In upper Manhattan, Architecture in Formation has completed a sustainable residential building dedicated to a noble cause—much needed affordable housing. Hillside Senior Living will provide 164 housing units for seniors, support services for those who have been unhoused and a range of social spaces. Built on a site once owned by the Rocky Mount Baptist Church, the new development also includes space for the congregation.
Designed to Passive House standards, the development is certified by NYSERDA and Enterprise Green Communities and consumes approximately 40% less energy than similar residential buildings built to New York State’s energy code. This performance is achieved through high-performance insulation, all-electric HVAC systems, energy-efficient lighting and sustainable building materials.
An exterior that reflects the change of seasons
The complex is built into a steeply sloping site and draws much of its inspiration from the local environment. The U-shaped development has its largest frontage to the street, where its vertical copper-clad façade reflects the changing seasonal face of nearby Fort Tryon Park.
On the street side, the ground floor facade is completed in synthetic stone—a reference to Manhattan Schist, the glittering bedrock of NYC. Behind the façade, six inches of Rockwool insulation and fibreglass ziggurats improve the building’s energy efficiency.
The other elevations of the building are clad with EIFS and completed in playful stripes in a range of grey tones. These frontages frame a series of courtyards set into the hillside, each creating a social spaces while enhancing natural light and microclimates.
A floorplan designed to house and create community
In addition to housing units—of which 30% are reserved for those formerly unhoused—the interior aso hosts a range of shared spaces designed to encourage social activities among the residents. There is a lending library, a café with a teaching kitchen, multipurpose rooms for classes, lounges, and laundry rooms on every floor. Programming activates these spaces: the verdant courtyards and an upper-floor recreation suite host programs that range from yoga and mahjong to community meals, gardening and celebrations. Colourful corridors aid wayfinding and provide “front porches” for residents to personalise.
Bringing the congregation back to the site
When the church sold the site—which once housed a mid-century chapel—the agreement stated that part of the new building must be dedicated to its congregation. AiF has positioned this on the first floor at the rear of the building. Nestled into the hillside beneath the main courtyard, the “sanctuary” benefits from enhanced acoustics and natural sound insulation. It is illuminated by SolaTube tubular daylighting devices (TDD), which, unlike traditional skylights, do not require a rooftop installation. These systems capture sunlight through domes in the courtyard above and channel it down a highly reflective tubes that end in ceiling fixtures in the sanctuary, providing natural light to the underground space while minimising solar heat gain.
What affordable housing should acheive
The completion of this project sets a much needed precedent for fairly priced energy-efficient homes in New York City. Louise Carroll, the Commissioner of NYC Housing Preservation and Development, describes Hillside Senior Living as a “prime example of what we want our affordable housing developments to achieve for residents.”
