Via Verde – The Green Way

In 2006, Grimshaw won the first juried design competition for affordable housing in New York City. The brief called for the ability to replicate the design, sustainable practices and ‘healthy living’ principles in the hope that this scheme can be a model for future developments in the city. The scheme is a mixed-use, mixed-income residential development. A local pharmacy, community health clinic and live work units are located at street level. There are 222 residential units, 71 for sale units for middle-income households and a balance of low- and moderate-income rentals. The building consists of a 20-storey tower, a mid-rise building with duplex apartments and town-houses.

The key design concept is a series of roof terraces spiraling from the top down to a courtyard. Rainwater is collected from all the roofs and stored onsite for reuse. Each apartment has two facades allowing plenty of cross-ventilation and daylight, as well as low VOC finishes, water and energy conserving fixtures. The high performance facade uses a pre-fabricated rain screen with composite wood, cement and metal panels. Precast concrete planks and high strength masonry blocks are used in the lower midrise and the townhouses.

The project was designed in collaboration with Dattner Architects.

Client

Jonathan Rose Companies / Phipps Houses

Size

290,000 sq ft

Completion Date:

2012

Credits

David Sundberg, Esto