Dezeen School Shows: a proposal for an affordable housing model in New York City, USA, is included in this school show by the New York Institute of Technology.

Also included is a food centre situated in low income neighbourhoods and a water filtering system to enhance biodiversity.

New York Institute of Technology

Institution: New York Institute of Technology
Courses: Arch 402: Urban/Community Design
Tutors: Matthias Altwicker, Evan Shieh, Paul Ruppert, Tom Verebes, Diane Neff and Michelle Cianfaglione

School statement:

"The NYIT School of Architecture Community Design studio (Arch 402) has collaborated with community groups, public planning agencies, and developers for more than three decades.

"The goal of the studio is to introduce students of Architecture to broad planning and urban design strategies that are demonstrable at a human scale, while offering our collective efforts to groups who seek bold ideas and a creative vision.

"This past year the students looked at the neighbourhood of West Farms in the Bronx, with a focus on the area between the West Farms subway station and the Bronz Zoo.

"Phipps Houses, who hosted the studio, is the oldest affordable housing developer-owner-manager in New York City and is currently in the midst of a 15-year project for eastern West Farms that encompasses land use transformation, rezoning and phased demolition and redevelopment.

"Over the course of the semester the studio met with Steven Lovci from Phipps Houses, Nilka Martell from #Loving the Bronx, Gail Nathan from the Bronx River Arts Centre and Dwayne Brown from Phipps Neighbourhoods.

"Each guest introduced a different perspective on the community, culminating in a public presentation open to the community at the end of the semester."

BX Freshways by Bryan Avila-Alas⁠, Kayleen Guerrero⁠ and Paulie Choy

"BX Freshways aims to revolutionise food accessibility in the low-income neighbourhood of West Farms with an innovative design.

"By deploying modular pods, an interconnected plaza and sky bridge and commercial and green carts with work and retail spaces, this project provides better food options and education on food sourcing to local residents.

"This project also enhances community engagement creating a vibrant spinal connection to the Bronx Zoo, attracting new visitors and fostering healthier lifestyles. ⁠

"This project was selected as one of four winners of the NYIT Arch 402 Urban and Community Design studio competition."

Students: Bryan Avila-Alas⁠, Kayleen Guerrero⁠ and Paulie Choy
Course: Arch 402
Tutor: Michelle Cianfaglione

West Farms Community Land Trust+ by Kendal Eastwood and Elise Park

"The West Farms Community Land Trust+ utilises a community land trust (CLT) model to address affordable housing, through empowering residents and fostering a solidarity economy.

"Despite NYC's housing initiatives, affordability remains a challenge, especially in West Farms where many live below the poverty line.

"This project aims to provide affordable housing and community amenities while restoring community agency.

"Through a synthesis of research, the West Farms CLT+, which is designed as an adaptable model for any location, is developed to create diverse housing options and provides the opportunity to give agency back to the community and promote community engagement.

"This project was selected as one of four winners of the NYIT Arch 402 Urban and Community Design studio competition."

Students: Kendal Eastwood and Elise Park
Course: Arch 402
Tutor: Evan Shieh

Human Non-human Relations along the Bronx River by Natalia Orellana, Anthony Baio and Lily Kljyan

"In exploring the historical timeline of the Bronx River, from its initial use and exploitation by humans to subsequent efforts in conservation leading to a disconnect between humanity and the environment, this research and design group project aims to forge a new phase.⁠

"This new phase seeks to establish a symbiotic relationship between humans and the Bronx River, starting with the filtering of the water through ecological processes and natural systems, which leads to bioremediation, the fostering of biodiversity in new wildlife habitats and the eventual creation of new recreational spaces and public access to the waters edge of the river.⁠
⁠
"This project was selected as one of four winners of the NYIT Arch 402 Urban and Community Design studio competition."

Students: Natalia Orellana, Anthony Baio and Lily Kljyan
Course: Arch 402
Tutor: Evan Shieh

2050 Form Based Coding by Frank DiBernardo, Zachary Ksiazek and Samie Zia

"This project explores form based coding, an alternative type of building code, which flips the current NYC building code on its head.

"Form based coding dictates urban form and typology, rather than land use and height designations in zoning code.

"As a result, the city has much more control over a block and building's relationship to open space and urban fabric, while allowing architects and developers to determine a mix of varying land uses.

"In our project, the result is a porous courtyard-type urban grid, inspired by Barcelona's Cerda Plan and Savannah's Wards, with a series of dimensional 'rules' and typological 'envelopes' that allow for a porous pedestrian network of laneways and open spaces to permeate and overlay onto the existing grid of West Farms.

"This creates a framework for the future evolution of the neighbourhood as it organically develops over the coming decades.⁠

"This project was selected as one of four winners of the NYIT Arch 402 Urban and Community Design studio competition."

Students: Frank DiBernardo, Zachary Ksiazek and Samie Zia
Course: Arch 402
Tutor: Evan Shieh

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and New York Institute of Technology. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.