Archinect - News

Cosmic set to produce prefabricated ADUs in California with water recycling and solar energy

2024-04-23T13:58:00-04:00

San Francisco-based Cosmic has raised $1.5 million in funding for their micro-home product designs aimed at bringing “self-sustainable homes in California and beyond.” The company’s leading product, Cosmic ONE, is described as a “limited-edition high-quality micro-home” that can serve as an ADU, a primary single-family home, or a component in a wider residential community.

Showroom model. Image courtesy: Cosmic

Cosmic ONE has been designed as an all-electric, prefabricated unit that can use recycled water for non-potable needs, as well as being equipped with a solar and battery system. The first 100 CosmicOne units will be available for sale in California.

Showroom model. Image courtesy: Cosmic

“Building a new home and expanding an existing one today can be very challenging due to the intricate permitting process, labor scarcity, and complexities of site infrastructure works,” the company says about their prop...

Your next career could be Staff Architect at Habitat for Humanity in Indianapolis

2024-03-08T11:25:00-05:00

Following last week’s look at an opening for a Japanese-speaking Retail Architect at O’Neil Langan Architects, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an open role on Archinect Jobs for a Staff Architect at Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity.

Based in Indianapolis, the role calls for an individual “responsible for overseeing the design and modifications of house plans and layouts to provide a cost-effective product that will serve the homebuyers' needs.” Among the requirements for the role are a college degree or commensurate residential construction-related experience with 5-10 years of specifically related experience and education.

Related on Archinect: Mississippi State University studio teaches the value of collaboration between its architecture and building construction science students. Photo: Megan Bean, courtesy of MSU College of Art, Architecture, and Design.

Why the role interests us

The open role at Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity offers u...

Airbnb co-founder's ADU company Samara begins production in Mexico factory

2024-03-07T12:35:00-05:00

California-based Samara has opened a factory in Mexicali, Mexico, to scale up manufacturing of their backyard ADU units. As we reported in late 2022, the startup is led by Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia alongside former Flex chief executive Mike McNamara.

Image credit: Samara

The 150,000-square-foot factory will host the construction of Samara’s modular units, including interior and exterior finishes. Following production in the factory, each unit will be loaded onto a truck for delivery to the customer’s property.

Image credit: Samara

The company’s first unit, Backyard, is being manufactured in studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom layouts, with a larger two-bedroom expected to launch soon. Samara notes that the unit can be installed in “as few as seven months,” including permitting, with 30 days of on-site labor. The unit is currently available for purchase in California.

Image credit: Samara

“Our homes are central to our lives,” said McNamara in a statement. “On average, most people in...

White House announces initiatives to boost manufactured housing

2024-03-01T11:03:00-05:00

The White House has announced a series of moves to increase the production of manufactured housing in the United States. The initiatives are intended to both preserve and rehabilitate existing manufactured home communities and ease barriers to the construction of new units.

The moves include a $225 million funding opportunity for existing communities, overseen by HUD. The Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE) will support the preservation and revitalization of manufactured housing communities, including the replacement of dilapidated homes, assistance for repairs and upgrades, and improvement of infrastructure such as stormwater systems.

In response to the growing trend of corporate investors buying manufactured housing at the expense of longtime residents, the White House has also announced the ongoing creation of a Mortgagee Letter that, once finalized, will...

Michael Kimmelman checks in on a case study for affordable housing in NYC

2024-02-13T17:49:00-05:00

It wasn’t a visual spectacle, but it was handsome and dignified, standing out with its prefab metal facade not just in a neighborhood of empty lots, aging apartment blocks and derelict rail tracks but also against a backdrop of dreary, bare-bones affordable housing developments all across the city. Most important, its goal was larger than itself: to reimagine subsidized housing for a new century. I promised in that column to report back on whether it succeeded. Did it?

The Via Verde redux is an interesting return to Kimmelman's very first Times column. He wrote the housing scheme’s developer Phipps “knows what it’s doing.”

Whatever is working has got to be scaled up and replicated rather quickly. As he points out, both the city and New York State failed to adequately fund and approve new housing starts to enter the construction pipeline in 2023 despite a present need for approximately 50,000 new units annually.

Kimmelman, whose personal mission to raise housing standards for New Yorkers is well known, is occasionally charged with promotionalism for writing such pieces. (It's worth noting that this is now the critic's second review of a completed Dattner project in as many years.)

PAU founder Vishaan Chakrabarti unveils a housing plan for 1.3 million New Yorkers

2024-01-05T16:59:00-05:00

Vishaan Chakrabarti, founder of PAU, has unveiled his firm's analysis, courtesy of The New York Times, which suggests that enough housing could be created for one million New Yorkers.

The PAU founder says there is space for up to 520,245 homes in the city on roughly 1,700 acres of unused land. Most of it would be enacted above existing single-story commercial spaces. The idea of adding density has been debated, though he points out correctly that it does present a viable alternative to the mass-scale conversion of office buildings that have been proven costly and largely unfeasible in structures built before 1980.

His team's analysis follows previous streetscape and rail infrastructure proposals and was conducted using available data on vacant lots, flood-prone areas, and the location of subway stations and other mass transit options. Current estimates have placed the need for over 500,000 new homes, a figure Mayor Eric Adams's official plan put forth in December 2022 used as a ben...

Kadre and Lehrer Architects team up for a new transitional housing community in Los Angeles

2024-01-04T12:50:00-05:00

A new supportive housing concept in Los Angeles has been introduced by LA-based practices Kadre Architects and Lehrer Architects. The design teams shared it can become a new model for design resourcefulness and occupants’ dignity at a time when the city, as do many others in America, faces a desperate need.

The new 95-unit Cypress Park New Beginnings Community was inaugurated in early December after first breaking ground in May of 2022. The new housing scheme aimed to serve “displaced populations and environmental and/or socio-economic crises.”

Image courtesy of Kadre Architects.

Their brief called for the construction of 350-square-foot micro-housing units on a disused plot between the Arroyo and Golden State Parkways. Site conditions for the 35,000-square-foot development were extremely challenging in an echo of Lehrer’s previous work on the Tiny Homes Villages in different parts of Los Angeles.

Image courtesy Kadre Architects.

Faced with this challenge, the design team responded ...

NYC will convert JFK Hilton hotel into supportive housing

2023-12-28T13:44:00-05:00

A plan to transform the former Hilton Hotel at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City into supportive housing has been announced as the inaugural effort of the important new Housing Our Neighbors with Dignity Act (HONDA) program by Mayor Eric Adams.

Aufgang Architects will be in charge of overhauling the 350-room hotel into the renamed Baisley Pond Park Residences, a 318-unit residential development aimed at low-income and formerly homeless individuals with rents ranging between $784 per month for studios to $1,493 for two-bedroom apartments. They say their work will be completed in just 21 months thanks to the hotel’s compatible layout, which allows for a minimally invasive slate of amendments to its internal wall structures.

The result will be a life-changing space for residents, complete with all-electric heating and cooling systems, multiple community/computer rooms, space for the RiseBoro Community Partnership’s on-site support staff, a kitchen serviced by the ...

French 2D completes Boston co-housing complex grounded in community connections

2023-12-19T12:02:00-05:00

Boston-based French 2D has completed a 45,000-square-foot collective housing complex in Malden, on the outskirts of Boston. Named Bay State Commons Cohousing, the thirty-unit scheme was conceived as a collaboration with residents “through a participatory design process emphasized mutual support and the central values of consolidating and sharing resources from land and energy to cars and material goods.”

Image credit: nkubota

The scheme’s form is defined by a series of stacked, interlocking units, ranging from micro-studios to three-bedroom homes. Half of the units and common spaces overlook an interior courtyard and lawn, with exterior spaces at every level encouraging spontaneous interactions among residents.

Image credit: nkubota

“Rather than being about surveillance, these connections create reciprocity across multiple places for gardening, chatting, playing, reading, or lounging,” the team explains. “Many of the community’s older resident...

Glazed brick accentuates Shakespeare, Gordon, Vlado: Architects’ new Brooklyn apartment complex

2023-11-24T09:00:00-05:00

Shakespeare, Gordon, Vlado: Architects (SGVA) has offered an insight into their completed multi-family housing scheme in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Named The Garnet, the project is defined by a gray and black masonry facade punctuated by jewel-toned glazed-brick accents.

Image credit: Alexander Severin

Built on a 15,000-square-foot lot adjacent to the Fulton Street subway line, the scheme holds 103 apartment units above a 12,000-square-foot ground-floor retail space. A second-floor roof terrace seeks to strengthen the residents’ connection to the outdoors, adding to an overall mission of creating “housing that feels expansive and liberating, rather than constrained by its affordability.”

Image credit: Alexander Severin

From the outside, the eleven-story structure is clad in textured masonry with bright accents to form a “pleasant and visually engaging street wall.” A red motif first established on the facad...

The new Sunset Park Library & Apartments bookend New York City's push for affordable housing

2023-11-21T14:20:00-05:00

A unique project addressing the need for affordable housing and library services has debuted in central Brooklyn with the completion of the recent Sunset Park Library & Apartments renovation from Magnusson Architecture and Planning and Mitchell Giurgola.

The project establishes a new 49-unit housing development in addition to an existing single-story structure from the 1970s. The program entails adding a six-story, 50,000-square-foot residential component above the now 20,000-square-foot library, which is expanded to twice its original size. The new building stands at eight stories in total, topped by a 45-kW rooftop PV array.

Image courtesy Brooklyn Public Library

“The Sunset Park Library and Apartments is a crowning achievement that tackles essential community needs and affordable living at a time when New York must urgently address its housing crisis. This historic collaboration between the Brooklyn Public Library and Fifth Avenue Committee exemplifies visionary leadership and pru...

This 3D printed social housing apartment building aims to become Europe's first of its kind

2023-11-21T12:01:00-05:00

German company PERI 3D Construction is collaborating with construction printer manufacturer COBOD on what the team describes as the “first 3D printed social housing apartment building in Germany and Europe.” The three-floor building will contain six apartment units ranging from 670 to 890 square feet.

Image credit: COBOD / PERI 3D

Located in the Ruhr city of Lünen, the project will see the first two floors of the apartment building 3D printed using concrete, while the top floor will be built using a timber hybrid construction method. The foundation, base, and horizontal slabs will be built from conventional methods, while the facade finish will comprise the 3D printed surface on the bottom two floors and facade panels to the top floor.

“We are pleased to be able to demonstrate once again how quickly, efficiently, and in a resource-saving manner the 3D printer can create living space and what potential is also opening up in the multi-family house segment,” PERI’s managing director Fab...

White House announces new guidebook to funding office conversions nationwide

2023-10-28T08:00:00-04:00

The Biden Administration has announced a new initiative aimed at financing office conversions in an effort to combat the growing problem of high vacancy rates and housing affordability in markets large and small across the country.

The announcement comes as vacancy rates have skyrocketed to 30-year highs, according to the White House. Some cities like Washington, D.C. have seen rates as high as 50% in their CBD areas, prompting desperate appeals from politicians to enact wholesale changes to the built environment that’s backed up by funding from the federal level. Now, in unison with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Department of Transportation (DOT), the government has officially published its guidelines for obtaining available funding through the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act and Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing, and other programs.

The White House press release says: “Converting commercial real estate to housing a...

New York City unveils major zoning overhaul to boost housing stock

2023-09-25T15:41:00-04:00

Mayor Eric Adams proposed on Thursday a major overhaul of New York City’s approach to development that his administration says could make way for as many as 100,000 additional homes in the coming years and ease the city’s severe housing crisis. [...] The proposals could bring new housing development to nearly every corner of New York City and reflect a growing political consensus that the city must do everything it can to build.

In last week's announcement of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan, several measures designed to achieve the declared goal of adding 100,000 new residential units were listed, including the end of parking mandates for new housing, the legalization of ADUs, encouraging shared living and office conversion, a Universal Affordability Preference policy, updated town center "main streets" zoning along commercial corridors, and a push to utilize available space on campuses across the city.

The proposed town center “main streets” zoning updates could spur new residential development along commercial corridors. Credit: New York City Department of City Planning

“Our goal is to create ‘a little more housing in every neighborhood’ to finally tackle New York’s housing shortage head-on,” said New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) Director Dan Garodnick. “By addressing the root cause of New York’s high housing costs, displacement, homelessness, and the imbalance of power between...

Daniel Libeskind completes senior housing development on Long Island

2023-09-20T17:59:00-04:00

Studio Libeskind has shared photos of its recently completed senior housing project on Long Island.

Located in the village of Freeport in Nassau County, the new Allan and Geraldine Rosenberg Residence holds a total of 45 units reserved for residents aged 55 and older, along with a selection of on-site supportive services and other amenities meant to improve its users' quality of life and ability to age in place as part of the state’s larger $25 billion push to create 100,000 units of affordable housing.

Declaring “Senior housing isn’t just about accommodation; it’s about people. It’s about creating a residence where residents can feel happy, secure, and emotionally connected to their neighbors,” the studio’s founder was joined by New York Governor Kathy Hochul for this week’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. The project reserves a total of 30% of the apartments for disabled and formerly homeless seniors, and sustainability is ensured thanks to rainwater collection, efficient HVAC, and all-e...

New Terner Center study assesses the impact of SB 4's implementation in California

2023-09-16T10:37:00-04:00

A new study from the University of California, Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation has uncovered over 171,749 acres of developable land owned by nonprofit colleges or faith-based organizations in the state, bolstering the aims of the “Yes in God’s Backyard” movement as it pushes Governor Gavin Newsom to sign SB 4 by the end of next month.

The bill passed the state senate along with the related SB 423 on Monday. If signed into law, it would streamline the process by which churches and other nonprofit organizations can enact housing at sites that previously had been limited by local land use restrictions and the California Environmental Quality Act (or CEQA).

Supporters of the measure have said it will help increase housing in much-needed communities where displacement and homelessness have become the norm as rising expenses and pushback on the part of local municipalities in the wake of SB 9 threaten to derail efforts statewide.

Previously on Archinect: Plan to let churc...

A Tesla-inspired housing startup is hiring in Los Angeles

2023-08-24T15:01:00-04:00

Following last week’s look at an opening for a Construction Manager at Skystone Foundation, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an opportunity on Archinect Jobs for a Junior Architectural Engineer at Cover.

The role, based in Los Angeles, calls for an individual who will sit “at the center of innovation, bringing groundbreaking architectural vision to a future with abundant housing for all.” Among the requirements for the position are a degree in architecture, architectural engineering, or similar from an NAAB-accredited program and proficiency in tools such as Rhino, 3D Studio Max, VRay, and Photoshop.

Image credit: Cover Technologies, Inc.

Why the role interests us

The latest opening at Cover offers us the opportunity to explore the background of a firm that spoke with Archinect in 2021 on its creation and ethos. Founded in 2014 by Cooper Union graduates Alexis Rivas and Jemuel Joseph, the company describes itself as one that offers “a turnkey s...

New Terner Center for Housing Innovation paper unpacks five years of SB 35's impact on the California housing crisis

2023-08-21T18:05:00-04:00

The Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley has released a statewide assessment of the development of housing five years after the implementation of California's Senate Bill (SB) 35 began in 2018.

The bill eased the barriers to housing production for builders, in some cases removing the required review process under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and other policies that had been targeted as key impediments to the effort to meet a crisis that has become the defining issue of the time for embattled local governments, residents, and planning officials.

Statistics revealed that 18,000 new units were able to be developed thanks to the streamlining of nearly a thousand multifamily infill housing projects as a direct result of SB 35. The rate of successful developments peaked in 2020, with a noticeable dip recorded in the past year. The study also found encouragingly that most projects covered by SB 35 were considered 100 percent affordable.

Related on Archine...

Japanese company delivers 3D printed home ‘bought for the price of a car’

2023-08-17T11:42:00-04:00

Japan-based housing company Serendix has announced the completion of 'serendix50', a 3D printed house that forms part of the company’s mission of building homes that can be bought for the price of a car.

Image credit: Serendix

Serendix first made headlines in March 2022 with the creation of serendix10, a 3D printed home that was printed in under 24 hours. Having sold out the six editions of the home by October, the company undertook the design and construction of serendix50, otherwise known as the ‘barnacle model.’

Image credit: Serendix

The design of Serendix50 was primarily influenced by demand from older married couples seeking a home for their retirement years. The resulting 538-square-foot scheme, developed by a team including the Digital Manufacturing Creation Center, KAP, Tateo Densetsu, Hyakunen Jutaku, and Nabeju, was constructed in 44 hours and 30 minutes.

Image credit: Serendix

Serendix50 merges two digital fabrication techniques: 3D printing for the framework and CNC cuttin...

NYC approved zero new housing starts for Manhattan last month despite glaring crisis

2023-08-14T18:18:00-04:00

The borough of Manhattan, home to 1.7 million people, approved no new units of housing last month and just 10 buildings with 279 units in total were approved last month in the other four boroughs combined. City leaders are raising the alarm about the anemic pace of development.

The lack of new housing starts mirrors a nationwide dip that was recorded at 24% for the month of June, according to the latest Dodge Construction Network report. Manhattan has seen ruinous housing cost increases since the pandemic abated, irking those in power who feel the need to end a citywide crisis is being blocked by a lack of tax incentive support and prohibitive zoning measures. By way of comparison,1,208 new units were approved in the Borough in July of 2013.

In May, the city's chief Housing Officer, Jessica Katz, resigned in frustration over the ineptitude. Some 560,000 units are needed to meet demands by the end of the decade, a scant 14% of which is currently under development according to statistics released by the city in December along with its "moonshot" plan for 500,000 new affordable units within the same timeframe. One now has to question what happened to the "quantum leap in the creation of new homes" called for at the time by Department of City Planning Director...

New York Gov. Hochul announces affordable housing plans for KPF's 5 World Trade Center

2023-08-02T14:07:00-04:00

Progress on the 5 World Trade Center (5WTC) project by KPF moves forward after a press conference announcement on July 27 from New York Governor Kathy Hochul. In an effort to build more affordable housing in Lower Manhattan, the news reported by The Real Deal states that the mixed-use skyscraper will also include 1,200 rentals "with one-third designated for low-to-moderate-income within the World Trade Center redevelopment."

In January 2022, Archinect reported on the project and its online petition for creating affordable housing options for 5 World Trade Center. Led by the New York Review of Architecture and Citygroup, the petition called for a "75% increase in the number of affordable units in the 900-foot 5 World Trade Center. The document, titled 100% Affordable, pressed developers to do away with the current plan, which designates 300 of the development’s 1,200 rental units for tenants earning less than 50 percent of the median income, in favor of a more progressive scheme tha...

Economic and political obstacles stand in way of office-to-residential conversion projects

2023-07-25T12:12:00-04:00

These conversions seem like a win-win: turning a plethora of barely used office space into desperately needed urban housing. But converting offices into apartments is easier said than done. And while it's easy to imagine the process behind conversions, like adding in walls and plumbing, it gets complicated.

Various cities across the United States have been turning to office-to-residential conversions as a way to address declining city cores that have yet to reach pre-pandemic levels. As noted by NPR, San Francisco is making way for these conversions by adjusting current building codes and getting rid of extra fees. In Washington D.C., the mayor has proposed an increase in tax breaks for owners of downtown office buildings who convert them to housing.

Previously on Archinect: A new Brookings Institution report extends solutions to America's struggling office-to-residential conversion market

While cities are aiming to provide favorable incentives for conversions, the benefits may still fall short due to the many obstacles in front of ensuring a successful project. On top of some office buildings lacking the physical qualities needed to convert to residential, strict zoning rules, as seen in New York City, already determine which buildings can be transformed into housing. And, rezoning ca...

Relics of an industrial past are the key to future of affordable housing in Massachusetts

2023-07-19T11:37:00-04:00

As Massachusetts continues to suffer from a shortage of affordable housing, former mills like those in Lawrence are a bright spot. With the assistance of state and federal funding, developers have renovated and converted more than a hundred mills around the commonwealth into housing complexes in recent decades — projects that both provide much-needed homes and help revitalize post-industrial areas.

Conversions are often marketed towards high-end buyers, critics say. But the demand from young professional renters and the state’s affordable housing crunch means its stock of former textile mills are once again a vital economic cog considering their costs versus new construction and in spite of the considerable price of built-in environmental cleanups. The recent CUBE 3 conversion of the historic Riverwalk complex in Lawrence (once the largest worsted wool mill in the world) leads the field, followed by billions of dollars worth of other revitalization projects in the area that could help alleviate the need for new units which currently stands at around 175,000.

LA exempts affordable developments from Site Plan Review process as housing needs grow

2023-07-10T11:40:00-04:00

Mayor Karen Bass on Thursday signed into law an ordinance updating the city's zoning code to exempt all affordable units from the time-consuming Site Plan Review process that often delays final approval of much-needed housing projects. The city's existing building code required all housing developments of more than 49 units to undergo Site Plan Review, which can add months to the completion of a project and increase expenses.

Bass had promised to alleviate the burden on developers as part of her mayoral campaign and has since cut down the city’s end of the approval process and added a new Deputy Mayor of Housing to the administration, though structural problems within the political apparatus still remain.

The city has approved 22 new developments in the calendar year with the aim of aiding a 9% growth in homelessness and an economic situation where nearly a third of all renters are considered "severely cost-burdened” countywide.

New York City's first geothermal apartment complex tops out in Coney Island

2023-05-31T08:11:00-04:00

LCOR, along with energy solutions company Ecosave USA, has topped out the first geothermal apartment complex in New York City. Located at 1515 Surf Ave. in Coney Island, this project stands as the city's largest district geothermal ground-source heat pump project to date. The system aims to decrease the building’s energy consumption by over 60% compared to structures equipped with standard HVAC systems.

The project, designed by STUDIO V Architecture, received partial funding from New York’s Community Heat Pump Pilot Program. This aligns with the state's goals towards net-zero climate emissions.

The building features an array of amenities such as an outdoor pool, fitness center, landscaped courtyard, indoor handball and basketball courts, tenant lounges, co-working space, and on-site parking. A portion of the building’s residences, 30%, is set aside as affordable housing.

The expected completion date for the construction of this building is in early 2024.

NYC’s housing chief resigns amid concurrent homelessness and affordability crises

2023-05-24T17:50:00-04:00

New York City’s Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz is set to leave her post in the Adams administration by early July, she told Gothamist, leaving open a critical role tasked with overseeing the city’s response to its growing housing and homelessness crises.

Katz told Gothamist the job was both “frustrating” and a “real sprint.” She is credited with overseeing the beginnings of New York Mayor Eric Adams’ first housing plan as well as streamlining several key projects involving supportive and transitional housing during her 16-month tenure.

The city’s shelter system swelled considerably in 2022 while an influx of newly arrived migrants complicated efforts to provide beds for those most in need. This came at a time when rents across the city have soared past pre-pandemic record highs in nearly every borough. New Yorkers are currently experiencing homelessness at a rate of 1 per every 120 persons, according to The Bowery Mission.

The Mayor's office has yet to name a replacement for the position.

HOK reveals Willets Point Revitalization Plan and NYCFC stadium design

2023-05-11T18:25:00-04:00

HOK’s plans for a new mixed-used development and soccer stadium in Willets Points, Queens, have been released following the project’s announcement last month.

The 25,000-seat new home of New York City FC will come with 2,500 units of “100% affordable” housing plus a public school, hotel, retail component, and over 40,000 square feet of open public space. Plans call for a “future-foward” stadium design that will become a model for sustainability. The overall project also ties in with Mayor Eric Adams' comments about his administration’s intentions to create a “City of Yes.”

Image courtesy HOK

“The design of NYCFC’s new stadium celebrates diversity, community, and the love of the sport, creating a hospitality-driven experience unique to its location in Queens, the world’s borough,” HOK principal and senior project designer Rashed Singaby said in a statement. “Our design team has created a sustainable, technology-driven experience and integrated the stadium into the context of a future ...

Construction starts on $416 million, mixed-income development in Upper Manhattan

2023-05-11T17:48:00-04:00

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the start of construction of a $416 million mixed-income, mixed-use residential development in the Inwood neighborhood of Upper Manhattan. It will include nearly 700 apartments, including 281 affordable units, and provide a range of carbon-reducing features, including all-electric heating and cooling, in line with the state’s climate goals.

Designed by Beyer Blinder Belle Architects, the development is part of Hochul’s $25 billion Housing Plan that will create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes across New York, including 10,000 with supportive services for vulnerable populations, in addition to the electrification of 50,000 others.

The two buildings that comprise the development are located at 405 and 407 West 206th Street. They will feature a mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, with forty percent of them reserved for those earning at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). An additional ten percent o...

A 50-story housing proposal is shaking up planning officials in San Francisco

2023-04-19T18:07:00-04:00

A proposed new high-rise development in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset district is standing out over its disputed manipulation of statewide density laws.

The LA Times is reporting on CH Planning‘s unlikely new proposal, which could add a Solomon Cordwell Buenz-designed 50-story tower to the neighborhood via provisions in California’s Density Bonus Law — a regulation they say allows for permitted deviations from local building restrictions to provide options for affordable housing.

“It simply defies logic that a building in a 100-foot height district seeking a 50% bonus could somehow rise to 560 feet,” Daniel Sider, chief of staff for San Francisco’s Planning Department said in a rebuke published by the newspaper. “While we agree that this site is ripe for housing, and we hope to work with the developer to achieve that, there is no provision in state or local law to permit the downtown-style building that’s been proposed.”

“The proposed project is flat out inconsistent with local zoni...

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot selects affordable housing design for city's West Side

2023-04-06T09:00:00-04:00

A $47.2 million apartment building with 100% affordable units will be built next to a Green Line stop in East Garfield Park, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday. Her administration selected the winner from three development proposals submitted for the site at 132 N. Kedzie Ave. The nearly half-acre property at the southwest corner of Kedzie and Lake street has been city-owned since the 1990s.

The development, called Hub 32, will span 78,000 square feet, stand seven stories tall, and include 63 units. It will offer apartments with rents affordable to those earning up to 60% of the area’s median income. The winning proposal was designed by Brooks + Scarpa and Studio Dwell. The site will also include ground-floor retail space, 16 exterior parking spots, and a public plaza for outdoor dining and gathering. The investors of the project include the Michaels Organization, KMW Communities, and TruDelta Real Estate. The group will be eligible for assistance from the city, including subsidies.

In 2022, the city’s planning department invited proposals for the site and received more than 30 responses. These were narrowed down to three. Outgoing Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot celebrated the proposal’s inclusion of design features and amenities that reflect the desires of the community. She’s confident it will work to revitalize the surrounding area as an affordable, transit-oriented s...

Archinect - News

Cosmic set to produce prefabricated ADUs in California with water recycling and solar energy

Your next career could be Staff Architect at Habitat for Humanity in Indianapolis

Airbnb co-founder's ADU company Samara begins production in Mexico factory

White House announces initiatives to boost manufactured housing

Michael Kimmelman checks in on a case study for affordable housing in NYC

PAU founder Vishaan Chakrabarti​ unveils a housing plan for 1.3 million New Yorkers

Kadre and Lehrer Architects team up for a new transitional housing community in Los Angeles

NYC will convert JFK Hilton hotel into supportive housing

French 2D completes Boston co-housing complex grounded in community connections

Glazed brick accentuates Shakespeare, Gordon, Vlado: Architects’ new Brooklyn apartment complex

The new Sunset Park Library & Apartments bookend New York City's push for affordable housing

This 3D printed social housing apartment building aims to become Europe's first of its kind

White House announces new guidebook to funding office conversions nationwide

New York City unveils major zoning overhaul to boost housing stock

Daniel Libeskind completes senior housing development on Long Island

New Terner Center study assesses the impact of SB 4's implementation in California

A Tesla-inspired housing startup is hiring in Los Angeles

New Terner Center for Housing Innovation paper unpacks five years of SB 35's impact on the California housing crisis

Japanese company delivers 3D printed home ‘bought for the price of a car’

NYC approved zero new housing starts for Manhattan last month despite glaring crisis

New York Gov. Hochul announces affordable housing plans for KPF's 5 World Trade Center

Economic and political obstacles stand in way of office-to-residential conversion projects

Relics of an industrial past are the key to future of affordable housing in Massachusetts

LA exempts affordable developments from Site Plan Review process as housing needs grow

New York City's first geothermal apartment complex tops out in Coney Island

NYC’s housing chief resigns amid concurrent homelessness and affordability crises

HOK reveals Willets Point Revitalization Plan and NYCFC stadium design

Construction starts on $416 million, mixed-income development in Upper Manhattan

A 50-story housing proposal is shaking up planning officials in San Francisco

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot selects affordable housing design for city's West Side

PAU founder Vishaan Chakrabarti unveils a housing plan for 1.3 million New Yorkers