Three multifamily projects were among the 14 winners in the American Institute of Architects 2017 Housing Awards program. The jury assessed the architectural design, the integration of the buildings into their context, transportation options, and features that contribute to livable communities.
The winners:
Powerhouse carefully fits a dense cluster of 31 super-energy-efficient units into an urban block in Philadelphia. The design navigates existing fabric along a sloping site with a series of building typologies: single-family townhomes, duplexes, and two small apartment buildings. In the Philadelphia tradition of entry stoops, a sequence of entry platforms navigates grade changes, entry stairs, and basement windows. Stormwater is managed on site with green roofs and rain gardens along the curb line. All 31 units achieved LEED Platinum certification.
Hunters View Housing Blocks 5 & 6, San Francisco, designed by Paulett Taggart Architects. These two new blocks of affordable family housing are part of San Francisco’s HOPE SF program to rebuild parts of the city’s deteriorated public housing, even as the current tenants remain in the neighborhood. The design for these two city blocks organizes 53 units into two L-shaped buildings per block to form continuous street frontages and surround two secure shared courtyards. Each building contains stacked multi-level townhouses that step down with the street’s slope.
VIA 57 West, New York, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (architect) and SLCE Architects (associate architect). This pyramid-shaped, 940,012-sf residential building is 467 feet tall, with 709 apartments within 34 above-ground floors. It combines a European perimeter block and a traditional Manhattan high-rise that encompasses a 2,040-sf courtyard.
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | May 19, 2015
Zaha Hadid unveils 'interlocking lattice' design for luxury apartments in Monterrey, Mexico
Hadid's scheme was inspired by the Mexican tradition of interlocking lattice geometries.
Multifamily Housing | May 19, 2015
Study: Urban land use policies costs U.S. economy $1.6 trillion a year
The research contends that more affordable housing options can help cities generate significantly more income.
Multifamily Housing | May 17, 2015
New York City runs into affordable housing dilemma
New York City’s affordable housing policy has created attractive low-cost housing, but the price of success has been high.
Sponsored | Coatings | May 14, 2015
Prismatic coatings accent the new Altara Center
This multi-use campus will contain a university, sports facilities, medical center, and world-class shopping
High-rise Construction | May 6, 2015
Two new designs submitted for New York City Riverside Center
Both designs reference the cantilevers and other elements featured in architect Christian de Portzamparc’s original masterplan for the complex, which has now been scrapped.
High-rise Construction | May 6, 2015
Parks in the sky? Subterranean bike paths? Meet the livable city, designed in 3D
Today’s great cities must be resilient—and open—to many things, including the influx of humanity, writes Gensler co-CEO Andy Cohen.
Mixed-Use | May 5, 2015
Miami ‘innovation district’ will have 6.5 million sf of dense, walkable space
Designing a neighborhood from the ground-up, developers aim to create a dense, walkable district that fulfills what is lacking from Miami’s current auto-dependent layout.
Codes and Standards | May 1, 2015
Colorado House kills construction defects bill
The legislation would have made it harder for condo owners to sue builders.
Multifamily Housing | May 1, 2015
Trade groups extend campaign to promote apartment living
The groups claim that there are more than 37 million Americans—12% of the population—living in just under 20 million apartment units nationwide. Apartments and their residents contribute $1.3 trillion annually to the economy.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 28, 2015
Masdar City: Construction on sustainable residential complex begins
The planned city’s new residences will help support Abu Dhabi’s rapid population growth.
