Following our previous visit to BVC Architecture + Interiors, we are moving our Meet Your Next Employer series to New York City this week to explore the work of Dattner Architects.

A women-owned firm based in Midtown Manhattan, the firm describes its mission as to “enrich the urban experience, transform environments, and strengthen communities.” Last week, our news team reported on the firm’s inclusion in Archtober 2024, with their 425 Grand Concourse project being among those open for public tours throughout the month of October. Earlier this year, the firm also collaborated with Ennead on preliminary visuals for the Science Park and Research Campus to be developed on the East Side of Manhattan.

Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm is currently hiring for several positions to join their New York City team. For candidates interested in applying for a position or anybody interested in learning more about the firm’s output, we have rounded up four projects around the city by Dattner Architects that exemplify the firm’s ethos.

The Forum at Columbia University, New York, NY

Designed with Renzo Piano Building Workshop and Caples Jefferson Architects, and described as the “gateway to Columbia University’s Manhattanville Campus,” the Forum at Columbia University is intended to facilitate the sharing of ideas between global thought leaders, university scholars, and the local Harlem community. On the ground floor, the multipurpose center contains flexible spaces to create an “Urban Layer” accessible to the community behind a largely glazed facade.

“The Forum hosts events designed to spark civic engagement and intellectual discourse,” Dattner notes. “The building features a 437-seat auditorium, co-working spaces, break-out and meeting rooms, galleries, faculty offices, and a café—creating a vital new space where diverse voices can come together in discourse.”

Vital Brookdale, Brooklyn, NY

Vital Brookdale is the first step in New York State’s Vital Brooklyn Initiative, a program designed to improve access to health, wellness, and housing among low-income residents in central Brooklyn. The two-building Passive House development includes a roof-mounted solar PV system, a series of green roofs and plantings, LED lighting, low-flow fixtures, and a range of additional energy-efficient measures.

“Vital Brookdale provides amenities that promote wellness and create safe spaces for its residents and the larger community,” the team adds. “Tenants have access to a terrace, landscaped courtyards, a dog run, a play area, and passive recreation and seating areas. Additional amenities include a community room, game room, library/co-working space, fitness room, laundry room, and a bike storage room. The design of Vital Brookdale provides visual and physical connections between active and passive outdoor spaces, the interior common areas, and many of the units.”

Chestnut Commons, Brooklyn, NY

An affordable housing development for formerly homeless and low-income households, Chestnut Commons provides 275 apartment units alongside support facilities including communal spaces with access to a landscaped roof terrace, a satellite Community College campus, a food manufacturing incubator for job training, and a credit union. A Passive House-certified scheme, the building includes rooftop solar panels, rooftop farming, and passive solar shading through deeply recessed windows and projected solar shades on the eastern and southern facades.

“Developed and operated by locally based organizations with strong community ties, Chestnut Commons strengthens the neighborhood with the inclusion of economic development and educational opportunities, arts programming, and job training services,” the team explains. “Keeping with the project vision for a healthy, sustainable, and affordable community, the 14-story building is designed to Passive House standards and in compliance with NYC Active Design Guidelines to promote healthy living for residents.”

Stanley Manne Research Institute - Bronx High School of Science, Bronx, NY

Located at the Bronx High School of Science, the Stanley Manne Research Institute allows high school students from the area to conduct long-term scientific experiments to prepare them for college or professional settings. The scheme hosts three multidisciplinary labs, a walk-in cold room, a tissue culture room, and other specialist labs alongside a multi-purpose room for special events. The interior is modular and flexible, allowing for changes in equipment and science requirements over time.

“The façade is composed of tightly spaced, fiber-reinforced concrete panels, punctuated by modular openings that respond to the compact and rational laboratory plans,” the team adds. “The three-dimensional panels will cast changing and dynamic shadows on the façade over the course of the day. Bright green brick accents representing the school color mark the entrances and line the main stair and lobby.”

Meet Your Next Employer is one of a number of ongoing weekly series showcasing the opportunities available on our industry-leading job board. Our Job Highlights series looks at intriguing and topical employment opportunities currently available on Archinect Jobs, while our weekly roundups curate job opportunities by location, career level, and job description.