Nzinga Townhomes to Bring Green, Modular Construction to Bed-Stuy

Even in the dicey economy, construction financing for the Nzinga Townhomes in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn is moving forward and developer Yolande Nicholson hopes to break ground on the modular green project early in 2009. Designed by Garrison Architects , each 2900-square-foot condominium townhouse includes 2000 square feet of living space for owners with an additional 900 square feet of separate rentable apartment space.

Units are outfitted with Energy Star appliances, optional solar power, efficient heating and cooling systems, and compact fluorescents. In addition to offering heating and cooling benefits, an exterior living green wall (which you can make out in the rough rendering) is irrigated by a building-integrated graywater system. It’s presently unclear whether the project is pursuing any third-party certification for its green efforts. The project’s modular design should trim the construction schedule in half.

Mr. Nicholson is a Caribbean-American attorney who named his development after a famous 14th-century African queen. When completed, the Nzinga Townhomes will be located at the intersection of New York Avenue and Fulton Street, one block away from the renovated Restoration Plaza and two blocks from the A train at Nostrand Avenue.

• Nzinga Town Homes (Garrison Architects)
• New York Avenue (Corcoran)