This project reimagines housing for small households of 1-2 people, focusing on fostering community interaction and shared resources. The building emphasizes socializing through the universal ritual of food—cooking and eating together—while offering residents private, adaptable spaces.
Each floor-through apartment has cross-ventilation and natural light, accessed via the Stoopscape, an internal streetscape connecting front doors and kitchens. This threshold between public and private spaces extends into the kitchens and dining areas, which encourage neighborly gatherings and connect to garden spaces integrated throughout the building. Sliding panels allow residents to adjust their privacy, transforming kitchens and dining areas into communal spaces seamlessly linked to the Stoopscape.
The building’s L-shaped single-loaded corridors stack and offset, creating garden terraces and shared rooftop living rooms. Multi-story shared spaces are interspersed throughout the building, clustering 8-10 units around these social hubs, all connected by vertical circulation cores. These shared spaces foster micro-communities while maintaining accessibility.
At the ground level, a ramping topography forms an urban stoop connecting Convent Avenue and 127th/128th Streets. An urban market showcases produce grown on garden terraces, providing fresh food for both residents and the neighborhood.
The structure’s Vierendeel trusses support prefabricated unit infills, while an operable glass rainscreen regulates passive heating, cooling, and cross-ventilation, enhancing energy efficiency and comfort. The porous design merges social and environmental sustainability, creating a vibrant living environment.
