2018 Best of Design Award for Unbuilt – Residential: Brooklyn Senior Affordable Housing

Designer: Only If
Location: Brooklyn, New York

Located on a former industrial site, the Brooklyn Senior Affordable Housing complex designed by Only If consists of 84 rental apartments and community facilities. The building, configured into several block-like volumes, rests on two wide columns and a circular disk, which contains all of the circulation and services. The middle volume of the building frames a central communal space for its elderly and formerly homeless residents. This double-height loggia is carved out of the building to become a stage elevated above the city. The public living room will serve as a flexible space where residents can gather, linger, interact, and build a sense of community. Various features will be introduced to support the health of the building’s residents, including outdoor exercise equipment and a roof garden. A secondary circulation route—composed of an open and relaxed stair system—will be an active alternative to elevators.

Honorable Mention

Project name: 150 Central Park South penthouse
Designer: SPAN Architecture
Location: New York

Honorable Mention

Project name: Courtyard House
Architect: Inaba Williams
Location: Santa Monica, California