Magnusson Architecture and Planning has recently completed Webster Green, a $30 million affordable and supportive housing development in the Bronx. The mixed-use development provides apartments and supportive housing for formerly homeless individuals and families.
The 77,000-sf building is located on a grayfield site and comprises 82 apartments ranging from studio, one-, and two-bedroom layouts, and 41 supportive homes. The ground floor includes several administrative and program management offices for The Doe Fund, a non-profit developer and service provider; two community spaces; and the laundry room. A landscaped courtyard on the ground floor features native and drought resistant/tolerant plants and shrubs, seating areas, permeable pavers, and a drip irrigation system. A seventh floor lounge looks out onto a landscaped roof and the Bronx Botanical Gardens.
See Also: Affordable, senior development rises in the Bronx
A glazed front entrance and lot bring natural light into the public corridors while the building’s fenestration breaks the massing into two volumes. One side of the building features a brick exterior to tie in with other brick facades on the same block, while the other side is clad in metal, offering a design vision for the neighborhood’s future.
The building was designed to achieve LEED Gold status and includes high efficiency PTAC heating and cooling in the apartments and VRF heating and cooling in amenity and social service areas; LED lighting throughout; low-E thermally broken Energy Star windows; low VOC paints, primers, and caulks; and water-saver faucets and showerheads.
Related Stories
| Feb 25, 2013
10 U.S. cities with the best urban forests
Charlotte, Denver, and Milwaukee are among 10 U.S. cities ranked recently by the conservation organization American Forests for having quality urban forest programs.
| Feb 21, 2013
Holl videos discuss design features of Chengdu ' Porosity Block' project
Architect Steven Holl has released two short films describing the development of Sliced Porosity Block in Chengdu, China.
| Feb 21, 2013
Construction team chosen for world's tallest building in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Construction team chosen for world's tallest building in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
| Feb 20, 2013
Group of West Coast civil engineers developing building standards for tsunamis
A group of civil engineers from around the western U.S. is developing additions to the building code to address the threat of a tsunami.
| Feb 19, 2013
Luxury multifamily project under way in Atlanta; 215 residences planned
Hines Multifamily is building @1377, a luxury complex comprising 215 "urban-style residences" in Atlanta's Brookhaven neighborhood.
| Feb 18, 2013
Top 10 kitchen and bath design trends for 2013
Gray color schemes and transitional styles are among the top trends identified by more than 300 kitchen and bath design experts surveyed by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA).
| Feb 15, 2013
Could the student housing boom lead to a bubble?
Student housing has been one of the bright spots in the multifamily construction sector in recent years. But experts say there should be cause for concern for oversupply in the market.
| Feb 13, 2013
China plans new car-free city
A new urban development near Chengdu, China, will provide new housing for ~80,000 people, surrounded by green space.
| Feb 13, 2013
'Vegetative tower' apartments to revive NYC site
A Manhattan site formerly slated for development with a "tower of cubes"—a now-defunct project by Santiago Calatrava—will be revived with a 998-foot, 300,000-sf apartment building by Morali Architects.
| Feb 5, 2013
8 eye-popping wood building projects
From 100-foot roof spans to novel reclaimed wood installations, the winners of the 2013 National Wood Design Awards push the envelope in wood design.