Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert K. Steel and Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Mathew M. Wambua today launched the adAPT NYC Competition, a pilot program to develop a new housing model for the City’s growing small-household population. adAPT NYC seeks to create additional choices within New York City’s housing market to accommodate the city’s changing demographics. — NYC.gov
The design competition involves a Request for Proposals for a rental building composed primarily, or completely, of micro-units -- apartments smaller than what is allowed under current regulations. New York City's housing codes have not kept up with its changing population, and currently do not allow an entire building of micro-units. Under this pilot program, Mayor Bloomberg will waive certain zoning regulations at a City-owned site at 335 East 27th Street in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan to test the market for this new housing model. The Mayor made the announcement at the American Institute of Architects' Center for Architecture and also was joined by Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Linda I. Gibbs, City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden and Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri, whose agencies collaborated with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development on the creation of this design competition.
HPD will hold a pre-submission conference for potential design teams on July 31, 2012 at the American Institute of Architects’ Center for Architecture. The deadline for proposal submissions is September 14, 2012.
UPDATE: New York Mayor Bloomberg Announces Winner of adAPT NYC Micro-Unit Apartment Competition
19 Comments
A step in the right direction. Other cities with housing problems should follow and improve.
Bloomberg is futuristic. 300 sf makes sense for single people, but for couples a studio is pretty good.
I would like to submit my design
Perfect, ciao
I wonder what the realtor spin will be with these units... "Japan style luxury!" "MINI COOPER with plumbing! Going fast!"
So 'the micro' means 275-300 sq.ft. I lived once in 275sg.ft. place in NYC. A more appropriate name for this housing type would be JAIL. There wouldn't be a day when my MEGA testicles wouldn't knock something over in the place. Realtor spin "Micro for your macro!"
Units of this size (really run down ones in most parts of Manhattan, and trendier part of Brooklyn) tend to go for around $1500/m. I'm talking repainted tenements here. What will the new construction 'micros' go for? $2500?
I appreciate them identifying the problem. I guess. The real working poor are renting out 4 bedrooms and stuffing them with 6 people. These units could be a hit with Don Draper suburban commuter types.
"Pilot Program to Address Need for Smaller Apartments for the 1.8 Million One- to Two-Person Households in New York City"
Yup! JAIL.
Does the 300sf include a toilet and a shower? Or is that a communal thing at the end of the hall? Maybe you can get a kitchenette in there, or just a hotplate?
The real working poor are renting out 4 bedrooms and stuffing them with 6 people.
right - who are these micro-units for? People looking to save money typically share space.
Does the 300sf include a toilet and a shower?
current real-estate trends dictate that this micro-unit should have at least 3 bathrooms, yet the entire building will have one (constantly broken) washer and drier located in the basement with the only access outside through a sketchy alley.
Likely, the 300 sf includes everything.
If poorly designed (or, much like most NYC Micro apartments to this point, not designed at all, rather, just divided up from larger spaces) then it can be miserable to live in. However, if properly designed with great attention paid to detail, 300 sf can be the most amazing place to live. I spent a year in a 275 sq ft studio in South Beach, and it has been my favorite place I've ever lived. A couple could do it, no problem. Applying the same principles, then, to 1-3 bedroom units, you could drastically decrease the square footage without losing quality. Look at Ikea - they have made en empire catering to small space living.
Small space living is dependent on a proliferation of parks and cafes/restaurants/bars/libraries etc (third places). Also, micro units need to be mixed with 1-3 bedroom units or else you run the risk proven out in housing projects. Diversity in type and use is key.
The problem with a well-designed 300sf micro apartment is that it implies a vision from the start which means that it probably needs to be a new construction. But new construction is expensive and that doesn't really jive with the reason that most people would live in a micro-apartment to begin with; because it's cheaper or perhaps because it is all they can afford.
Although it's nice to think that this adjustment of the zoning law will lead to a trend of exquisitely designed, luxury micro-flats, the beckoning reality is that there will probably be a much larger tendency to hack up an existing 1 000 sq ft appartment into two or three smaller apartments. The only real advantage will be an extra layer of privacy (or should we say isolation) from a roommate who will now become a neighbor. The atomisation of society continues. Jail, indeed.
Yo!
Non-sense. There is no need for new construction - new construction is a cop out. A talented designer works with existing conditions, no matter what. If you can't design to restrictions then you aren't a designer.
Add to that the fact that new construction is almost always shit (not always, just almost always) - NYC has AMAZING building stock. Why not take advantage? Historically buildings were built to be flexible over generations. Program changes, often rapidly.
Further, why assume that they must be luxury? There is a huge market out there beyond luxury. I, personally, don't want luxury, even when I can afford it. I want quality. I don't want a POS structure with gold plated faucets.
America is spoiled, in multiple senses, with too much living space. No room to have a ridiculous sports watching party? No problem, you have a shit ton of local pubs to choose from an interact with your fellow human beings in. Your cafe/bar becomes your living room.
maybe it will be adaptive re-use. 300 sf is miserable for a couple and only cool when you're under 30.
Most new new yorkers choose cohabitation to minimize cost/resource, and maximize social interface. Designing micro-units meaning designing with more cores, more circulation, more energy and material going into constructing those walls. The new 'micro-unit' buildings should feel like a continuation of college dorms, focusing on functional compact private space, lots of communal space, shared office/studios, and outdoor terraces.
if you look at the RFP they've already been designed.
I have a five dollar bill for anyone who can cite a Zoning Resolution section expressly disallowing any apartment under 400 SF.
This story is an intellectual lemmingmarch.
I have specialized for years in under 1,000 sq ft. living spaces, and around 375 sq ft is the minimum comfortable size with a bedroom. 400 sq. ft. makes it work much better.
A bare bones studio with bath and kitchenette can knock 100 sq. ft. off that.
An innovative half story loft for a sleeping area can give a lot of space on a 300 sq. ft. foot print, and would be a nice space with its 12'-13 ft; ceilings and edge to edge light in the facade. Add a nice size usable deck and we have a very nice living for the city.
It's a challenge, quit burping negatives and see if you are up to it
This is really ridiculous. Today they try accommodating you in to the 300sf space, tomorrow it will be 200sf. And of cause, you can keep your fresh clothes bag at the next door laundry for a week in order to exchange it for a dirty one every Saturday. I’ve seen an ad on the huge storage building around the Spring Street, and it sounds like: “Why to splurge on a one bedroom, just move in to a studio and rent storage!” And who really needs a full bath, just place a shower head on the wall next to the toilet and put a floor drain in the powder room. By the way, what about ADA accessibility?
only a certain demographic will be able to live in these apts. It will become another fucking hipster asshole paradise. Once it becomes trendy it will become expensive like everywhere else in NY. damn I miss the dirty, angry, shitty, stabbing infested NY of the 80's.
Sentence of the Day!
"Damn I miss the dirty, angry, shitty, stabbing infested NY of the 80's."
oh how i absolutely love el bloombito.
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