Roof by Roof
Roof by Roof proposes a strategy to combine the large-scale provision of new affordable housing with the repair, renovation, and future-proofing of existing stock, with the aim of bringing value to NYCHA as a housing provider and benefiting existing and future residents alike.
The fundamental premise of Roof by Roof is to ask how the demand for new affordable housing and requirements for extensive repair and renovation of NYCHA’s existing stock can be met as a part of a combined approach, in the face of large-scale federal funding cuts. The proposals are a response to the ambition and analysis of NYCHA and the Mayoral Office, set out in the comprehensive range of plan documents, ‘Housing New York’ (‘HNY’) –(City of NYC/ Mayor Bill de Blasio), ‘Next Generation NYCHA’ (‘NGN’) - City/Mayor/NYCHA, and the Sustainability Agenda (‘SA’) - City/Mayor/NYCHA.
The proposal suggests that by considering the opportunity to build on top of the robust existing buildings of various NYCHA typologies, this combined approach can be achieved. Repair work can be subsumed into a larger program of new construction at locations of highest need and demand, while capital outlay typically required for repair and upgrade to meet demanding energy saving standards can be offset by the future revenue from increased provision of dwelling units. Our approximate calculations based on floor area of existing NYCHA campuses suggests that around 30,000 new apartments (providing equal numbers of 1-bed and 3-bed units) could be accommodated through adding only two story to each NYCHA building.
Roof by Roof proposes a strategy to combine the large-scale provision of new affordable housing with the repair, renovation, and future-proofing of existing stock, with the aim of bringing value to NYCHA as a housing provider and benefiting existing and future residents alike.
The proposal suggests that by considering the opportunity to build on top of the robust existing buildings of various NYCHA typologies, this combined approach can be achieved. Repair work can be subsumed into a larger program of new construction at locations of highest need and demand, while capital outlay typically required for repair and upgrade to meet demanding energy saving standards can be offset by the future revenue from increased provision of dwelling units. Our approximate calculations based on floor area of existing NYCHA campuses suggests that around 30,000 new apartments (providing equal numbers of 1-bed and 3-bed units) could be accommodated through adding only two story to each NYCHA building.
We propose to leverage the over 70 million square feet of available air rights across the five boroughs of New York City. This equates to 27 times the floor area of the new 1WTC tower. It is clear, however, that this development potential is not available as vacant land at ground level, especially if loss of other uses and amenities such as car-parking and green landscaping is to be minimised.
We propose to leverage the over 70 million square feet of available air rights across the five boroughs of New York City. This equates to 27 times the floor area of the new 1WTC tower. It is clear, however, that this development potential is not available as vacant land at ground level, especially if loss of other uses and amenities such as car-parking and green landscaping is to be minimised.
If the rooftops themselves are considered as a site for development, the potential for both the scale of addition and replicability increases dramatically over sole reliance on infill sites. This approach can be applied across campus, so that improvements to existing built fabric can become an integral part of the project and phasing, giving benefits of the enhanced environment to existing residents as well as new ones, while minimizing impact on existing green space and mature trees. The approach also allies itself with the ambition and scale of the original NYCHA building program, and ties the new construction into the identity and life of each campus, rather than introducing new buildings as separate elements with distinct appearances.
If the rooftops themselves are considered as a site for development, the potential for both the scale of addition and replicability increases dramatically over sole reliance on infill sites. This approach can be applied across campus, so that improvements to existing built fabric can become an integral part of the project and phasing, giving benefits of the enhanced environment to existing residents as well as new ones, while minimizing impact on existing green space and mature trees. The approach also allies itself with the ambition and scale of the original NYCHA building program, and ties the new construction into the identity and life of each campus, rather than introducing new buildings as separate elements with distinct appearances.
Miriam Peterson
Nathan Rich
Bryson Wood
