“This is more than just bricks and mortar … this is more than dollar and cents … this is about families being able to call this their home … We are building community. This is a piece of a larger puzzle to make the Bronx better.” — Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
On April 1, Dattner Architects joined the Association of New York Catholic Homes, Cardinal Timothy Dolan (Archbishop of New York), Monsignor Kevin Sullivan (executive director of Catholic Charities of New York), Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Councilman Rafael Salamanca Jr., and building residents for the opening of Second Farms. Located at 1932 Bryant Avenue in the West Farms section of the Bronx, this new mixed-use residential development offers 319 units of affordable housing, a community facility, and commercial space. The 15-story building is sited on a narrow, sloped site, with rock outcroppings characteristic of much of the Bronx, and sits within a landscaped forecourt.
“I have a wonderful home here. I don’t have to worry about things like before when we were struggling and homeless. This is a new start for us.” — Nelly Perez, Second Farms resident
Second Farms is 100% affordable with units set aside for formerly homeless families, and residents with mobility disabilities or visually impaired. The building is designed as family housing, with apartments as large as 3-bedrooms, and also includes shared co-working spaces for tenants, bike storage space, a daycare facility, ground floor grocery store, and outdoor spaces for passive recreation and socializing.
The modern building incorporates four different colors of brick, employed to distinguish the various sections of the building. Black brick connects windows making columns of two and three, informing the main design of the façade. White bricks cover two corners, and golden bricks rise in a thin column from above the main entrance, creating the illusion of division in the center of the structure to break down the visual mass of the long façade.
“Second Farms is the result of a sustained team effort over many years to redevelop a site which had long been underused and previously contained an abandoned, deteriorating parking garage. Through sensible and environmentally responsible design, our goal was to help improve people’s lives in the area and promote healthy living by providing quality affordable housing, as well as much needed space for a daycare facility and retail. We are confident that this building will help revitalize a key area in West Farms, and we hope that the residents and the community at-large will welcome this new addition as a prominent feature in their neighborhood.” — Philippe Martelly, Dattner Architects
