight, as well as low VOC finishes, water and energy conserving fixtures.

The 222 mixed-income affordable units were developed as part of Mayor Bloomberg’s housing marketplace plan, which aims to finance 165,000 units of affordable housing by 2014.