Affordable Housing

Some blocks get all the history. West 135th Street in Harlem, between 7th Avenue and Lenox, was one of the proudest blocks in the neighborhood during Harlem's glory years. In 1910, the St. Philip's Episcopal Church -- the wealthiest of uptown's black churches during that period -- bought the block of homes on 135th Street, with the intention of renting them to parishioners. At the time, the row of stately townhomes were the first buildings that far uptown to belong to an African American landlord. The block was later the home (and one of the main subjects) of the famed photographer James Van Der Zee. These days, the block is notably worse for wear, but headed for another encounter with New York City history.

When completed this coming fall, Stephen B. Jacobs Group's 328 West 38th Street will offer 568 rental residential units, 120 of which will be set aside as affordable housing. The $400 million, 24-story project includes two separate towers that will each feature a 4700-square-foot green roof, as well as graywater collection systems.

What's particularly interesting is that the architect sought- and received- a zoning variance that allowed it to recess the 38th and 37th Street entrances from the rest of the building's frontage in order to incorporate natural landscaping. Those entrances include high-performance glazing which will, in part, support the project's application for a LEED Silver rating from USGBC. Each tower is constructed with poured-in-place concrete; limestone clads the street-level base, which will offer 11,000 square feet of retail space. The project team also includes Rosenwasser Grossman Consulting Engineers and interior designers Saladino Group and Stratford Design Group.

1070 Anderson Avenue, designed by Manhattan-based Magnusson Architects is an 8-story affordable housing development in the Highbridge section of the Bronx that will offer 41 units in a variety of studio and one-, two-, and three-bedroom configurations. The $12 million tower’s design is inspired by principles of Art Deco and rises as a south-facing L, increasing the reach of natural light into each apartment and also creating a 6000-square-foot courtyard for residents to enjoy. Green roofs grace the seventh- and eighth-floor setbacks, while low-E, Energy Star-certified windows, an efficient rooftop boiler, and continuous exterior insulation will aim to lower the building’s utility bills. Other green features include low-VOC paints and materials, dual flush toilets, CFLs, and Kone Ecospec elevators. The building’s lobby includes local plants and shrubbery that will receive water from a rainwater collection system.