Over recent years, the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn has seen a surge in oversized glassy waterfront developments that strip the neighborhood from its history and identity. Given the site's proximity to the East River and the new Ferry Terminal servicing this once remotecommunity, the project's developer approached us to design a small-scale residential building that would resonate with the adjacent 19th Century development but also reflect the new development along the water's edge . In exploring masonry patterning and modern construction technologies, the building's massing and brick façade create an urban scalebay window and elongated front stoop. Together, these volumetric moves offer privacy from the street for residents, views of the river beyond, and an urban garden for the community to enjoy. In addition to seamless site integration, our design process was driven by the desire to create community greenspace and connection to the outdoors wherever possible: the Front Porch, the rear Community Garden, the Terraces, and natural light at all public corridors. Designed to LEED and NYSERDA standards, the new 6-unit building is situated for a perfectly integrated urban lifestyle.

Greenpoint has historically been a working or middle class neighborhood. With the Brooklyn boom well along, it is succumbing to high-rise development. This project strives to respect the surrounding urban fabric and integrate into the local building language while maximizing FAR in a way that creates spaces of sociability and a sense of community where young couples would want to live and raise a family.

In exploring masonry patterning, the “corduroy” brick façade recalls the system of bays that organize the traditional industrial facades of the neighborhood. The metalwork that articulates the entry both alludes to the ironwork found at the street level of 19th Century buildings to the East, and the boat-building industry that was so predominant at the bottom of India Street to the West. 

Throughout our design process, certain design intentions remained constant: to explore the language found in the neighborhood and reflect its plasticity of brick, to limit the number of units in the building, giving opportunity for residents to establish a community, and to create community greenspace and a connection to the outdoors wherever possible. 

Unlike the quick high-rise developments that are saturating the neighborhood, we wanted a building that would be grounded in its context and would allow for a seamless integration in a neighborhood full of rich history. Our design pays homage to the long history of design and construction in Brooklyn vernacular and respects the community by being built to last and remain valuable.

Materials used:

1. Cyrstal Windows - Exterior Windows
2. Glen Gery - Brick
3. Henry Built - Air and Vapor Barrier
4. Kemper - Roof System
5. Stocorp - Facade stucco
6. Schindler - Elevator
7. Emtek - Door Hardware
8. Eurostruct, Inc - Interior Doors and Millwork
9. Runtal - Radiators
10. Duravit - Bathroom Fixtures
11. GE Monogram - Kitchen Appliances
12. LTZ - Light Fixtures