Dattner Architects is a women-owned design firm. This is a milestone for our practice, which was founded 60 years ago. Our long-standing commitment to equity and inclusion has organically fostered women to thrive and achieve at the highest level of leadership. Today the firm is led by 10 partners, half of whom are women; and the women are the majority owners. We are a firm that continues to evolve and advance.
Our core mission is unwavering, and it unites our work and our practice. We proudly take on the planning and design of the region’s most essential projects, creating architecture that enriches the urban experience, transforms environments, and strengthens communities.
Today Dattner Architects is over 100 people, 59% of whom are women, 41% BIPOC, and 17% LGBTQ+ all working together from one office in New York City. A steadfast dedication to our mission, a strong and varied portfolio of that spans sectors, and a thoughtful leadership transition plan allows our 60-year-old practice to continue to remain vital and vibrant—reflecting the diversity and relevancy of our practice.
"Driven to work at the urban scale, I initially sought out Dattner Architects because the firm had designed many of the civic spaces that were formative in my life," notes Gia Maneiro, Principal and Corporate President. "This passion fueled my career here—from junior designer to Principal—supported by the confidence, camaraderie and mentorship that defines the culture of the office. Raising my daughter solidified my commitment to leadership in the future of sustainable public architecture, and I could not be more proud to share in a majority women owned partnership that embodies these values."
Dattner Architects is certified as a WBE with New York State and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Dattner Architects is proud to recognize the exceptional contributions of six distinguished professionals with promotions to new levels of leadership.
In recognition of their outstanding leadership and deep-seated passion for enriching urban environments with projects that respond to the needs of our time, Harriet Andronikides has been promoted to Associate. Heather McKinstry and Rem Bruhn are now Senior Associates. Patrick McAffrey, Shefali Sanghvi and Philippe Martelly have been elevated to Associate Principal. These advancements reflect the dedication, commitment to sustainable and innovative civic architecture, and the high level of professionalism these architects bring to our firm.
“Each of these professionals has excelled in remarkable and individual ways. They all successfully lead complex projects with ease and joy, while providing opportunities for others to shine. We are pleased to be able to recognize their achievements and their commitment with these promotions, and we are excited about their evolved role in the leadership of our firm.”—Kirsten Sibilia, Managing Principal.
Harriet Andronikides, AIA, Associate has worked on a variety of project types, including parks, multi-family residential, and performing arts venues. She strives for clear and meaningful communication through all phases of a project, and particularly enjoys the Construction Administration phase where she can see the building come to life. As a New Yorker, Harriet has an endless fascination for the built environment and the inner workings of the city.
“When I joined Dattner Architects, I saw that I had the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on my home city and community. I knew that this firm was a special place where I could achieve that.”—Harriet
Heather McKinstry, AIA, LEED AP, CPHC, Studio Director, Senior Associate believes that architecture’s most important role is to create inclusive, healthy, and sustainable environments for our communities, helping to build a more equitable world. After completing her thesis on disaster relief housing, her commitment to environmentalism and community focused urbanism led her to work creating spaces for all New Yorkers while minimizing the environmental impact of new buildings.
“I'm so proud of how this office has evolved since I started. I was hired to work on the design of 425 Grand Concourse, our first Passive House project, and now we have become passive house experts with many of our housing projects in design aiming for that standard. I'm also thrilled by the progress the office has made to become a women owned business.”—Heather
Rem Bruhn, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Senior Associate joined Dattner Architects in 2015, eager to work in a mission-driven firm, designing projects positively influence people’s daily lives. He enjoys working with diverse stakeholder groups, and he takes pride in developing a concept that is carefully considered, from the macroscopic down to the smallest details. With each project he seeks to contribute to the sustainable evolution of our cities.
“When I joined Dattner Architects, I was drawn in by the firm’s mission, and the work we do to make New York City a better place to live for everyone, from affordable housing, to infrastructure, to schools and libraries, and so much more—and I was proud to go home and tell people where I worked and the type of work we did. Nine years later, this is as true as ever: as we grow and evolve, I’m still very proud of our work, and grateful for the brilliant and dedicated people that I work with.”—Rem
Patrick McAffrey, AIA, Studio Director, Associate Principal joined the firm as an emerging architect today leads our largest studio. He’s continued to grow with each challenge and excels at every opportunity. Formally trained in both architecture and product design, Patrick’s passion for intelligent urbanism has led him to focus his work on infrastructure and transportation projects, which he believes have profound impact on the building fabric and urban lifestyles they support.
“I am proud of the work we do as a firm, continuing to contribute to the built fabric of New York in a meaningful and civic way. Specifically, in our transportation and infrastructure studio, I have always found it fulfilling to be able to observe how appreciated and used our work is in the public realm. Looking back on my time here, I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given to work with so many talented individuals and the thoughtful mentorship provided by this firm. I am humbled and excited to be a part of this leadership group as we enter a new chapter as a women-owned business.”—Patrick
Shefali Sanghvi, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Fitwel Amb., ENV SP, Director of Sustainability, Associate Principal has over 15 years of experience working in sustainable projects, with an emphasis on resiliency, occupant health and comfort, and energy efficiency. An expert on urban Passive House projects, she is dedicated to designing buildings that are socially, environmentally, and financially sustainable. As the firm’s Director of Sustainability, Shefali serves as a thought leader across Dattner Architects’ studios, and beyond, championing sustainability as integral to architecture. She is a person who identifies opportunities to do things better—and puts in the work to develop a system to make it happen. Like each of the folks being promoted, Shefali is always looking out for the firm.
“Dattner Architects’ Sustainable Practice Group gave me a platform to research issues that I felt really passionate about and talk about them with people who felt the same drive to change the way we design our communities. The reality is that every time we do what we do, we have one chance to do it right, to lessen its impact on the planet. Every time we build a project, it is important that we build the most sustainable version of our project that we can. Dattner Architects provides the opportunity for us to do that, together.”—Shefali
With in-depth expertise managing large, multifaceted projects, Philippe Martelly, AIA, CPHC, Studio Director, Associate Principal is deeply invested in understanding the human experience and social impact of healthy, sustainable, and well-conceived affordable housing. Philippe has not only excelled as a project manager, studio director, mentor and coach but also used his skills for business development—cultivating new and existing clients to bring in new projects. He represents the firm on the board of the prestigious CHPC (Citizens Housing & Planning Council).
“I’ve always believed that Civic Architecture is about giving back, and practicing Architecture in service to society is a beautiful endeavor. It is a complex and difficult job, and we at Dattner Architects are among the privileged few in this society who can actually do it so well. The populations that our projects continue to serve are counting on all of us to get it right. They deserve our very best. They deserve that bright spark of ours that we let shine here each and every day. And our tremendous collective expertise and profound social consciousness places us in a position to give them our best. Our Firm is a very special place, and I am very proud of what we’re doing here. We operate successfully in one of the greatest Cities in the World, and the civic impact of our work extends beyond its borders, across generations, and beyond our own personal timelines.”—Philippe
We are honored to announce that The Architect’s Newspaper has selected Dattner Architects for the 2024 Best of Practice Award (XL Firm – Northeast). AN's Best of Practice program seeks to define an expansive meaning of excellence that not only considers the firm’s individual projects, values and culture but also inclusivity, social impact, sustainability, regional relevance, and technological innovation. This recognition highlights our commitment to addressing the complex challenges faced by the architecture industry today and acknowledges the collective efforts of our team.
As a mission-driven, women-owned design firm, we design impactful architecture that responds to the issues of our time. We have proudly taken on the planning and design of the region’s most essential projects, creating architecture that enriches the urban experience, transforms environments, and strengthens communities. Our approach involves integrating sustainable practices and prioritizing projects that serve the broader community, reflecting our dedication to inclusivity and social responsibility.
Dattner Architects has long fostered equity and inclusion, and we have championed employee professional growth and recognition. Our commitment to diversity includes a team of over 100 people, 59% women, 41% BIPOC, and 17% LGBTQ+.
Our innovative buildings have enriched NYC's urban fabric, positively impacting countless New Yorkers. We are humbled to see the warmth, appreciation, and life brought to our projects by those who inhabit, recreate, learn, and work in these buildings.
[caption id="attachment_21452" align="alignleft" width="2000"] Architectural League First Friday at Dattner Architects 2024[/caption]
View the full list of winners:
https://www.archpaper.com/2024/06/announcing-the-winners-of-ans-2024-best-of-practice-awards/
Thursday, May 17th, Dattner Architects joined Stanley Commons LLC, Kretchmer Companies, ELH Management, Galaxy General Contracting, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Assembly Member Charles Barron, Council Member Inez Barron, and partnering community leaders for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at the Stanley Commons Development and Community Center, aka Prince Joshua Avitto Community Center.
Operated by the non-profit organization, Good Shepherd Services, and Man Up!, a community-based social services organization, the two-story, 20,750 square foot Prince Joshua Avitto Community Center is named in honor of a six-year-old local boy who was killed in 2014. This new state-of-the-art community center will serve over 1,000 East New York youth and families annually and offers after-school and summer day programs, a mentoring program, and college access programming as well as a college-sized gymnasium, multipurpose rooms, a full kitchen, computer lab, sound booth, game room, and offices.
A central, open staircase connects the center’s lobby and multipurpose game room on the ground floor with the main classrooms on the second floor. The wide public corridor at the second floor is configured to wrap the double-height gymnasium and incorporates glazing that looks onto the gymnasium below. Windows are provided at various heights and widths to invite a sense of play and provides areas for different sized groups to informally gather and engage. This visual connectivity between the participants echoes the primary design elements of the residential buildings – with the expressed and open staircases enabling connections both within and without.
Prince Joshua Avitto Community Center will also offer services to families transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing, and will house Single Stop – a non-profit organization providing resources, including legal assistance and counseling, to families and recent immigrants.
Stanley Commons is the result of a partnership between the NYC Housing Authority, NYC Department of Housing Preservation, and a private development team. This development offers affordable rental opportunities and helps knit together the urban context of this growing East New York neighborhood. Providing 240 affordable apartments across seven low- and mid-rise buildings, the development’s green spaces, intimate private streets, and expressed vertical circulation elements create a safe and welcoming atmosphere for residents, including formerly homeless veterans who now have a place to call home.
During this ribbon cutting ceremony, Mayor Bill de Blasio reflected on the opening of the new facility and its meaning to the community.
"Here is a great example of a lot of people stepping up to honor this family, to honor this community, to do something that would make a change, to do something for the hundreds and thousands of young children today and in the future, for the Prince Joshua’s we will get to know, the young people who will be here and will be our future who will experience this. This will be the environment they learn and grow in, that they will enjoy, they will feel empowered by." – Mayor Bill de Blasio
We are proud to design spaces that help create a safe space for youth, families, and communities to engage and live independently.
Thursday, May 17th, Dattner Architects joined Stanley Commons LLC, Kretchmer Companies, ELH Management, Galaxy General Contracting, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Assembly Member Charles Barron, Council Member Inez Barron, and partnering community leaders for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at the Stanley Commons Development and Community Center, aka Prince Joshua Avitto Community Center.
Operated by the non-profit organization, Good Shepherd Services, and Man Up!, a community-based social services organization, the two-story, 20,750 square foot Prince Joshua Avitto Community Center is named in honor of a six-year-old local boy who was killed in 2014. This new state-of-the-art community center will serve over 1,000 East New York youth and families annually and offers after-school and summer day programs, a mentoring program, and college access programming as well as a college-sized gymnasium, multipurpose rooms, a full kitchen, computer lab, sound booth, game room, and offices.
A central, open staircase connects the center’s lobby and multipurpose game room on the ground floor with the main classrooms on the second floor. The wide public corridor at the second floor is configured to wrap the double-height gymnasium and incorporates glazing that looks onto the gymnasium below. Windows are provided at various heights and widths to invite a sense of play and provides areas for different sized groups to informally gather and engage. This visual connectivity between the participants echoes the primary design elements of the residential buildings – with the expressed and open staircases enabling connections both within and without.
Prince Joshua Avitto Community Center will also offer services to families transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing, and will house Single Stop – a non-profit organization providing resources, including legal assistance and counseling, to families and recent immigrants.
Stanley Commons is the result of a partnership between the NYC Housing Authority, NYC Department of Housing Preservation, and a private development team. This development offers affordable rental opportunities and helps knit together the urban context of this growing East New York neighborhood. Providing 240 affordable apartments across seven low- and mid-rise buildings, the development’s green spaces, intimate private streets, and expressed vertical circulation elements create a safe and welcoming atmosphere for residents, including formerly homeless veterans who now have a place to call home.
During this ribbon cutting ceremony, Mayor Bill de Blasio reflected on the opening of the new facility and its meaning to the community.
"Here is a great example of a lot of people stepping up to honor this family, to honor this community, to do something that would make a change, to do something for the hundreds and thousands of young children today and in the future, for the Prince Joshua’s we will get to know, the young people who will be here and will be our future who will experience this. This will be the environment they learn and grow in, that they will enjoy, they will feel empowered by." – Mayor Bill de Blasio
We are proud to design spaces that help create a safe space for youth, families, and communities to engage and live independently.
Today, a modern metropolis cannot live and sustainably grow without safe and fast transit infrastructure networks. In fact, no modern-day city could have evolved into what it is today without the most efficient transportation mode to move people: trains.
The Number 7 Subway Line Extension to the Far West Side of Manhattan is a great example of how adding a train connection can "disrupt" and transform a once underutilized and detached neighborhood, turning it into the fastest growing part of the City, spurring the development of new commercial and residential construction. The redevelopment of the Hudson Yards District – until recently the last under-developed, large-scale part of Manhattan suitable for high rise urban redevelopment – would not be possible without connecting to New York City’s subway system.
Large-scale transportation and infrastructure projects transform civic space and urban environments and require creativity, sensitivity, and collaboration. As the lead architect on the WSP team, Dattner Architects designed 34th St Hudson Yards Station and five Systems Buildings along the subway extension. As the first new subway station built in New York City in over 50 years, our design team reflected at length on the question: How should a modern subway station and its supporting buildings be planned, designed, and implemented to integrate successfully into the City of today? And what we discovered was how to define constructability for these vital projects...
Safety. The 34th Street Hudson Yards Station is approximately 125-foot of depth – one of the deepest in the NYCT’s subway system – 34th Street Hudson Yards Station addresses strict passenger safety and comfort requirements. In order to meet the NFPA-130 requirements regarding smoke control and two-minute station evacuation time, the Station is supported by two Systems Buildings located at each end of the Station, each housing four, three-story high fans. These 400hp fans are part of the large push-and-pull ventilation system which – in case of fire – will push fresh air into the Station through the shafts of the Systems Building located near one end of the Station and remove the smoke (pull) through the shafts of the Systems Building located at the other end of the Station.
Sensitivity and Future Planning. Due to the size of the fans and other mechanical and electrical equipment required to run the subway trains, the Station, Station Entrance, and the supporting Systems Buildings are relatively large structures that take a lot of space. As the land in Manhattan is expensive and limited, the Station was designed to allow for integration and overbuild. While the Station and vast majority of the connecting tunnels are located deep underground, the Station Entrance is integrated with the Hudson Yards Boulevard Park and the Systems Buildings will be fully overbuilt and integrated into the Developer’s Towers and eventually disappear from the City’s streetscape.
Collaboration. This complex planning and design approach required a commitment to coordination among architects and engineers and with MTA Capital Construction, New York City Transit, various State and City’s agencies, the Developers, and Contractors. The Site J Systems Building located at North side of 33rd Street, which for a short period of time was a free-standing building, has already became an integral part of the 55 Hudson Yards Tower form. The building was designed to receive structural load of the future 55 Hudson Yards Tower. The tunnels that house escalators and Inclined Elevators and connect the 34th Street Hudson Yards Station Upper Mezzanine with the Lower Mezzanine were appropriately spaced to allow for the Tower’s caissons foundation. The building was set back from the property line just enough to allow for future recladding of the façade that is successfully happening right now.
Grounded by Safety, Sensitivity and Future Planning, and Collaboration, objectives vital to the project's constructability, this new station is one to be proud of and an important beginning for one of Manhattan's newest neighborhoods... "This beautiful new station is just the beginning of the enhanced service the hundreds of thousands of customers on the 7 Line will see in the future,” James L. Ferrara, Interim President of MTA NYCT.
Today, a modern metropolis cannot live and sustainably grow without safe and fast transit infrastructure networks. In fact, no modern-day city could have evolved into what it is today without the most efficient transportation mode to move people: trains.
The Number 7 Subway Line Extension to the Far West Side of Manhattan is a great example of how adding a train connection can "disrupt" and transform a once underutilized and detached neighborhood, turning it into the fastest growing part of the City, spurring the development of new commercial and residential construction. The redevelopment of the Hudson Yards District – until recently the last under-developed, large-scale part of Manhattan suitable for high rise urban redevelopment – would not be possible without connecting to New York City’s subway system.
Large-scale transportation and infrastructure projects transform civic space and urban environments and require creativity, sensitivity, and collaboration. As the lead architect on the WSP team, Dattner Architects designed 34th St Hudson Yards Station and five Systems Buildings along the subway extension. As the first new subway station built in New York City in over 50 years, our design team reflected at length on the question: How should a modern subway station and its supporting buildings be planned, designed, and implemented to integrate successfully into the City of today? And what we discovered was how to define constructability for these vital projects...
Safety. The 34th Street Hudson Yards Station is approximately 125-foot of depth – one of the deepest in the NYCT’s subway system – 34th Street Hudson Yards Station addresses strict passenger safety and comfort requirements. In order to meet the NFPA-130 requirements regarding smoke control and two-minute station evacuation time, the Station is supported by two Systems Buildings located at each end of the Station, each housing four, three-story high fans. These 400hp fans are part of the large push-and-pull ventilation system which – in case of fire – will push fresh air into the Station through the shafts of the Systems Building located near one end of the Station and remove the smoke (pull) through the shafts of the Systems Building located at the other end of the Station.
Sensitivity and Future Planning. Due to the size of the fans and other mechanical and electrical equipment required to run the subway trains, the Station, Station Entrance, and the supporting Systems Buildings are relatively large structures that take a lot of space. As the land in Manhattan is expensive and limited, the Station was designed to allow for integration and overbuild. While the Station and vast majority of the connecting tunnels are located deep underground, the Station Entrance is integrated with the Hudson Yards Boulevard Park and the Systems Buildings will be fully overbuilt and integrated into the Developer’s Towers and eventually disappear from the City’s streetscape.
Collaboration. This complex planning and design approach required a commitment to coordination among architects and engineers and with MTA Capital Construction, New York City Transit, various State and City’s agencies, the Developers, and Contractors. The Site J Systems Building located at North side of 33rd Street, which for a short period of time was a free-standing building, has already became an integral part of the 55 Hudson Yards Tower form. The building was designed to receive structural load of the future 55 Hudson Yards Tower. The tunnels that house escalators and Inclined Elevators and connect the 34th Street Hudson Yards Station Upper Mezzanine with the Lower Mezzanine were appropriately spaced to allow for the Tower’s caissons foundation. The building was set back from the property line just enough to allow for future recladding of the façade that is successfully happening right now.
Grounded by Safety, Sensitivity and Future Planning, and Collaboration, objectives vital to the project's constructability, this new station is one to be proud of and an important beginning for one of Manhattan's newest neighborhoods... "This beautiful new station is just the beginning of the enhanced service the hundreds of thousands of customers on the 7 Line will see in the future,” James L. Ferrara, Interim President of MTA NYCT.
Architects are famously known for resolving spaces according to geometric or aesthetic principals. To this end, we’ve honed our abilities with certain design tools, computer software, and thought processes that lend themselves to this compartmentalized way of thinking about the built environment. However, when it comes to the urban environment, there is tremendous power in thinking about its structure and organization as a system of interconnected and interdependent networks. Network-thinking emphasizes the importance of the relationships between multiple sites and gives consideration to the fact that small shifts in balance or orientation of a single component can have enormous effects throughout the rest of the system. This way of thinking reveals the importance of the connections themselves – the infrastructure – between the various components.
Connectivity is a central concept for our recent winning entry for the Master Plan Design Competition for LaGuardia Airport. Our entry, titled Port LaGuardia reconceives the airport as a fully integrated transportation center that acts as a flow-through portal, rather than the terminus of a journey. Through a number of strategic moves, we proposed a seamless, multi-modal connection to the LaGuardia airport, employing existing and new modes of transportation – with a focus on the traveler’s experience. Approaching the challenge through the lens of connectivity, PORT LAGUARDIA channels the flow of people, goods, and services through the most congested airspace in the nation to a regional multi-modal ground transportation network. The airport terminal becomes a component of a complex multi-modal network that includes a new multilevel circulation spine. The result is an efficient, world-class system, and a welcoming gateway to the city and region.
When we design infrastructure spaces and facilities, we think about them in terms of how they fit into the physical framework, as well as how they contribute to the experiential framework of the city. For example, our approach to designing transportation facilities, like the Hudson Yards – 34 Street Station, carefully considers both the required passenger and vehicular flow as well as the human interactions and the passengers’ experience. The station entrances are integrated into a new 3-block-long park and are graced with brilliant public art. Inside the station, the passenger is intuitively guided through the sequence of spaces and experiences to provide the connection from Street Level to the Platform 120 feet below. The brightly-lit column-free station platform and mezzanine, as well as the awe-inspiring 80-foot-high escalator and inclined elevator tunnels contribute to the quality of the passenger’s experience – as evidenced by the public’s overwhelming response upon the station opening! In terms of connectivity, the station’s impact reaches far beyond its entrances in the park – it has spurred the incredible redevelopment of the Far West Side of Manhattan. Similarly, in designing the Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage and Salt Shed – a “Not In My Back Yard” building type – we thought about how to marry the facility with the neighborhood – the result is a sculptural landmark, much-loved by the community. The facility also has a complex program as a critical component of the city’s sanitation and snow removal network. We used the architecture to turn a NIMBY into a YIMBY!
As our cities continue to expand and grow, both in size and complexity, our approach to designing the buildings that make-up the urban framework – the infrastructure – will need to evolve. In many cases, these are structures and uses that communities think of as undesirable. The challenge to Architects and Urban Designers is to design – not just for the client’s and the public’s acceptance – but rather for the possibility of strengthening people’s connection to the building, to the city, to the Earth, and to each other.
Architects are famously known for resolving spaces according to geometric or aesthetic principals. To this end, we’ve honed our abilities with certain design tools, computer software, and thought processes that lend themselves to this compartmentalized way of thinking about the built environment. However, when it comes to the urban environment, there is tremendous power in thinking about its structure and organization as a system of interconnected and interdependent networks. Network-thinking emphasizes the importance of the relationships between multiple sites and gives consideration to the fact that small shifts in balance or orientation of a single component can have enormous effects throughout the rest of the system. This way of thinking reveals the importance of the connections themselves – the infrastructure – between the various components.
Connectivity is a central concept for our recent winning entry for the Master Plan Design Competition for LaGuardia Airport. Our entry, titled Port LaGuardia reconceives the airport as a fully integrated transportation center that acts as a flow-through portal, rather than the terminus of a journey. Through a number of strategic moves, we proposed a seamless, multi-modal connection to the LaGuardia airport, employing existing and new modes of transportation – with a focus on the traveler’s experience. Approaching the challenge through the lens of connectivity, PORT LAGUARDIA channels the flow of people, goods, and services through the most congested airspace in the nation to a regional multi-modal ground transportation network. The airport terminal becomes a component of a complex multi-modal network that includes a new multilevel circulation spine. The result is an efficient, world-class system, and a welcoming gateway to the city and region.
When we design infrastructure spaces and facilities, we think about them in terms of how they fit into the physical framework, as well as how they contribute to the experiential framework of the city. For example, our approach to designing transportation facilities, like the Hudson Yards – 34 Street Station, carefully considers both the required passenger and vehicular flow as well as the human interactions and the passengers’ experience. The station entrances are integrated into a new 3-block-long park and are graced with brilliant public art. Inside the station, the passenger is intuitively guided through the sequence of spaces and experiences to provide the connection from Street Level to the Platform 120 feet below. The brightly-lit column-free station platform and mezzanine, as well as the awe-inspiring 80-foot-high escalator and inclined elevator tunnels contribute to the quality of the passenger’s experience – as evidenced by the public’s overwhelming response upon the station opening! In terms of connectivity, the station’s impact reaches far beyond its entrances in the park – it has spurred the incredible redevelopment of the Far West Side of Manhattan. Similarly, in designing the Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage and Salt Shed – a “Not In My Back Yard” building type – we thought about how to marry the facility with the neighborhood – the result is a sculptural landmark, much-loved by the community. The facility also has a complex program as a critical component of the city’s sanitation and snow removal network. We used the architecture to turn a NIMBY into a YIMBY!
As our cities continue to expand and grow, both in size and complexity, our approach to designing the buildings that make-up the urban framework – the infrastructure – will need to evolve. In many cases, these are structures and uses that communities think of as undesirable. The challenge to Architects and Urban Designers is to design – not just for the client’s and the public’s acceptance – but rather for the possibility of strengthening people’s connection to the building, to the city, to the Earth, and to each other.
Thank you to everyone who came out to join us last night for an exciting evening of Passive House discussion and sustainable building trivia as part of the NYC Ice Box Challenge!
Moderated by the Passive House experts from Steven Winter Associates, attendees tested their knowledge of the Passive House history and standards to win prizes. Following trivia, Dattner Architects' John Woelfling joined Christopher Hamm from Steven Winter Associates, and Mark Ginsberg from Curtis + Ginsberg Architects LLP, to present on the state of Passive House as it relates to multifamily buildings in New York City.
Overview
While the Passive House standard is based on simple concepts, achieving certification for large multifamily buildings in New York City is no easy task. Dattner Architects’ Principal John Woelfling and Mark Ginsberg of Curtis + Ginsberg Architects–each with experience working on more than a dozen Passive House projects at many scales throughout the City–presented their own unique challenges and lessons learned, along with an introduction to the Passive House standard in NYC by Steven Winter Associates.
About the Speakers
John Woelfling AIA, LEED AP, CPHT, Principal, Dattner Architects
John’s work is driven by the belief that architecture should be sensitive to the environment. His involvement in woodworking, carpentry, and construction have instilled in him a passion for the hands-on aspect of the architectural process, as well as a sense for practicality and an understanding of materiality. Whether directing a design team, spearheading AIA 2030 Commitment efforts, leading the firm’s Sustainable Practice Group, or incorporating Passive House design into the firm’s projects, his focus on sustainable design practices is guided by proactive education of evolving green technologies and incorporating them into his design work.
Mark Ginsberg FAIA, LEED AP, Principal, Curtis + Ginsberg Architects
Mark Ginsberg, a native New Yorker, is a partner of Curtis + Ginsberg Architects LLP with over 33 years of professional experience in planning, urban design, institutional and housing projects. His expertise in affordable and mixed income housing, resiliency and green design has been recognized through his many lectures at national and local conferences and meetings. Mark has led C+GA’s efforts on developments that comprise well over 10,000 units of housing, most of which are affordable and sustainable.
About the Ice Box Challenge
The Ice Box Challenge was created in Brussels and brought to New York City to celebrate the environmental leadership in both cities, and to commemorate Brussels Days - an annual series of activities to promote the Brussels-Capital Region. It is made possible by the Brussels-Capital Region and Brussels Invest & Export / hub.brussels, organized with NYC Mayor's Office of Sustainability and the Building Energy Exchange, and partnered with New York Passive House among many other local organizations.
This year in New York City, the Ice Box Challenge is a contest and an experiment to demonstrate how a home can be super energy efficient AND comfortable. The Ice Boxes are left outside in the sun for a month. When they are opened, the amount of ice left in each box will be measured. How much ice is left shows how well each Ice Box keeps out the summer heat. Better building design can help us reduce our carbon pollution without changing our behavior. Energy-efficient homes are comfortable, quiet, and healthy.
Thank you to everyone who came out to join us last night for an exciting evening of Passive House discussion and sustainable building trivia as part of the NYC Ice Box Challenge!
Moderated by the Passive House experts from Steven Winter Associates, attendees tested their knowledge of the Passive House history and standards to win prizes. Following trivia, Dattner Architects' John Woelfling joined Christopher Hamm from Steven Winter Associates, and Mark Ginsberg from Curtis + Ginsberg Architects LLP, to present on the state of Passive House as it relates to multifamily buildings in New York City.
Overview
While the Passive House standard is based on simple concepts, achieving certification for large multifamily buildings in New York City is no easy task. Dattner Architects’ Principal John Woelfling and Mark Ginsberg of Curtis + Ginsberg Architects–each with experience working on more than a dozen Passive House projects at many scales throughout the City–presented their own unique challenges and lessons learned, along with an introduction to the Passive House standard in NYC by Steven Winter Associates.
About the Speakers
John Woelfling AIA, LEED AP, CPHT, Principal, Dattner Architects
John’s work is driven by the belief that architecture should be sensitive to the environment. His involvement in woodworking, carpentry, and construction have instilled in him a passion for the hands-on aspect of the architectural process, as well as a sense for practicality and an understanding of materiality. Whether directing a design team, spearheading AIA 2030 Commitment efforts, leading the firm’s Sustainable Practice Group, or incorporating Passive House design into the firm’s projects, his focus on sustainable design practices is guided by proactive education of evolving green technologies and incorporating them into his design work.
Mark Ginsberg FAIA, LEED AP, Principal, Curtis + Ginsberg Architects
Mark Ginsberg, a native New Yorker, is a partner of Curtis + Ginsberg Architects LLP with over 33 years of professional experience in planning, urban design, institutional and housing projects. His expertise in affordable and mixed income housing, resiliency and green design has been recognized through his many lectures at national and local conferences and meetings. Mark has led C+GA’s efforts on developments that comprise well over 10,000 units of housing, most of which are affordable and sustainable.
About the Ice Box Challenge
The Ice Box Challenge was created in Brussels and brought to New York City to celebrate the environmental leadership in both cities, and to commemorate Brussels Days - an annual series of activities to promote the Brussels-Capital Region. It is made possible by the Brussels-Capital Region and Brussels Invest & Export / hub.brussels, organized with NYC Mayor's Office of Sustainability and the Building Energy Exchange, and partnered with New York Passive House among many other local organizations.
This year in New York City, the Ice Box Challenge is a contest and an experiment to demonstrate how a home can be super energy efficient AND comfortable. The Ice Boxes are left outside in the sun for a month. When they are opened, the amount of ice left in each box will be measured. How much ice is left shows how well each Ice Box keeps out the summer heat. Better building design can help us reduce our carbon pollution without changing our behavior. Energy-efficient homes are comfortable, quiet, and healthy.
As we continue to see mounting indications of climate change, New York City, like other densifying cities, will need to further expand on its responses and fortify its resilience through the built environment. The region’s current weaknesses become especially apparent in public infrastructural applications that tend to be more exposed to the elements, providing service to large quantities of residents and businesses. This applies most discernably to transit, however, the term infrastructure also refers to other urban necessities with seemingly less public interface, such as those structures that provide power to homes, businesses, and transportation networks; garages that facilitate public service; and service centers that act as dispatch hubs in emergencies.
Through the planning of new facilities and the modification of existing structures, transit and infrastructure facilities are evolving to respond to the pressing environmental concerns. As part of Harrison, New Jersey’s Redevelopment Plan, Dattner Architects and Jacobs designed the replacement of Substation Number Nine, a facility responsible for providing power to high volume segments of the PATH train network in New Jersey, a critical commuter rail system. In its existing condition, the substation is located near the Passaic River, deeply embedded within the flood plain. Sited adjacent to the Harrison Station serving the PATH line between New York City and Newark, the substation and the station itself are crucial to ensuring full connectivity between neighboring urban networks and our region’s major airports. Both the station and the substation sustained significant damage from Hurricane Sandy. To allow this critical infrastructure to remain operable in future severe weather situations and regional emergencies, the new Substation has been designed in response to new climate realities. Sub 9 will have a ground floor elevation of 14’ – 4” (which is 4’ – 4” above the FEMA 100-year flood level). Additionally, efforts have been made to manage stormwater on site by utilizing a sloped roof and incorporating a right-sized drainage system. These types of decisions may seem simple, however, raising the facility’s elevation, in a typology such as this, requires extensive coordination among all disciplines and with operations to ensure that vehicle loading docks are still accessible, utility services are managed efficiently, and egress will be compliant. The two-story structure is designed to completely enclose the substation equipment, protecting it from the elements and allowing easier access for future maintenance and repair.
Resilient design creates modern infrastructure facilities that are functional, aesthetically pleasing, and integrated into the fabric of the communities they serve. Aesthetics and connectivity are important design components when integrating these vital structures within an existing, public site. Adjacent to the substation, Dattner Architects / WSP designed a renovation and expansion to the PATH Harrison Station. The station enhancement is a critical component of the Harrison Waterfront Redevelopment Plan – serving as a catalyst for further development of the surrounding area. Currently in construction, the design of the new station houses reconfigures and significantly enhances public access to the platforms in anticipation of the 10-car PATH expansion program. The station entrances are also elevated above the flood zone. Through careful planning of ground floor spaces and accessibility to entrances and the raised tracks, service will remain resilient in the event of a dramatic weather event.
While raising a structure’s ground floor drastically above the BFE, as we did for the substation, is not always an option, it may not always be required. Modular flood barrier systems can provide protection and resiliency in emergencies; these are manually deployed in vulnerable doorways and openings at the ground level to further secure a building’s perimeter against flooding. Other discreet options are being introduced to the market and implemented including modular flood walls and low profile fabric barriers. While these defensive approaches are the best course of action in many cases, architects and landscape architects are also exploring adaptive and passive approaches that allow rain and sea water to flow through – and out – a project during severe weather events.
Through thoughtful solutions from the onset, and coordination through all disciplines, resiliency strategies become integrated into the design – instead of being an afterthought. Utility rooms and paths can be located proactively, a building’s site can work to its advantage, easily deployable fortification can be built into the envelope to ensure longevity despite proximity to flooding, and areas of the project can be designed to channel water during the worst of the storm, while remaining operational.
As we continue to see mounting indications of climate change, New York City, like other densifying cities, will need to further expand on its responses and fortify its resilience through the built environment. The region’s current weaknesses become especially apparent in public infrastructural applications that tend to be more exposed to the elements, providing service to large quantities of residents and businesses. This applies most discernably to transit, however, the term infrastructure also refers to other urban necessities with seemingly less public interface, such as those structures that provide power to homes, businesses, and transportation networks; garages that facilitate public service; and service centers that act as dispatch hubs in emergencies.
Through the planning of new facilities and the modification of existing structures, transit and infrastructure facilities are evolving to respond to the pressing environmental concerns. As part of Harrison, New Jersey’s Redevelopment Plan, Dattner Architects and Jacobs designed the replacement of Substation Number Nine, a facility responsible for providing power to high volume segments of the PATH train network in New Jersey, a critical commuter rail system. In its existing condition, the substation is located near the Passaic River, deeply embedded within the flood plain. Sited adjacent to the Harrison Station serving the PATH line between New York City and Newark, the substation and the station itself are crucial to ensuring full connectivity between neighboring urban networks and our region’s major airports. Both the station and the substation sustained significant damage from Hurricane Sandy. To allow this critical infrastructure to remain operable in future severe weather situations and regional emergencies, the new Substation has been designed in response to new climate realities. Sub 9 will have a ground floor elevation of 14’ – 4” (which is 4’ – 4” above the FEMA 100-year flood level). Additionally, efforts have been made to manage stormwater on site by utilizing a sloped roof and incorporating a right-sized drainage system. These types of decisions may seem simple, however, raising the facility’s elevation, in a typology such as this, requires extensive coordination among all disciplines and with operations to ensure that vehicle loading docks are still accessible, utility services are managed efficiently, and egress will be compliant. The two-story structure is designed to completely enclose the substation equipment, protecting it from the elements and allowing easier access for future maintenance and repair.
Resilient design creates modern infrastructure facilities that are functional, aesthetically pleasing, and integrated into the fabric of the communities they serve. Aesthetics and connectivity are important design components when integrating these vital structures within an existing, public site. Adjacent to the substation, Dattner Architects / WSP designed a renovation and expansion to the PATH Harrison Station. The station enhancement is a critical component of the Harrison Waterfront Redevelopment Plan – serving as a catalyst for further development of the surrounding area. Currently in construction, the design of the new station houses reconfigures and significantly enhances public access to the platforms in anticipation of the 10-car PATH expansion program. The station entrances are also elevated above the flood zone. Through careful planning of ground floor spaces and accessibility to entrances and the raised tracks, service will remain resilient in the event of a dramatic weather event.
While raising a structure’s ground floor drastically above the BFE, as we did for the substation, is not always an option, it may not always be required. Modular flood barrier systems can provide protection and resiliency in emergencies; these are manually deployed in vulnerable doorways and openings at the ground level to further secure a building’s perimeter against flooding. Other discreet options are being introduced to the market and implemented including modular flood walls and low profile fabric barriers. While these defensive approaches are the best course of action in many cases, architects and landscape architects are also exploring adaptive and passive approaches that allow rain and sea water to flow through – and out – a project during severe weather events.
Through thoughtful solutions from the onset, and coordination through all disciplines, resiliency strategies become integrated into the design – instead of being an afterthought. Utility rooms and paths can be located proactively, a building’s site can work to its advantage, easily deployable fortification can be built into the envelope to ensure longevity despite proximity to flooding, and areas of the project can be designed to channel water during the worst of the storm, while remaining operational.
"The 6th annual National Infrastructure Week is a national week of events; media coverage; and education and issue advocacy to elevate infrastructure as a critical issue impacting America's economy, society, security and future. In 2018, hundreds of organizations and thousands of leaders are uniting around one message: The future won't wait. Neither can we. It's #TimeToBuild."
Thanks to our layered transportation and information networks, people – as well as our ideas and products – are moving from place to place faster and more frequently than ever before. But does that necessarily mean we are more connected to our environment? To information? To each other?
Our built environment includes the obvious physical connectors – roads, bridges, tunnels, and subways. Equally important connectors are the mental and spiritual linkages that tie us all to this Earth. The frameworks for these connections do not operate independently. Rather, they are knitted together by what can broadly be defined as “infrastructure.”
In this sense, infrastructure is more than just bridges and tunnels, ports and terminals. The definition can be expanded to include much of the public realm – including public schools, parks, libraries, and community centers. In that case, isn’t multi-family housing a critical part of the framework? And in the vein of physical connectors: the framework of maintenance facilities, sanitation garages, and transfer stations that support these systems also fall under the umbrella of “infrastructure.”
Throughout the rest of this week, stay tuned to learn more about trends and impacts and how our firm is approaching this important topic.
"The 6th annual National Infrastructure Week is a national week of events; media coverage; and education and issue advocacy to elevate infrastructure as a critical issue impacting America's economy, society, security and future. In 2018, hundreds of organizations and thousands of leaders are uniting around one message: The future won't wait. Neither can we. It's #TimeToBuild."
Thanks to our layered transportation and information networks, people – as well as our ideas and products – are moving from place to place faster and more frequently than ever before. But does that necessarily mean we are more connected to our environment? To information? To each other?
Our built environment includes the obvious physical connectors – roads, bridges, tunnels, and subways. Equally important connectors are the mental and spiritual linkages that tie us all to this Earth. The frameworks for these connections do not operate independently. Rather, they are knitted together by what can broadly be defined as “infrastructure.”
In this sense, infrastructure is more than just bridges and tunnels, ports and terminals. The definition can be expanded to include much of the public realm – including public schools, parks, libraries, and community centers. In that case, isn’t multi-family housing a critical part of the framework? And in the vein of physical connectors: the framework of maintenance facilities, sanitation garages, and transfer stations that support these systems also fall under the umbrella of “infrastructure.”
Throughout the rest of this week, stay tuned to learn more about trends and impacts and how our firm is approaching this important topic.
This year’s AIA Conference on Architecture (A’18) will be hosted in one of the world’s most iconic cities – New York City! Over three days, architects, designers, and firms from all over the world will immerse themselves in what is new and current in architecture and design, exploring the A’18 theme: Blueprint for Better Cities. Programming includes nearly 100 tours of some of the city’s best architecture in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island – including a special behind-the-scenes look at more than 30 on-going projects spanning the five boroughs, and all in ONE location: Dattner Architects!
On Friday, June 22, we will be hosting Conference-goers from 11:00am-1:00pm with an Open Studio tour and discussion, showcasing our commitment to enriching civic space and the urban experience through our process, our projects, and our social commitment.
Select works-in-progress will be on view, and visitors will have an opportunity to engage in an informal design review with members of the Dattner Architects staff. The Open Studio will also include insights into our firm culture – showcasing our commitment to industry involvement, professional development, philanthropy, and advocacy.
If you are interested in joining us on June 22, please RSVP to aiaopenhouse@dattner.com, and stay tuned for sneak peaks into our Open Studio as we lead up to the big day!
This year’s AIA Conference on Architecture (A’18) will be hosted in one of the world’s most iconic cities – New York City! Over three days, architects, designers, and firms from all over the world will immerse themselves in what is new and current in architecture and design, exploring the A’18 theme: Blueprint for Better Cities. Programming includes nearly 100 tours of some of the city’s best architecture in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island – including a special behind-the-scenes look at more than 30 on-going projects spanning the five boroughs, and all in ONE location: Dattner Architects!
On Friday, June 22, we will be hosting Conference-goers from 11:00am-1:00pm with an Open Studio tour and discussion, showcasing our commitment to enriching civic space and the urban experience through our process, our projects, and our social commitment.
Select works-in-progress will be on view, and visitors will have an opportunity to engage in an informal design review with members of the Dattner Architects staff. The Open Studio will also include insights into our firm culture – showcasing our commitment to industry involvement, professional development, philanthropy, and advocacy.
If you are interested in joining us on June 22, please RSVP to aiaopenhouse@dattner.com, and stay tuned for sneak peaks into our Open Studio as we lead up to the big day!
On May 3, Dattner Architects joined CAMBA Housing Ventures, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), New York City Housing Preservation and Development (NYCHPD), New York State Homes and Community Renewal (NYSHCR), and partnering community leaders for the opening of CAMBA Van Dyke – a new affordable and supportive housing development in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
Replacing an underused parking lot within Van Dyke Houses, the Dattner-designed CAMBA Van Dyke (also known as 603 Mother Gaston Blvd.) provides 101 units of affordable and supportive housing with 30 units reserved for homeless families and families at risk of homelessness. The 12-story complex offers a computer training center, an on-site laundry room, two flexible community rooms for group activities, an outdoor garden, a rooftop terrace, and on-site social services, including financial literacy, family services, healthcare access, and referrals to 160 programs and services across the city. Providing a gateway to the Van Dyke Houses campus, this development incorporates sustainable elements to conserve energy, promote the health and wellness of residents, and is LEED Gold-certified.
A model for NextGeneration NYCHA – a 10-year strategic plan to preserve and protect public housing for current residents as well as the next generation of New Yorkers – CAMBA’s 603 Mother Gaston Blvd. is the result of a forward-thinking public-private partnership that has resulted in sustainable, affordable, and supportive housing for local residents.
“[CAMBA Van Dyke] is proof that innovative ideas like building housing on underutilized public land are possible with wonderful public and private partners.” – Joanne Oplustil, President & CEO of CAMBA Housing Ventures
Now a community asset, this transformative project gives individuals and families the opportunity to create healthy, stable lives and provides services to help “break the cycle of housing instability once and for all.” Dattner Architects is proud to have a part in designing the future of affordable housing.
On May 3, Dattner Architects joined CAMBA Housing Ventures, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), New York City Housing Preservation and Development (NYCHPD), New York State Homes and Community Renewal (NYSHCR), and partnering community leaders for the opening of CAMBA Van Dyke – a new affordable and supportive housing development in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
Replacing an underused parking lot within Van Dyke Houses, the Dattner-designed CAMBA Van Dyke (also known as 603 Mother Gaston Blvd.) provides 101 units of affordable and supportive housing with 30 units reserved for homeless families and families at risk of homelessness. The 12-story complex offers a computer training center, an on-site laundry room, two flexible community rooms for group activities, an outdoor garden, a rooftop terrace, and on-site social services, including financial literacy, family services, healthcare access, and referrals to 160 programs and services across the city. Providing a gateway to the Van Dyke Houses campus, this development incorporates sustainable elements to conserve energy, promote the health and wellness of residents, and is LEED Gold-certified.
A model for NextGeneration NYCHA – a 10-year strategic plan to preserve and protect public housing for current residents as well as the next generation of New Yorkers – CAMBA’s 603 Mother Gaston Blvd. is the result of a forward-thinking public-private partnership that has resulted in sustainable, affordable, and supportive housing for local residents.
“[CAMBA Van Dyke] is proof that innovative ideas like building housing on underutilized public land are possible with wonderful public and private partners.” – Joanne Oplustil, President & CEO of CAMBA Housing Ventures
Now a community asset, this transformative project gives individuals and families the opportunity to create healthy, stable lives and provides services to help “break the cycle of housing instability once and for all.” Dattner Architects is proud to have a part in designing the future of affordable housing.
Since 2014, the AIA NYS Excelsior Awards program has recognized civic projects for design excellence in publicly funded buildings. Envisioned as a platform to showcase collaborative efficiency between design teams and state agencies, the Excelsior Awards provide an archetype for state-funded building designs. Selected as an example of these principles, Dattner Architect’s recently completed Public School 50Q Addition (PS 50Q) received the AIA NYS Excelsior Honor Award for Excellence in Renovation & Addition.
In attendance at Monday’s Awards Ceremony in Albany, Dattner Architect’s Principal Daniel Heuberger and Project Manager Eric Epstein joined other New York State honorees to celebrate innovative and noteworthy publically funded architecture. AIA NYS and representatives from various New York State contracting agencies presented the team with the award, acknowledging the project for its harmonious design, functionality, and impact on the surrounding community.
Jurors continued to comment on the project’s neighborhood impact, stating that “[PS 50Q] provides a great sense of transparency and reinforces the importance of safety and care. The school ’feels safe’ with controlled transparency, natural surveillance, and friendliness. It humanizes security.”
A key design opportunity included rethinking the “front door” of the school and simplifying circulation by creating one new, and transparent, common entrance for all students that leads them, according to their grade, to different parts of the building. At the seam between new and old, the original façade is revealed in the entrance lobby and corridors so that the trace of the historic building is not lost inside the new wing.
Juror’s also noted that “[The school] doesn’t look like a public school; it looks like a college campus—generous, open.” The design team strategically intervened and thoughtfully reprogrammed to transform an existing building into a vital community resource. The school now provides refreshed and innovative learning spaces for over 900 students in Jamaica, Queens.
We were proud to be there amongst so many great publicly-funded architecture projects. Congrats to all the winners!
Since 2014, the AIA NYS Excelsior Awards program has recognized civic projects for design excellence in publicly funded buildings. Envisioned as a platform to showcase collaborative efficiency between design teams and state agencies, the Excelsior Awards provide an archetype for state-funded building designs. Selected as an example of these principles, Dattner Architect’s recently completed Public School 50Q Addition (PS 50Q) received the AIA NYS Excelsior Honor Award for Excellence in Renovation & Addition.
In attendance at Monday’s Awards Ceremony in Albany, Dattner Architect’s Principal Daniel Heuberger and Project Manager Eric Epstein joined other New York State honorees to celebrate innovative and noteworthy publically funded architecture. AIA NYS and representatives from various New York State contracting agencies presented the team with the award, acknowledging the project for its harmonious design, functionality, and impact on the surrounding community.
Jurors continued to comment on the project’s neighborhood impact, stating that “[PS 50Q] provides a great sense of transparency and reinforces the importance of safety and care. The school ’feels safe’ with controlled transparency, natural surveillance, and friendliness. It humanizes security.”
A key design opportunity included rethinking the “front door” of the school and simplifying circulation by creating one new, and transparent, common entrance for all students that leads them, according to their grade, to different parts of the building. At the seam between new and old, the original façade is revealed in the entrance lobby and corridors so that the trace of the historic building is not lost inside the new wing.
Juror’s also noted that “[The school] doesn’t look like a public school; it looks like a college campus—generous, open.” The design team strategically intervened and thoughtfully reprogrammed to transform an existing building into a vital community resource. The school now provides refreshed and innovative learning spaces for over 900 students in Jamaica, Queens.
We were proud to be there amongst so many great publicly-funded architecture projects. Congrats to all the winners!
“Building an equitable economy in New York City requires a groundbreaking approach to urban design.” – Urban Design Forum
As a civic-minded, mission driven firm, Dattner Architects responds to the Urban Design Forum: Call for Ideas. This year, the theme was Work Force. Urban Design Forum invited proposers to explore creative design, policy, or financing, and were prompted to bring bold ideas with real life applicability. They drove the conversation with a few key questions: How can we use creative zoning, investment in the public realm, and new infrastructure to enhance economic outcomes for all; How will automation impact the urban workforce and long-standing commercial districts; and how can emerging working neighborhoods be connected through new mobility networks?
Excited by Urban Design Forum’s leading questions, members from the firm’s three studios began with round table discussion, and evolved into deep research and design collaboration to submit a proposal called Revitalizing the Urban Extent.
Revitalizing the Urban Extents
A stent is a device deployed to heal the circulatory system and prevent a more intensive surgical undertaking.
NYC was once a hub of self-sustaining enclaves, each with an identity playing part to a whole. As the city evolves, those individual neighborhoods are losing some of their character, growing more dependent on Manhattan’s Central Business Districts (CBD) and the transit networks that serve them. We propose deconcentrating our CBDs through strategies that catalyze and encourage development of the urban extents—underserved neighborhoods at the City’s peripheries and in-between spaces—deploying efficient, inexpensive infrastructure by using existing right-of-ways, automated technologies, and creative methodologies to infill current transit deserts. Recent precedents indicate that constructing new subway infrastructure in New York City costs upwards of $2 billion per mile. The speeds and capacities that our rail systems offer are not suitable for every situation, and often resources are not allocated to areas of lower density. In these areas, neighborhoods rely on alternate large capacity modes of transit including the public bus and private shuttle. However, riders can expect longer wait times as schedules slow to match the demand. Even with reduced frequencies, buses continue to circle their route far below capacity.
The City has committed to preserving and supporting job growth by revitalizing existing manufacturing districts. To further benefit the workforce and these underserved neighborhoods, we propose connection through the immediate deployment of small-scale, lower cost means of transit at the urban extents comprising:
A comprehensive waterway network resulting in 14 new ferry landings to provide access to all waterfronts.
High speed automated vehicle thruways using existing right of ways which will not contend with a more fluid pedestrian and vehicle movement.
Aerial ropeways as an urban ‘stent’ to immediately reconnect the urban extents to the existing transit network. The proposed system will include 220 new stops over approximately 165 miles of ropeway, totaling at an estimated $2 billion.
By implementing alternative systems, we are able to move methods of public transportation off the roads via waterways or ropeways, creating a more activated and engaging streetscape. These strategies are particularly vital to waterfront neighborhoods, where resiliency and environmental responsiveness are integral to future development, emphasizing existing infrastructure to solidify the waterfront as a crucial foundation to New York’s landscape and culture. Simpler construction of transportation over shorter distances, coupled with app-based network technologies providing on-demand service, alleviates unnecessary, empty transit circulation. Reduced up-front costs and minimal operational responsibility create opportunity for Public/Private Partnership as a funding strategy, benefiting both the Municipality and private investors. With a more robust and resilient transit network, we envision neighborhoods thriving with diversified job opportunities, local amenities, and scales of housing—supporting a life and identity independent of the CBD.
“Building an equitable economy in New York City requires a groundbreaking approach to urban design.” – Urban Design Forum
As a civic-minded, mission driven firm, Dattner Architects responds to the Urban Design Forum: Call for Ideas. This year, the theme was Work Force. Urban Design Forum invited proposers to explore creative design, policy, or financing, and were prompted to bring bold ideas with real life applicability. They drove the conversation with a few key questions: How can we use creative zoning, investment in the public realm, and new infrastructure to enhance economic outcomes for all; How will automation impact the urban workforce and long-standing commercial districts; and how can emerging working neighborhoods be connected through new mobility networks?
Excited by Urban Design Forum’s leading questions, members from the firm’s three studios began with round table discussion, and evolved into deep research and design collaboration to submit a proposal called Revitalizing the Urban Extent.
Revitalizing the Urban Extents
A stent is a device deployed to heal the circulatory system and prevent a more intensive surgical undertaking.
NYC was once a hub of self-sustaining enclaves, each with an identity playing part to a whole. As the city evolves, those individual neighborhoods are losing some of their character, growing more dependent on Manhattan’s Central Business Districts (CBD) and the transit networks that serve them. We propose deconcentrating our CBDs through strategies that catalyze and encourage development of the urban extents—underserved neighborhoods at the City’s peripheries and in-between spaces—deploying efficient, inexpensive infrastructure by using existing right-of-ways, automated technologies, and creative methodologies to infill current transit deserts. Recent precedents indicate that constructing new subway infrastructure in New York City costs upwards of $2 billion per mile. The speeds and capacities that our rail systems offer are not suitable for every situation, and often resources are not allocated to areas of lower density. In these areas, neighborhoods rely on alternate large capacity modes of transit including the public bus and private shuttle. However, riders can expect longer wait times as schedules slow to match the demand. Even with reduced frequencies, buses continue to circle their route far below capacity.
The City has committed to preserving and supporting job growth by revitalizing existing manufacturing districts. To further benefit the workforce and these underserved neighborhoods, we propose connection through the immediate deployment of small-scale, lower cost means of transit at the urban extents comprising:
A comprehensive waterway network resulting in 14 new ferry landings to provide access to all waterfronts.
High speed automated vehicle thruways using existing right of ways which will not contend with a more fluid pedestrian and vehicle movement.
Aerial ropeways as an urban ‘stent’ to immediately reconnect the urban extents to the existing transit network. The proposed system will include 220 new stops over approximately 165 miles of ropeway, totaling at an estimated $2 billion.
By implementing alternative systems, we are able to move methods of public transportation off the roads via waterways or ropeways, creating a more activated and engaging streetscape. These strategies are particularly vital to waterfront neighborhoods, where resiliency and environmental responsiveness are integral to future development, emphasizing existing infrastructure to solidify the waterfront as a crucial foundation to New York’s landscape and culture. Simpler construction of transportation over shorter distances, coupled with app-based network technologies providing on-demand service, alleviates unnecessary, empty transit circulation. Reduced up-front costs and minimal operational responsibility create opportunity for Public/Private Partnership as a funding strategy, benefiting both the Municipality and private investors. With a more robust and resilient transit network, we envision neighborhoods thriving with diversified job opportunities, local amenities, and scales of housing—supporting a life and identity independent of the CBD.
On April 26, Principal Beth Greenberg FAIA and Dattner Architects were honored with a Builders of the Future Award at Institute for Community Living’s (ICL) Annual Gala. Celebrating ICL’s 31-year commitment to improving lives and strengthening communities, this year’s gala paid tribute to honorees whose generosity and dedication have enabled ICL to remain responsive and proactive in new and innovative ways – specifically recognizing the entire project team responsible for bringing ICL’s East New York Hub to life.
Opening later this year, the Dattner-designed East New York Hub is an integrated, state-of-the-art community health clinic. Consolidating health and community-based services, this one-stop-shop facility will provide family support, outpatient programs, day treatment, and care coordination to address behavioral and physical health concerns. The building program and design has been developed to encourage physical and mental healing. Visual and physical connections to both nature and the community, including garden and terrace spaces, framed views, and access to natural light and air, reinforce the link to the natural environment, while framing activities to engage the street and support the relationship with the community.
The building is composed of two interlocking volumes, legible to the users from the exterior. The first is a two-story communal volume, expressed in a corduroy-like red brick pattern. Its form responds to the scale of the neighborhood, and its presence, solidity, and unique brickwork participate in a dialogue with the existing structures around the site. The second volume, a three-story office volume, is conceived as planar with windows smaller in scale and regular in appearance.
The interior design approach focused on the celebration of the industrial architectural attributes of the existing building and the contrast of the modern addition. Polished concrete floors contrast with bold colors throughout the spaces, creating energetic and inspiring public gathering spaces for the community. The industrial architecture is the framework for the interior design inspiration – exposed brick and large arched openings are throughout the open office spaces. The furniture is brightly hued and low whenever possible, allowing open views throughout the spaces and sunny contrasts of color against the concrete and brick. Each space was designed with careful consideration to the varied support programs at ICL for adults and children, promoting safety, a sense of community, and wellness.
“As an organization, ICL is doing tremendous work to advocate for the health and behavior health needs of communities like East New York. The opening of the Hub…will truly have a transformative impact on our community.” – Council Member Rafael Espinal
We are honored to be a part of the ICL team and design spaces that will provide a vibrant community with vital health services.
On April 26, Principal Beth Greenberg FAIA and Dattner Architects were honored with a Builders of the Future Award at Institute for Community Living’s (ICL) Annual Gala. Celebrating ICL’s 31-year commitment to improving lives and strengthening communities, this year’s gala paid tribute to honorees whose generosity and dedication have enabled ICL to remain responsive and proactive in new and innovative ways – specifically recognizing the entire project team responsible for bringing ICL’s East New York Hub to life.
Opening later this year, the Dattner-designed East New York Hub is an integrated, state-of-the-art community health clinic. Consolidating health and community-based services, this one-stop-shop facility will provide family support, outpatient programs, day treatment, and care coordination to address behavioral and physical health concerns. The building program and design has been developed to encourage physical and mental healing. Visual and physical connections to both nature and the community, including garden and terrace spaces, framed views, and access to natural light and air, reinforce the link to the natural environment, while framing activities to engage the street and support the relationship with the community.
The building is composed of two interlocking volumes, legible to the users from the exterior. The first is a two-story communal volume, expressed in a corduroy-like red brick pattern. Its form responds to the scale of the neighborhood, and its presence, solidity, and unique brickwork participate in a dialogue with the existing structures around the site. The second volume, a three-story office volume, is conceived as planar with windows smaller in scale and regular in appearance.
The interior design approach focused on the celebration of the industrial architectural attributes of the existing building and the contrast of the modern addition. Polished concrete floors contrast with bold colors throughout the spaces, creating energetic and inspiring public gathering spaces for the community. The industrial architecture is the framework for the interior design inspiration – exposed brick and large arched openings are throughout the open office spaces. The furniture is brightly hued and low whenever possible, allowing open views throughout the spaces and sunny contrasts of color against the concrete and brick. Each space was designed with careful consideration to the varied support programs at ICL for adults and children, promoting safety, a sense of community, and wellness.
“As an organization, ICL is doing tremendous work to advocate for the health and behavior health needs of communities like East New York. The opening of the Hub…will truly have a transformative impact on our community.” – Council Member Rafael Espinal
We are honored to be a part of the ICL team and design spaces that will provide a vibrant community with vital health services.
On April 24, Dattner Architects joined CAMBA Housing Ventures, Governor Andrew Cuomo, and partnering community leaders for the ribbon cutting ceremony at CAMBA Gardens II – a new supportive and affordable housing development situated on the campus of Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn.
Recently awarded the 2018 Excellence in Affordable Housing Development by ULI-NY, CAMBA Gardens II offers 293 supportive and affordable housing units, half of which are designated for the formerly homeless. A “U” shaped structure, this building encloses a courtyard facing CAMBA Gardens I to the east and includes amenities that promote sustainability, health living, and wellness. CAMBA Gardens II encompasses residential, office, and public spaces including a double height lobby, day lit corridors to promote “active design,” two community rooms, and shared outdoor spaces, and features on-site social services and 24-hour security. Part of the larger CAMBA Gardens development, CAMBA Gardens I and CAMBA Gardens II provide a combined 502 homes for qualifying New Yorkers.
Co-locating affordable and supportive housing on the Kings County Hospital campus allows residents easy access to much needed healthcare and mental health facilities.
“CAMBA Gardens II is prime example of how we can provide our most vulnerable New Yorkers the opportunity to move forward and upward with their lives by living independently in a compassionate community that takes their interests and goals to heart.” – Governor Cuomo
“As we deliver the Governor’s housing plan, it is projects like [CAMBA Gardens II] that revitalize our communities, create opportunity, and grow our economy.” – RuthAnne Visnauskas, New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner
With available resources and a support system in place, CAMBA Gardens II affords residents with stability and the ability to live healthier and more independent lives.
On April 24, Dattner Architects joined CAMBA Housing Ventures, Governor Andrew Cuomo, and partnering community leaders for the ribbon cutting ceremony at CAMBA Gardens II – a new supportive and affordable housing development situated on the campus of Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn.
Recently awarded the 2018 Excellence in Affordable Housing Development by ULI-NY, CAMBA Gardens II offers 293 supportive and affordable housing units, half of which are designated for the formerly homeless. A “U” shaped structure, this building encloses a courtyard facing CAMBA Gardens I to the east and includes amenities that promote sustainability, health living, and wellness. CAMBA Gardens II encompasses residential, office, and public spaces including a double height lobby, day lit corridors to promote “active design,” two community rooms, and shared outdoor spaces, and features on-site social services and 24-hour security. Part of the larger CAMBA Gardens development, CAMBA Gardens I and CAMBA Gardens II provide a combined 502 homes for qualifying New Yorkers.
Co-locating affordable and supportive housing on the Kings County Hospital campus allows residents easy access to much needed healthcare and mental health facilities.
“CAMBA Gardens II is prime example of how we can provide our most vulnerable New Yorkers the opportunity to move forward and upward with their lives by living independently in a compassionate community that takes their interests and goals to heart.” – Governor Cuomo
“As we deliver the Governor’s housing plan, it is projects like [CAMBA Gardens II] that revitalize our communities, create opportunity, and grow our economy.” – RuthAnne Visnauskas, New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner
With available resources and a support system in place, CAMBA Gardens II affords residents with stability and the ability to live healthier and more independent lives.
We are honored to announce that CUNY Brooklyn College Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema received a Special Citation in the 2018 SCUP Excellence in Architecture for Building Additions or Adaptive Reuse Awards. The design teams’ innovative approach to adapting a historic Navy Building and transforming it into a state-of-the-art film school began through a private-public partnership. The top two floors of the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s 25 Washington Avenue embrace the culture of a contemporary movie lot and creates a micro-campus for this new program. With full production and post-production facilities, this unique higher education program links cinema studies with a working film studio.
This year the jury selected eight Honor, eight Merit, five Honorable Mention, and three Special Citation entries from across the country. Take a closer look at all the winners in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Planning categories on SCUP’s website.
The award ceremony was held during the 2018 SCUP Annual Conference, on July 14-17 in Nashville, Tennessee. During the conference, award jurors shared trends and observations during a special session titled, “Observed Themes in Higher Education Planning and Design.” Most specifically, jurors distinguished Brooklyn College Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema for being a “really ambitious program for a heavily subsidized school.” Through a highly collaborative design process, the team was able to create New York City’s first public graduate film school.
We are honored to announce that CUNY Brooklyn College Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema received a Special Citation in the 2018 SCUP Excellence in Architecture for Building Additions or Adaptive Reuse Awards. The design teams’ innovative approach to adapting a historic Navy Building and transforming it into a state-of-the-art film school began through a private-public partnership. The top two floors of the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s 25 Washington Avenue embrace the culture of a contemporary movie lot and creates a micro-campus for this new program. With full production and post-production facilities, this unique higher education program links cinema studies with a working film studio.
This year the jury selected eight Honor, eight Merit, five Honorable Mention, and three Special Citation entries from across the country. Take a closer look at all the winners in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Planning categories on SCUP’s website.
The award ceremony was held during the 2018 SCUP Annual Conference, on July 14-17 in Nashville, Tennessee. During the conference, award jurors shared trends and observations during a special session titled, “Observed Themes in Higher Education Planning and Design.” Most specifically, jurors distinguished Brooklyn College Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema for being a “really ambitious program for a heavily subsidized school.” Through a highly collaborative design process, the team was able to create New York City’s first public graduate film school.
Dattner Architects is proud to announce that our recently completed CAMBA Gardens project won the EXCELLENCE in Affordable Housing Award – revealed during last night’s 2018 ULI New York (ULI-NY) Awards Gala. CAMBA Gardens II signifies the revitalization of underutilized hospital property into much-needed sustainable and affordable housing co-located with on-campus mental health care services, helping New Yorkers achieve their full potential and generate new jobs.
In an innovative partnership with CAMBA Housing Ventures, NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation agreed to the demolition of a former psychiatric facility, enabling a new housing development ranging from five to nine stories. The central courtyard and perimeter open spaces create a cohesive landscape accessible to all residents and provides a clear visual connection to the outdoors from strategic intersections and end points within the building.
The program creates synergies between providing housing opportunities for formerly homeless and low-income community residents, while elevating design standards for affordable housing. The thoughtful building systems and materials promote sustainability, healthy living, and wellness. CAMBA Gardens II encompasses residential, office, and public spaces including a double height lobby, day lit corridors and stairwells to promote “active design,” community rooms, social service offices, and shared outdoor spaces. The development features on-site social services, 24-hour security, laundry rooms, a computer/study room, two community rooms, and well-appointed, durable and non-toxic finishes.
ULI-NY’s Awards for Excellence recognizes outstanding development projects in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors across New York State that best exemplify ULI’s commitment to responsible land use and creating sustainable, thriving communities. The Awards for Excellence highlights the full development process of a project, not just its architecture or design. Projects that reflect best-in-class development are celebrated in eight categories: office development, housing development, mixed-use development, repositioning or redevelopment, hotel development, institutional development, retail development, and civic space.
Dattner Architects is proud to announce that our recently completed CAMBA Gardens project won the EXCELLENCE in Affordable Housing Award – revealed during last night’s 2018 ULI New York (ULI-NY) Awards Gala. CAMBA Gardens II signifies the revitalization of underutilized hospital property into much-needed sustainable and affordable housing co-located with on-campus mental health care services, helping New Yorkers achieve their full potential and generate new jobs.
In an innovative partnership with CAMBA Housing Ventures, NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation agreed to the demolition of a former psychiatric facility, enabling a new housing development ranging from five to nine stories. The central courtyard and perimeter open spaces create a cohesive landscape accessible to all residents and provides a clear visual connection to the outdoors from strategic intersections and end points within the building.
The program creates synergies between providing housing opportunities for formerly homeless and low-income community residents, while elevating design standards for affordable housing. The thoughtful building systems and materials promote sustainability, healthy living, and wellness. CAMBA Gardens II encompasses residential, office, and public spaces including a double height lobby, day lit corridors and stairwells to promote “active design,” community rooms, social service offices, and shared outdoor spaces. The development features on-site social services, 24-hour security, laundry rooms, a computer/study room, two community rooms, and well-appointed, durable and non-toxic finishes.
ULI-NY’s Awards for Excellence recognizes outstanding development projects in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors across New York State that best exemplify ULI’s commitment to responsible land use and creating sustainable, thriving communities. The Awards for Excellence highlights the full development process of a project, not just its architecture or design. Projects that reflect best-in-class development are celebrated in eight categories: office development, housing development, mixed-use development, repositioning or redevelopment, hotel development, institutional development, retail development, and civic space.
As part of his continued dedication to the transportation and infrastructure industry, Dattner Architects’ Principal Jeffrey Dugan will participate in AERIAL FUTURES: Urban Constellations – a two-day event exploring airport-city interfaces as infrastructure, operating at a metropolitan scale. This think tank will use New York City as a case study to re-imagine airport constellations as a choreographed urban ecosystem. Jeff joins selected participants across all disciplines, including his AIANY Transportation + Infrastructure Committee Co-Chair Rob Eisenstat (PANYNJ), to explore how technology can help create an integrated urban airport system.
As part of his continued dedication to the transportation and infrastructure industry, Dattner Architects’ Principal Jeffrey Dugan will participate in AERIAL FUTURES: Urban Constellations – a two-day event exploring airport-city interfaces as infrastructure, operating at a metropolitan scale. This think tank will use New York City as a case study to re-imagine airport constellations as a choreographed urban ecosystem. Jeff joins selected participants across all disciplines, including his AIANY Transportation + Infrastructure Committee Co-Chair Rob Eisenstat (PANYNJ), to explore how technology can help create an integrated urban airport system.
“On International Women’s Day, let us all pledge to do everything we can to overcome entrenched prejudice, support engagement and activism, and promote gender equality and women’s empowerment."
– UN Secretary-General, António Guterres
In celebration of Women’s History Month as well as International Women’s Day this March 8th, we feel it is important to recognize the spirit of progress and change surrounding the topic of women and diversity in our close-knit Architecture & Design community. As an advocate of this discussion, we believe design plays an important role in fostering diversity and inclusion, as seen in NY Times’ March 2017 feature of our Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, bridging the discussion of diversity in Hollywood and Design.
As the AEC industry continues to become more diverse, industry organizations are stepping up to champion this important issue. Just last month, the AIA NY’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee held a day-long seminar at New York’s Center for Architecture, Next Gen Arch – Designing towards an Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive Architecture Profession. Highlighting implementation strategies to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion within the profession, we were proud to have our HR Director, Mary Beth Lardaro, and Associate, Venesa Alicea, represent Dattner Architects. Also a supporter of the BWAF, an organization dedicated to embracing issues specific to women in the building industry, Dattner Architects’ Managing Principal, Kirsten Sibilia, sits on the Board of Directors, and two members of our firm are participating in their Emerging Leaders Program. On February 27th, Kirsten Sibilia also joined the AIA CNJ’s Women in Architecture Panel, Paths to Opportunity, to speak about what inspired them to take their chosen career path, the challenges they faced, and what advice they have for women who are at a crossroads in their career.
In January, our firm organized a coalition of architecture firms to March in support of women’s rights, and last June, we also gathered members of our firm to support the annual NYC Pride March, walking in tandem with other A/E/C firms. These events symbolize a city dedicated to representing and empowering all people. As a firm dedicated to designing spaces that enrich and inspire, we will continue to seek out opportunities to lend our values and voices to support women and diversity inside and outside of our industry.
In 2018, our firm’s support of women leadership is reflected through our 2018 promotions, and we are proud to announce the establishment of a Dattner Women’s Group, dedicated to encouraging the career development of women at Dattner Architects; creating a supportive office culture that recognizes the unique challenges associated with being a woman in the field of design and construction; and educating ourselves about ways in which we can support the ideas and goals of the women we worth with. Stay tuned during the month of March to see how Dattner Architects is ingrained in this important issue and what we are doing within our firm and around the industry to be a part of the change.
“On International Women’s Day, let us all pledge to do everything we can to overcome entrenched prejudice, support engagement and activism, and promote gender equality and women’s empowerment."
– UN Secretary-General, António Guterres
In celebration of Women’s History Month as well as International Women’s Day this March 8th, we feel it is important to recognize the spirit of progress and change surrounding the topic of women and diversity in our close-knit Architecture & Design community. As an advocate of this discussion, we believe design plays an important role in fostering diversity and inclusion, as seen in NY Times’ March 2017 feature of our Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, bridging the discussion of diversity in Hollywood and Design.
As the AEC industry continues to become more diverse, industry organizations are stepping up to champion this important issue. Just last month, the AIA NY’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee held a day-long seminar at New York’s Center for Architecture, Next Gen Arch – Designing towards an Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive Architecture Profession. Highlighting implementation strategies to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion within the profession, we were proud to have our HR Director, Mary Beth Lardaro, and Associate, Venesa Alicea, represent Dattner Architects. Also a supporter of the BWAF, an organization dedicated to embracing issues specific to women in the building industry, Dattner Architects’ Managing Principal, Kirsten Sibilia, sits on the Board of Directors, and two members of our firm are participating in their Emerging Leaders Program. On February 27th, Kirsten Sibilia also joined the AIA CNJ’s Women in Architecture Panel, Paths to Opportunity, to speak about what inspired them to take their chosen career path, the challenges they faced, and what advice they have for women who are at a crossroads in their career.
In January, our firm organized a coalition of architecture firms to March in support of women’s rights, and last June, we also gathered members of our firm to support the annual NYC Pride March, walking in tandem with other A/E/C firms. These events symbolize a city dedicated to representing and empowering all people. As a firm dedicated to designing spaces that enrich and inspire, we will continue to seek out opportunities to lend our values and voices to support women and diversity inside and outside of our industry.
In 2018, our firm’s support of women leadership is reflected through our 2018 promotions, and we are proud to announce the establishment of a Dattner Women’s Group, dedicated to encouraging the career development of women at Dattner Architects; creating a supportive office culture that recognizes the unique challenges associated with being a woman in the field of design and construction; and educating ourselves about ways in which we can support the ideas and goals of the women we worth with. Stay tuned during the month of March to see how Dattner Architects is ingrained in this important issue and what we are doing within our firm and around the industry to be a part of the change.
In 1967, Seward Park Urban Renewal Area tenants were removed from their homes to make way for a supposed massive urban renewal project. Instead, the site remained vacant for decades. 50 years later, a decades-old promise to revitalize an important corner of Manhattan’s Lower East Side (LES) was realized.
This past January, Dattner Architects joined Delancey Street Associates, city officials, members of the development team, and former Seward Park Urban Renewal Area tenants for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of 175 Delancey Street, the first of nine buildings to be completed within Essex Crossing – one of New York City’s largest housing developments.
This Dattner Architects-designed 15-story, mixed-use building is comprised of 100 units of affordable senior housing. With integrated ground floor retail, a health clinic, and a community facility, 175 Delancey offers vital community services and increased access to food, healthcare, and amenities. The Frances Goldin Apartments – named after longtime LES housing activist, Frances Goldin – are oriented so that residents may enjoy southern exposures and expansive views of the Manhattan skyline with rooftop gardens providing beautiful recreational space.
The architecture of 175 Delancey is helping to redefine how people think of affordable senior housing. At the Frances Goldin Apartments, senior housing means warmth, vibrancy, and a welcoming atmosphere. It allows residents to remain independent, while being a part of a community with supportive resources, modern comfort, and practicality.
An on-site senior community center on the fourth floor is operated by Grand Street Settlement (GSS) – a social services institution providing personalized services and resources to advocate, empower, and strengthen communities. The center contains a cafeteria serving hot meals, meeting space, an activity room, roof terrace, and administration space. In addition to operating the community center, GSS also operates the GrandLo Café – a coffee shop by day and hip lounge by night. While the GrandLo will be managed professionally, its duel mission is to provide job training for local residents seeking to gain experience in the food service business, while becoming baristas along the way.
Another critical component to 175 Delancey is the NYU Langone Health medical center, designed by Dattner Architects and slated to open this summer. The new state-of-the-art facility will include programs encompassing physical therapy and ambulatory surgery. Easy access to healthcare amenities gives residents a sense of security knowing that there are professionals nearby who can help in their time of need.
The essence of 175 Delancey lies in its beauty and balance - both in aesthetics and its sensible functionality. Although its impact cannot be measured, as New York City continues to struggle with increasing housing costs, we are proud our project will help make a difference and that our work takes part in fighting this on-going battle by designing mixed-use affordable housing that creates stability and affords opportunity.
In 1967, Seward Park Urban Renewal Area tenants were removed from their homes to make way for a supposed massive urban renewal project. Instead, the site remained vacant for decades. 50 years later, a decades-old promise to revitalize an important corner of Manhattan’s Lower East Side (LES) was realized.
This past January, Dattner Architects joined Delancey Street Associates, city officials, members of the development team, and former Seward Park Urban Renewal Area tenants for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of 175 Delancey Street, the first of nine buildings to be completed within Essex Crossing – one of New York City’s largest housing developments.
This Dattner Architects-designed 15-story, mixed-use building is comprised of 100 units of affordable senior housing. With integrated ground floor retail, a health clinic, and a community facility, 175 Delancey offers vital community services and increased access to food, healthcare, and amenities. The Frances Goldin Apartments – named after longtime LES housing activist, Frances Goldin – are oriented so that residents may enjoy southern exposures and expansive views of the Manhattan skyline with rooftop gardens providing beautiful recreational space.
The architecture of 175 Delancey is helping to redefine how people think of affordable senior housing. At the Frances Goldin Apartments, senior housing means warmth, vibrancy, and a welcoming atmosphere. It allows residents to remain independent, while being a part of a community with supportive resources, modern comfort, and practicality.
An on-site senior community center on the fourth floor is operated by Grand Street Settlement (GSS) – a social services institution providing personalized services and resources to advocate, empower, and strengthen communities. The center contains a cafeteria serving hot meals, meeting space, an activity room, roof terrace, and administration space. In addition to operating the community center, GSS also operates the GrandLo Café – a coffee shop by day and hip lounge by night. While the GrandLo will be managed professionally, its duel mission is to provide job training for local residents seeking to gain experience in the food service business, while becoming baristas along the way.
Another critical component to 175 Delancey is the NYU Langone Health medical center, designed by Dattner Architects and slated to open this summer. The new state-of-the-art facility will include programs encompassing physical therapy and ambulatory surgery. Easy access to healthcare amenities gives residents a sense of security knowing that there are professionals nearby who can help in their time of need.
The essence of 175 Delancey lies in its beauty and balance - both in aesthetics and its sensible functionality. Although its impact cannot be measured, as New York City continues to struggle with increasing housing costs, we are proud our project will help make a difference and that our work takes part in fighting this on-going battle by designing mixed-use affordable housing that creates stability and affords opportunity.
MERGE is the theme for this year’s SMPS Northeast Regional Conference on March 21-23 in Baltimore, Maryland. Bringing together innovative thinkers from across multiple industries, sectors, geographies, and SMPS chapters, attendees will discuss the ongoing transformation of AEC marketing.
Dattner Architects’ Marketing Director Amy Stroud and Human Resources Director Mary Beth Lardaro will be panelists for Branding, Connecting, Positioning, Cultivating: Merging Marketing & HR. Moderated by Robin Carathanasis (Marketing Manager, Lilker Associates Consulting Engineers; 2016-2017 SMPS-NY Chapter President), Amy and Mary Beth will be joined by Brian Gallagher CPSM (Vice President-Marketing, O’neal, Inc.) and Lindsay Diven CPSM (Founder, Marketers Take Flight).
SMPS’s Four P’s of marketing—price, place, promotion, and product—align strategically with HR’s components of recruiting, professional development, and corporate culture. Merging marketing and HR allows for the creation and fostering of a corporate culture that is not only on-brand, but more effective in building business. During this session, professionals from AEC firms on the east coast will demonstrate how firms can capitalize on the efforts of these departments by sharing resources and developing joint initiatives. Furthermore, Amy and Mary Beth will discuss how they implement strategies to effectively deliver Dattner Architects’ brand and messaging so that our firm at every level “lives the brand.”
Marketing and HR have allied missions within our firms, and capitalizing on those synergies can make the most of our efforts. We believe this collaboration between HR and Marketing is an innovative trend in and of itself. This session will cover six topic areas: The War for Talent vs. Clients; Recognition & Reviews—Employee vs. Client/Project; Retention—Employee vs. Client; Continuing Education/Professional Development; Engagement & Ambassadors—Employee vs. Client; and Branding—Internal vs. External. Speaking directly to these topics, the speakers will present their firm’s integration strategy, how they and their firm have benefited, and offer examples of how each objective can be accomplished.
Just as firms are constantly working to connect with new clients, they are also pursuing the best and brightest talent. Marketing can help strengthen HR’s ability to attract and retain employees who bring a lot to the table design-wise, work well with their project team and clients, and believe in advancing the company’s brand and business strategies. Employees who are engaged and have an emotional commitment to the organization are its biggest brand advocates.
Branding, Connecting, Positioning, Cultivating: Merging Marketing & HR
Date: March 22, 2018
Time: 10:15AM – 12:00PM
Location: Grand Ballroom at the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore
MERGE is the theme for this year’s SMPS Northeast Regional Conference on March 21-23 in Baltimore, Maryland. Bringing together innovative thinkers from across multiple industries, sectors, geographies, and SMPS chapters, attendees will discuss the ongoing transformation of AEC marketing.
Dattner Architects’ Marketing Director Amy Stroud and Human Resources Director Mary Beth Lardaro will be panelists for Branding, Connecting, Positioning, Cultivating: Merging Marketing & HR. Moderated by Robin Carathanasis (Marketing Manager, Lilker Associates Consulting Engineers; 2016-2017 SMPS-NY Chapter President), Amy and Mary Beth will be joined by Brian Gallagher CPSM (Vice President-Marketing, O’neal, Inc.) and Lindsay Diven CPSM (Founder, Marketers Take Flight).
SMPS’s Four P’s of marketing—price, place, promotion, and product—align strategically with HR’s components of recruiting, professional development, and corporate culture. Merging marketing and HR allows for the creation and fostering of a corporate culture that is not only on-brand, but more effective in building business. During this session, professionals from AEC firms on the east coast will demonstrate how firms can capitalize on the efforts of these departments by sharing resources and developing joint initiatives. Furthermore, Amy and Mary Beth will discuss how they implement strategies to effectively deliver Dattner Architects’ brand and messaging so that our firm at every level “lives the brand.”
Marketing and HR have allied missions within our firms, and capitalizing on those synergies can make the most of our efforts. We believe this collaboration between HR and Marketing is an innovative trend in and of itself. This session will cover six topic areas: The War for Talent vs. Clients; Recognition & Reviews—Employee vs. Client/Project; Retention—Employee vs. Client; Continuing Education/Professional Development; Engagement & Ambassadors—Employee vs. Client; and Branding—Internal vs. External. Speaking directly to these topics, the speakers will present their firm’s integration strategy, how they and their firm have benefited, and offer examples of how each objective can be accomplished.
Just as firms are constantly working to connect with new clients, they are also pursuing the best and brightest talent. Marketing can help strengthen HR’s ability to attract and retain employees who bring a lot to the table design-wise, work well with their project team and clients, and believe in advancing the company’s brand and business strategies. Employees who are engaged and have an emotional commitment to the organization are its biggest brand advocates.
Branding, Connecting, Positioning, Cultivating: Merging Marketing & HR
Date: March 22, 2018
Time: 10:15AM – 12:00PM
Location: Grand Ballroom at the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore
On February 27, Dattner Architects’ Managing Principal Kirsten Sibilia Assoc. AIA spoke at the AIA CNJ’s Women in Architecture panel, Paths to Opportunity. As a mentor and leader, Kirsten is a champion and supporter of diversity in architecture.
Megan Pritts Assoc. AIA (Designer/Project Manager, JZA+D), Liz Cook AIA (Principal/Vice President, HDR), Martina Decker AIA (Assistant Professor, NJIT’s College of Architecture and Design), Verity Frizzell AIA (Principal Architect, Feltz & Frizzell Architects), and Karen Nichols FAIA (Principal, Michael Graves Architecture and Design) joined Kirsten in a discussion moderated by Donna Terzano AIA (Project Manager, HDR) about what inspired them to take their chosen career path, the challenges they faced, and the advice they have for women at career crossroads.
On February 27, Dattner Architects’ Managing Principal Kirsten Sibilia Assoc. AIA spoke at the AIA CNJ’s Women in Architecture panel, Paths to Opportunity. As a mentor and leader, Kirsten is a champion and supporter of diversity in architecture.
Megan Pritts Assoc. AIA (Designer/Project Manager, JZA+D), Liz Cook AIA (Principal/Vice President, HDR), Martina Decker AIA (Assistant Professor, NJIT’s College of Architecture and Design), Verity Frizzell AIA (Principal Architect, Feltz & Frizzell Architects), and Karen Nichols FAIA (Principal, Michael Graves Architecture and Design) joined Kirsten in a discussion moderated by Donna Terzano AIA (Project Manager, HDR) about what inspired them to take their chosen career path, the challenges they faced, and the advice they have for women at career crossroads.
As part of his continuing work with the AIANY Transportation + Infrastructure Committee, Dattner Architects’ Principal Jeff Dugan and the Committee have organized the Framework for the Future: Transportation + Infrastructure event – an evening of ideas, discussions, and community building.
On January 25th, the Committee’s co-chairs, Jeff and Robert Eisenstat FAIA along with their committee members James Wright AIA (Director of Advocacy), Katie Osborn (Director of Communications), and Margaret Newman (Director of Programming) will begin the evening with a presentation on the Committee’s Policy Framework. Serving as a guide for architects, planners, and policy makers, the Framework discusses the interrelated issues of mobility, placemaking, sustainability, building smarter, and financing as it relates to the planning and design of transportation and infrastructure in NYC. Following the presentation, Robert and Jeff will introduce the Committee’s 2018 initiatives and attendees will participate in workshops for Public Programs, Advocacy Outreach, and Design Awards.
Event: Framework for the Future: Transportation + Infrastructure
Date/Time: January 25, 2018, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Location: Center for Architecture
Price: Free for AIANY Members and Students with Valid ID; $10 for the General Public
As part of his continuing work with the AIANY Transportation + Infrastructure Committee, Dattner Architects’ Principal Jeff Dugan and the Committee have organized the Framework for the Future: Transportation + Infrastructure event – an evening of ideas, discussions, and community building.
On January 25th, the Committee’s co-chairs, Jeff and Robert Eisenstat FAIA along with their committee members James Wright AIA (Director of Advocacy), Katie Osborn (Director of Communications), and Margaret Newman (Director of Programming) will begin the evening with a presentation on the Committee’s Policy Framework. Serving as a guide for architects, planners, and policy makers, the Framework discusses the interrelated issues of mobility, placemaking, sustainability, building smarter, and financing as it relates to the planning and design of transportation and infrastructure in NYC. Following the presentation, Robert and Jeff will introduce the Committee’s 2018 initiatives and attendees will participate in workshops for Public Programs, Advocacy Outreach, and Design Awards.
Event: Framework for the Future: Transportation + Infrastructure
Date/Time: January 25, 2018, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Location: Center for Architecture
Price: Free for AIANY Members and Students with Valid ID; $10 for the General Public
Today, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) selected Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage & Spring Street Salt Shed as a winner of the 2018 Institute Honor Awards for Architecture! Honor Awards recognize the highest level of design excellence in our industry – this year, over 500 entries were submitted from across the globe. Jury members evaluated how well each building successfully met their individual project requirements, and how the design demonstrated architecture achievement, creation of place and purpose, and advanced sustainable features.
Dattner Architects collaborated with WXY architecture + urban design to create an impressive state-of-the-art garage and iconic sculpture salt shed—two vital resources for the neighborhood’s daily functions. The 425,000 square foot garage’s double skin façade is not only visually unique with perforated metal fins that adjust based on sunlight, but it also reduces solar loads, resulting in lower utility costs and environmental impact. The Salt Shed, smaller in size, but grand in character and articulation, sits adjacent to the garage on the south side of the street. Inspired by the salt itself, the faceted concrete planes create a crystallized form and is tapered towards the bottom, creating a more pedestrian friendly street. This project not only embodies the team’s commitment to designing sustainably innovative buildings, but also creating facilities that benefit the community for years to come.
As a firm committed to responsible civic architecture that benefits the surrounding neighborhood, we are proud to see the Garage and Salt Shed recognized nationally as a groundbreaking and iconic infrastructure building.
Our project will be showcased in the AIA Conference on Architecture 2018 in New York City. For additional information on the event, please see the conference page here.
Today, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) selected Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage & Spring Street Salt Shed as a winner of the 2018 Institute Honor Awards for Architecture! Honor Awards recognize the highest level of design excellence in our industry – this year, over 500 entries were submitted from across the globe. Jury members evaluated how well each building successfully met their individual project requirements, and how the design demonstrated architecture achievement, creation of place and purpose, and advanced sustainable features.
Dattner Architects collaborated with WXY architecture + urban design to create an impressive state-of-the-art garage and iconic sculpture salt shed—two vital resources for the neighborhood’s daily functions. The 425,000 square foot garage’s double skin façade is not only visually unique with perforated metal fins that adjust based on sunlight, but it also reduces solar loads, resulting in lower utility costs and environmental impact. The Salt Shed, smaller in size, but grand in character and articulation, sits adjacent to the garage on the south side of the street. Inspired by the salt itself, the faceted concrete planes create a crystallized form and is tapered towards the bottom, creating a more pedestrian friendly street. This project not only embodies the team’s commitment to designing sustainably innovative buildings, but also creating facilities that benefit the community for years to come.
As a firm committed to responsible civic architecture that benefits the surrounding neighborhood, we are proud to see the Garage and Salt Shed recognized nationally as a groundbreaking and iconic infrastructure building.
Our project will be showcased in the AIA Conference on Architecture 2018 in New York City. For additional information on the event, please see the conference page here.
We are proud to announce our 2018 promotions. In recognition of her tremendous contributions to our firm and her evolving role in the practice, Catherine Selby has been elevated to Principal. Our new Senior Associates are Keith Engel and Jing Xiang. Jillian Crandall, Rem Garavito Bruhn, Yohan Kim, Emily Kotsaftis, Nathan Kozlowski, and Karyn Lee have become Associates. These nine promotions reflect demonstrated leadership, dedication to our firm and our values, and passion for civic architecture.
Clockwise from top left: Rem Garavito Bruhn, Yohan Kim, Nathan Kozlowski, Karyn Lee, Jing Xiang, Keith Engel, Catherine Selby, Jillian Crandall, Emily Kotsaftis
PRINCIPAL
In Catherine Selby’s new role as Principal, she will lead projects in Dattner Architects’ Healthcare, Educational, and Housing Sectors and continue to serve as a mentor within the office. Motivated by a commitment to civic architecture, Catherine’s ability to develop and apply creative and thoughtful design solutions for each project allows her to add value to complex projects across multiple sectors.
SENIOR ASSOCIATES
Driven by architecture’s ability to affect change and provide meaningful and equitable experiences, Keith Engel AIA, LEED AP BD+C, CPHD joined Dattner Architects in 2013. He has dedicated his career to practicing socially responsible design and maintains a focus in urban, sustainable affordable and supportive housing.
Jing Xiang, Controller, directs the firm’s finances and is a critical part of the senior management team. Jing joined Dattner Architects in 2004 with over 15 years of experience ranging from global 500 companies to the architectural and engineering industry.
ASSOCIATES
A practicing architect and urban designer, Jillian Crandall AIA explores local and global networks in architecture, infrastructure, and urbanism. With a social and physical infrastructure research background, she approaches design with a technical rigor and enjoys the challenge of incorporating civic architecture into facilities with high functional requirements.
Rem Garavito Bruhn AIA, OAQ, LEED AP BD+C joined Dattner Architects in 2015, eager to work in a mission-driven firm, designing projects that positively influence people’s lives each day. Passionate about residential design in the urban context Rem approaches each project as an opportunity to contribute to the sustainable evolution of our cities through design.
In the five years since joining Dattner Architects, Yohan Kim AIA has focused his passion in civic architecture, creating public space that is accessible without conditions, and available to all. Coming to the firm with a diverse background in retail, institutional, and residential design, Yohan has a keen ability to turn a challenge into the source of great design.
Emily Kotsaftis AIA, LEED AP has developed an expertise in the design and construction of innovative transit stations and the integration of infrastructure into each community. Fascinated by the complex networks that impact people’s lives every day, Emily approaches each project motivated by a deep interest in creating transportation architecture that truly serves as civic space.
Nathan Kozlowski AIA, LEED AP has always had a strong desire to design buildings with prominent social, environmental, and urban components. At Dattner Architects, Nathan combines these interests with his background in community-based design and an eagerness to explore new and evolving cities—and develops urban housing projects, holistically integrated into their communities.
With experience practicing in both New York and Hawaii, Karyn Lee AIA came to Dattner Architects in 2013, drawn by our reputation of creating design that promotes the health of our communities. Through her work on a variety of typologies, Karyn has found that the most personally rewarding projects have been those where she felt there was a larger purpose, an ability to create change for the public good.
We are proud to announce our 2018 promotions. In recognition of her tremendous contributions to our firm and her evolving role in the practice, Catherine Selby has been elevated to Principal. Our new Senior Associates are Keith Engel and Jing Xiang. Jillian Crandall, Rem Garavito Bruhn, Yohan Kim, Emily Kotsaftis, Nathan Kozlowski, and Karyn Lee have become Associates. These nine promotions reflect demonstrated leadership, dedication to our firm and our values, and passion for civic architecture.
Clockwise from top left: Rem Garavito Bruhn, Yohan Kim, Nathan Kozlowski, Karyn Lee, Jing Xiang, Keith Engel, Catherine Selby, Jillian Crandall, Emily Kotsaftis
PRINCIPAL
In Catherine Selby’s new role as Principal, she will lead projects in Dattner Architects’ Healthcare, Educational, and Housing Sectors and continue to serve as a mentor within the office. Motivated by a commitment to civic architecture, Catherine’s ability to develop and apply creative and thoughtful design solutions for each project allows her to add value to complex projects across multiple sectors.
SENIOR ASSOCIATES
Driven by architecture’s ability to affect change and provide meaningful and equitable experiences, Keith Engel AIA, LEED AP BD+C, CPHD joined Dattner Architects in 2013. He has dedicated his career to practicing socially responsible design and maintains a focus in urban, sustainable affordable and supportive housing.
Jing Xiang, Controller, directs the firm’s finances and is a critical part of the senior management team. Jing joined Dattner Architects in 2004 with over 15 years of experience ranging from global 500 companies to the architectural and engineering industry.
ASSOCIATES
A practicing architect and urban designer, Jillian Crandall AIA explores local and global networks in architecture, infrastructure, and urbanism. With a social and physical infrastructure research background, she approaches design with a technical rigor and enjoys the challenge of incorporating civic architecture into facilities with high functional requirements.
Rem Garavito Bruhn AIA, OAQ, LEED AP BD+C joined Dattner Architects in 2015, eager to work in a mission-driven firm, designing projects that positively influence people’s lives each day. Passionate about residential design in the urban context Rem approaches each project as an opportunity to contribute to the sustainable evolution of our cities through design.
In the five years since joining Dattner Architects, Yohan Kim AIA has focused his passion in civic architecture, creating public space that is accessible without conditions, and available to all. Coming to the firm with a diverse background in retail, institutional, and residential design, Yohan has a keen ability to turn a challenge into the source of great design.
Emily Kotsaftis AIA, LEED AP has developed an expertise in the design and construction of innovative transit stations and the integration of infrastructure into each community. Fascinated by the complex networks that impact people’s lives every day, Emily approaches each project motivated by a deep interest in creating transportation architecture that truly serves as civic space.
Nathan Kozlowski AIA, LEED AP has always had a strong desire to design buildings with prominent social, environmental, and urban components. At Dattner Architects, Nathan combines these interests with his background in community-based design and an eagerness to explore new and evolving cities—and develops urban housing projects, holistically integrated into their communities.
With experience practicing in both New York and Hawaii, Karyn Lee AIA came to Dattner Architects in 2013, drawn by our reputation of creating design that promotes the health of our communities. Through her work on a variety of typologies, Karyn has found that the most personally rewarding projects have been those where she felt there was a larger purpose, an ability to create change for the public good.
With the holiday season here again, Dattner Architects is excited to celebrate a year of significant new projects, collaborations, opportunities, and continued growth as a firm. As a summation of this growth over 2017, our holiday card showcases a collective enthusiasm for both design and designers. A reflection of teamwork evidenced through our annual design charrette, the holiday card (and corresponding album) is the summation of ten teams and less than two weeks of incredible work.
The resulting creations were assembled into a Dattner Architects Holiday Village unveiled at our holiday party, capturing the magic of the season. We are pleased to share them with all of you. Happy Holidays!
With the holiday season here again, Dattner Architects is excited to celebrate a year of significant new projects, collaborations, opportunities, and continued growth as a firm. As a summation of this growth over 2017, our holiday card showcases a collective enthusiasm for both design and designers. A reflection of teamwork evidenced through our annual design charrette, the holiday card (and corresponding album) is the summation of ten teams and less than two weeks of incredible work.
The resulting creations were assembled into a Dattner Architects Holiday Village unveiled at our holiday party, capturing the magic of the season. We are pleased to share them with all of you. Happy Holidays!
We recently discovered that the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem was briefly featured in an episode of Showtimes’ Homeland. In Season 6, Episode 10, the Offices of Child Protective Services is actually the multi-purpose room and conference room at Dattner Architects’ very own Boys & Girls Club of Harlem. During the episode, the highly visible and vibrant donor wall can be seen behind the reception desk.
Homeland is an American spy thriller television series starring Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, a Central Intelligence Agency officer with bipolar disorder, and Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody, a U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper.
We recently discovered that the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem was briefly featured in an episode of Showtimes’ Homeland. In Season 6, Episode 10, the Offices of Child Protective Services is actually the multi-purpose room and conference room at Dattner Architects’ very own Boys & Girls Club of Harlem. During the episode, the highly visible and vibrant donor wall can be seen behind the reception desk.
Homeland is an American spy thriller television series starring Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, a Central Intelligence Agency officer with bipolar disorder, and Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody, a U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper.
Which neighborhood should advance—Downtown Brooklyn or East New York? The CURBED Cup is CURBED’s annual awards program for best neighborhood. With 16 areas vying for the top neighborhood title, each week we will become closer to hearing the top choices! New York City is consistently and rapidly changing—and our projects are right in the heart of it all.
CURBED Cup Round 1: Downtown Brooklyn vs. East New York
Downtown Brooklyn: Cultural Center. High-rise Buildings. Amenity Rich.
East New York: Industrial Center. City block development. Low-rise Manufacturing Buildings.
Dattner Architects’ projects made the list for both locations! Hub is currently downtown Brooklyn’s tallest residential building and is known for having the best borough amenities to date. In East New York, the Atlantic Chestnut development is part of New York’s rezoning plan to promote affordable housing, encourage economic development, create pedestrian-friendly streets, and invest in community resources.
We know it’s a tough decision but check out the Round 1 Results and be sure to vote in Round 2!
Which neighborhood should advance—Downtown Brooklyn or East New York? The CURBED Cup is CURBED’s annual awards program for best neighborhood. With 16 areas vying for the top neighborhood title, each week we will become closer to hearing the top choices! New York City is consistently and rapidly changing—and our projects are right in the heart of it all.
CURBED Cup Round 1: Downtown Brooklyn vs. East New York
Downtown Brooklyn: Cultural Center. High-rise Buildings. Amenity Rich.
East New York: Industrial Center. City block development. Low-rise Manufacturing Buildings.
Dattner Architects’ projects made the list for both locations! Hub is currently downtown Brooklyn’s tallest residential building and is known for having the best borough amenities to date. In East New York, the Atlantic Chestnut development is part of New York’s rezoning plan to promote affordable housing, encourage economic development, create pedestrian-friendly streets, and invest in community resources.
We know it’s a tough decision but check out the Round 1 Results and be sure to vote in Round 2!
On December 8th, The New York Times featured an inspiring article about modern living in Brooklyn’s iconic Cultural District. We have been working with Bernheimer Architecture on designing Caesura's exterior façade that complements the surrounding community but to also hold its’ own identity. Not only iconic from the exterior, the Dattner Architects’ Interiors team worked with the client to develop meaningful design decisions that both maximize floorplans and create a serene atmosphere, a “pause” from the hustle and bustle of the growing neighborhood. The micro-units’ custom beds, tables, and storage, mixed with warm wood tones and large windows impart a welcoming, light, airy feeling.
The Caesura’s shared spaces encourage residents to engage with one another and access untraditional amenities. The core concept is based off sharing products and spaces to reduce the need for excess materials. These areas include a lending library, open to share books and household gadgets; a conservatory bathed in natural light, for mediation, contemplation, and yoga; and a roof terrace for social gathering and events, with views of Brooklyn’s thriving cultural hub. This is an important addition to Brooklyn’s Cultural District. A building that will share new space for important creative venues, designed as the neighborhood’s innovative, yet tranquil core, opening to residents in 2018.
On December 8th, The New York Times featured an inspiring article about modern living in Brooklyn’s iconic Cultural District. We have been working with Bernheimer Architecture on designing Caesura's exterior façade that complements the surrounding community but to also hold its’ own identity. Not only iconic from the exterior, the Dattner Architects’ Interiors team worked with the client to develop meaningful design decisions that both maximize floorplans and create a serene atmosphere, a “pause” from the hustle and bustle of the growing neighborhood. The micro-units’ custom beds, tables, and storage, mixed with warm wood tones and large windows impart a welcoming, light, airy feeling.
The Caesura’s shared spaces encourage residents to engage with one another and access untraditional amenities. The core concept is based off sharing products and spaces to reduce the need for excess materials. These areas include a lending library, open to share books and household gadgets; a conservatory bathed in natural light, for mediation, contemplation, and yoga; and a roof terrace for social gathering and events, with views of Brooklyn’s thriving cultural hub. This is an important addition to Brooklyn’s Cultural District. A building that will share new space for important creative venues, designed as the neighborhood’s innovative, yet tranquil core, opening to residents in 2018.
Opening just over a year ago, our Adaptive Reuse of P.S. 186 has earned an incredible year of recognition. This project, accomplished from years of hard work from the entire project team, has been honored locally and nationally for excellence in historic preservation, interior design, and for its contribution to the community. The line-up of prestigious awards includes: New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Lucy Moses Award, Society of American Registered Architects NY’s Design Award, and the Building Design + Construction Platinum Restoration Award, along with the American Institute of Architects QUAD State Design Award, and Interior Design Magazine NYCxDesign Award.
As the sixth award for The Residences at P.S. 186 / The Boys & Girls Club of Harlem (BGCH), we are proud to announce the project’s latest recognition from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation (NYS OPRHP). Each year, NYS OPRHP selects a handful of exceptional buildings that preserve and rejuvenate New York’s historic cultural treasures. Under Governor Andrew Cuomo, the Office of the Governor of New York recognized five “Outstanding Projects” at the end of 2017—and only one project is located within New York City. The design team, led by Dattner Architects, was honored during the awards ceremony on December 7th for their commitment to preserving a local landmark and providing vital resources for the vibrant Harlem neighborhood. The adaptive reuse of this once abandoned public school building transformed P.S. 186 into much needed affordable housing and a beautiful new home for BGCH.
We are honored to breathe new life into this remarkable historic landmark.
Opening just over a year ago, our Adaptive Reuse of P.S. 186 has earned an incredible year of recognition. This project, accomplished from years of hard work from the entire project team, has been honored locally and nationally for excellence in historic preservation, interior design, and for its contribution to the community. The line-up of prestigious awards includes: New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Lucy Moses Award, Society of American Registered Architects NY’s Design Award, and the Building Design + Construction Platinum Restoration Award, along with the American Institute of Architects QUAD State Design Award, and Interior Design Magazine NYCxDesign Award.
As the sixth award for The Residences at P.S. 186 / The Boys & Girls Club of Harlem (BGCH), we are proud to announce the project’s latest recognition from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation (NYS OPRHP). Each year, NYS OPRHP selects a handful of exceptional buildings that preserve and rejuvenate New York’s historic cultural treasures. Under Governor Andrew Cuomo, the Office of the Governor of New York recognized five “Outstanding Projects” at the end of 2017—and only one project is located within New York City. The design team, led by Dattner Architects, was honored during the awards ceremony on December 7th for their commitment to preserving a local landmark and providing vital resources for the vibrant Harlem neighborhood. The adaptive reuse of this once abandoned public school building transformed P.S. 186 into much needed affordable housing and a beautiful new home for BGCH.
We are honored to breathe new life into this remarkable historic landmark.
Among 25 honorees across six categories, the Queens & Bronx Building Association (QBBA) recognized three of Dattner Architects’ multi-family housing projects during their Annual Awards Program and 50th Anniversary Gala. The QBBA Building Awards honors developments located anywhere in New York City for its excellence in design and construction. QBBA recognized Stanley Commons and Prospect Plaza II in the Residential category, and Draper Hall in the Rehabilitation, Alterations & Additions category. All three multi-family housing projects are nearing completion or completed, and will collectively add 500 units to Brooklyn and Manhattan. We were proud to have Senior Associate Ira Mitchneck and Associate Keith Engel represent Dattner Architects during the Building Awards Gala held on Saturday, December 2nd.
Celebrating their 50th anniversary, QBBA is a local association dedicated to building and preserving homes, communities, and neighborhoods. The Queens & Bronx Building Association is a trade organization with more than 300 construction-related member companies and are devoted to changing the way the city cooperates with builders and contractors and how the effects filter down to many related industries.
Among 25 honorees across six categories, the Queens & Bronx Building Association (QBBA) recognized three of Dattner Architects’ multi-family housing projects during their Annual Awards Program and 50th Anniversary Gala. The QBBA Building Awards honors developments located anywhere in New York City for its excellence in design and construction. QBBA recognized Stanley Commons and Prospect Plaza II in the Residential category, and Draper Hall in the Rehabilitation, Alterations & Additions category. All three multi-family housing projects are nearing completion or completed, and will collectively add 500 units to Brooklyn and Manhattan. We were proud to have Senior Associate Ira Mitchneck and Associate Keith Engel represent Dattner Architects during the Building Awards Gala held on Saturday, December 2nd.
Celebrating their 50th anniversary, QBBA is a local association dedicated to building and preserving homes, communities, and neighborhoods. The Queens & Bronx Building Association is a trade organization with more than 300 construction-related member companies and are devoted to changing the way the city cooperates with builders and contractors and how the effects filter down to many related industries.
Dattner Architects and WXY’s Spring Street Salt Shed is featured in Phaidon’s Destination Architecture. The essential travel guide highlights the Salt Shed’s reinforced cast concrete walls and triple-height door from where sanitation trucks access the 5,000 tons of salt that is stored to treat New York City’s icy roads. Situated across from the diaphanous, scrim-like façade of the Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage, this crystalline structure tapers toward the bottom creating more pedestrian space beneath a dramatic overhang. The shed emerges from a moat of textured glass paving, further contributing to its enigmatic and iconic nature in the city. After initial community concern, the Salt Shed is now applauded as an example of how good design can successfully integrate critical infrastructure into communities.
“It has been exciting to see the Salt Shed emerge as a destination for New Yorkers, photographers, and architectural enthusiasts, as well as the media’s go-to site for winter storm coverage. We are thrilled that the sculptural design of the Salt Shed has served to reveal and celebrate the critical role that DSNY plays in keeping New York’s streets safe and clear of snow, using the humble salt stored within.” – Associate Principal and Salt Shed Project Manager, Gia Mainiero AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Destination Architecture features 1,000 of the most fascinating works of architecture from around the world completed in the last 30 years. Each building is illustrated with a single image and accompanied by a brief description, including addresses, websites, and opening details. It is an excellent way to find and enjoy contemporary built culture on every continent – whether at home or on the road.
Phaidon is a premier global publisher of the creative arts with over 1,5000 titles in print. They collaborate with some of the world’s most influential artists, writers, and thinkers to produce innovative and cutting-edge books on architecture, art, photography, fashion, food, and travel.
Dattner Architects and WXY’s Spring Street Salt Shed is featured in Phaidon’s Destination Architecture. The essential travel guide highlights the Salt Shed’s reinforced cast concrete walls and triple-height door from where sanitation trucks access the 5,000 tons of salt that is stored to treat New York City’s icy roads. Situated across from the diaphanous, scrim-like façade of the Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage, this crystalline structure tapers toward the bottom creating more pedestrian space beneath a dramatic overhang. The shed emerges from a moat of textured glass paving, further contributing to its enigmatic and iconic nature in the city. After initial community concern, the Salt Shed is now applauded as an example of how good design can successfully integrate critical infrastructure into communities.
“It has been exciting to see the Salt Shed emerge as a destination for New Yorkers, photographers, and architectural enthusiasts, as well as the media’s go-to site for winter storm coverage. We are thrilled that the sculptural design of the Salt Shed has served to reveal and celebrate the critical role that DSNY plays in keeping New York’s streets safe and clear of snow, using the humble salt stored within.” – Associate Principal and Salt Shed Project Manager, Gia Mainiero AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Destination Architecture features 1,000 of the most fascinating works of architecture from around the world completed in the last 30 years. Each building is illustrated with a single image and accompanied by a brief description, including addresses, websites, and opening details. It is an excellent way to find and enjoy contemporary built culture on every continent – whether at home or on the road.
Phaidon is a premier global publisher of the creative arts with over 1,5000 titles in print. They collaborate with some of the world’s most influential artists, writers, and thinkers to produce innovative and cutting-edge books on architecture, art, photography, fashion, food, and travel.
Hosting one of the longest running reconstruction project award programs, Building Design + Construction Magazine has selected The Residences at PS 186 / The Boys & Girls Club of Harlem as a Platinum winner of the 2017 Reconstruction Award. The winning projects – two platinum and four gold awards – were selected for demonstrating the best reconstructed, renovated, or remodeled projects from across the country. The jury focused on how design teams overcame challenges and the way designs transformed the building and neighborhood.
One juror marveled at how the “adaptive reuse of PS 186 in West Harlem shows what can be done when imagination and determination come together.” We are proud to have contributed to such an important landmark building. After many years, “the project was applauded by the Reconstruction Awards jury as a shining example of what can be done to bestow new life on the thousands of vacant public schools that face ruin in America’s older cities.”
Winners were profiled in the November 2017 issue of the Building Design + Construction Magazine.
Hosting one of the longest running reconstruction project award programs, Building Design + Construction Magazine has selected The Residences at PS 186 / The Boys & Girls Club of Harlem as a Platinum winner of the 2017 Reconstruction Award. The winning projects – two platinum and four gold awards – were selected for demonstrating the best reconstructed, renovated, or remodeled projects from across the country. The jury focused on how design teams overcame challenges and the way designs transformed the building and neighborhood.
One juror marveled at how the “adaptive reuse of PS 186 in West Harlem shows what can be done when imagination and determination come together.” We are proud to have contributed to such an important landmark building. After many years, “the project was applauded by the Reconstruction Awards jury as a shining example of what can be done to bestow new life on the thousands of vacant public schools that face ruin in America’s older cities.”
Winners were profiled in the November 2017 issue of the Building Design + Construction Magazine.
One of New York City’s largest housing developments, Essex Crossing, is breathing new life into the Lower East Side. As New York City continues to struggle with ever-increasing homelessness, Delancey Street Associates (DSA) and the City seek to create more affordable housing to help battle the crisis and create more health and economic stability for the neighborhood. Essex Crossing is a nine-building mixed-use development with more than 1,000 residential units, half of which will be affordable. What was once abandoned vacant lots, DSA saw potential – the kind of potential that leads to an abundance of opportunities. Dattner Architects’ 175 Delancey Street, a 100% affordable mixed-use building in Essex Crossing, will offer important community services for what is essentially a brand new neighborhood. With retail, healthcare, and a community facility at its base, 175 Delancey will help establish a strong foundation for the new development, affording resources for food and healthcare and increasing access to amenities. With a commitment to improving and bettering the Lower East Side, 175 Delancey Street will bring vibrancy and opportunity to this vital New York City neighborhood.
One of New York City’s largest housing developments, Essex Crossing, is breathing new life into the Lower East Side. As New York City continues to struggle with ever-increasing homelessness, Delancey Street Associates (DSA) and the City seek to create more affordable housing to help battle the crisis and create more health and economic stability for the neighborhood. Essex Crossing is a nine-building mixed-use development with more than 1,000 residential units, half of which will be affordable. What was once abandoned vacant lots, DSA saw potential – the kind of potential that leads to an abundance of opportunities. Dattner Architects’ 175 Delancey Street, a 100% affordable mixed-use building in Essex Crossing, will offer important community services for what is essentially a brand new neighborhood. With retail, healthcare, and a community facility at its base, 175 Delancey will help establish a strong foundation for the new development, affording resources for food and healthcare and increasing access to amenities. With a commitment to improving and bettering the Lower East Side, 175 Delancey Street will bring vibrancy and opportunity to this vital New York City neighborhood.
Affordable Housing Finance (AHF) named Draper Hall the overall winner for their 2017 Readers’ Choice Awards. AHF hosts the nationwide competition each year, letting readers determine the projects with the most thoughtful and innovative approach towards future affordable housing. Of the initial 120 nominations, AHF and its readers selected ten award recipients, with Draper Hall selected as both the Overall Winner and Best Senior Project. Cited as the "new standard for senior affordable housing,” AHF highlighted Draper Hall not only as a pioneering affordable/supportive housing development, but a project that will benefit the community as a whole. A formal presentation took place at the Readers' Choice Awards ceremony on November 15 at the AHF Live Conference in Chicago.
Developed by SKA Marin, and built along the East River in Manhattan’s East Harlem neighborhood, Draper Hall will offer 203 units of much needed senior housing. The residential units will be supported by a multi-purpose community room at the building’s base that features space for an adult day program with home healthcare and medical services for residents. Taking advantage of the building’s context, Draper Hall will also act as a liaison between the residents and the nearby Metropolitan Hospital.
We are proud to be a part of this project, as well as its neighboring building, The Gilbert. These developments will undoubtedly have a strong, positive impact on the surrounding community.
Affordable Housing Finance (AHF) named Draper Hall the overall winner for their 2017 Readers’ Choice Awards. AHF hosts the nationwide competition each year, letting readers determine the projects with the most thoughtful and innovative approach towards future affordable housing. Of the initial 120 nominations, AHF and its readers selected ten award recipients, with Draper Hall selected as both the Overall Winner and Best Senior Project. Cited as the "new standard for senior affordable housing,” AHF highlighted Draper Hall not only as a pioneering affordable/supportive housing development, but a project that will benefit the community as a whole. A formal presentation took place at the Readers' Choice Awards ceremony on November 15 at the AHF Live Conference in Chicago.
Developed by SKA Marin, and built along the East River in Manhattan’s East Harlem neighborhood, Draper Hall will offer 203 units of much needed senior housing. The residential units will be supported by a multi-purpose community room at the building’s base that features space for an adult day program with home healthcare and medical services for residents. Taking advantage of the building’s context, Draper Hall will also act as a liaison between the residents and the nearby Metropolitan Hospital.
We are proud to be a part of this project, as well as its neighboring building, The Gilbert. These developments will undoubtedly have a strong, positive impact on the surrounding community.
ARCHITECT magazine released its 9th Annual Architect 50 List, and Dattner Architects is proud to be included in the the Top 50 in Sustainability category.
Many of our projects are LEED certified, including Prospect Plaza Phases I and II. 425 Grand Concourse is the largest Passive House project planned for North America to date, and we were recently selected to design Chestnut Commons – an affordable housing complex that will incorporate Active Design principles and pursue Passive House certification. Dattner has a long-standing commitment to sustainable design and we seek to push beyond the conventional standards for sustainability.
Architect 50 is a nationwide ranking of architecture firms and is based on how firms perform in Business, Sustainability, and Design.
ARCHITECT magazine released its 9th Annual Architect 50 List, and Dattner Architects is proud to be included in the the Top 50 in Sustainability category.
Many of our projects are LEED certified, including Prospect Plaza Phases I and II. 425 Grand Concourse is the largest Passive House project planned for North America to date, and we were recently selected to design Chestnut Commons – an affordable housing complex that will incorporate Active Design principles and pursue Passive House certification. Dattner has a long-standing commitment to sustainable design and we seek to push beyond the conventional standards for sustainability.
Architect 50 is a nationwide ranking of architecture firms and is based on how firms perform in Business, Sustainability, and Design.
As part of Building Design+Construction (BD+C)'s Giants 300 Report, Dattner Architects has been recognized as one of the country's 72 most innovative design firms and 42 out of 130 top green architecture firms. In the past year, our firm has hosted presentations by sustainable technology experts and encouraged our staff to pursue additional professional credentials. BD+C took notice, citing our support of "WELL AP and Passive House certification for [our] designers" as a factor in placing our firm so high on their lists. We seize every opportunity to apply new technologies to design, and our commitment to sustainability and continuing education has never been stronger. We are proud to be recognized among the best in the country!
In addition to coming in at number 69 of the top 115 architecture firms in the country, we are proud to be considered number 24 in the top transit architecture firms, number 20 out of 95 in the multi-family housing sector, number 71 of 90 in K-12 education, number 140 of 162 of the top reconstruction architecture firms, and number 129 of 150 of the top BIM design firms.
As part of Building Design+Construction (BD+C)'s Giants 300 Report, Dattner Architects has been recognized as one of the country's 72 most innovative design firms and 42 out of 130 top green architecture firms. In the past year, our firm has hosted presentations by sustainable technology experts and encouraged our staff to pursue additional professional credentials. BD+C took notice, citing our support of "WELL AP and Passive House certification for [our] designers" as a factor in placing our firm so high on their lists. We seize every opportunity to apply new technologies to design, and our commitment to sustainability and continuing education has never been stronger. We are proud to be recognized among the best in the country!
In addition to coming in at number 69 of the top 115 architecture firms in the country, we are proud to be considered number 24 in the top transit architecture firms, number 20 out of 95 in the multi-family housing sector, number 71 of 90 in K-12 education, number 140 of 162 of the top reconstruction architecture firms, and number 129 of 150 of the top BIM design firms.
Departures Magazine highlights Dattner Architects’ Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage & Spring Street Salt Shed in “An Architecture Tour of New York City’s West Side.” Considered architectural gems of Manhattan’s West Side, the Garage and Salt Shed are recognized as changing the way people think about modern infrastructure facilities and their relationship with the waterfront.
The working waterfront was once defined only by its industry – goods being imported and exported. Although, limited by size and scale, the waterfront took a turn for the worst when facilities became insignificant and therefore abandoned and neglected. These key projects are contributing to a turning point in the rediscovery of Manhattan’s waterfront. Now, with a variety of architecture, programs, and, most importantly, people, the deluxe residences, office buildings, parks, and infrastructure required to support this City draw residents to the edges of Manhattan. Departures states “The architectural parade celebrates a city that early on suffered the miseries of deindustrialization and found a way to reinvent itself in glamour.” Among 16 buildings, Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage is recognized as a “garbage truck depot disguised by a fetching metal skin and, after dark, a colorful play of light,” and the Salt Shed is known as a “concrete beauty.”
Departures Magazine highlights Dattner Architects’ Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage & Spring Street Salt Shed in “An Architecture Tour of New York City’s West Side.” Considered architectural gems of Manhattan’s West Side, the Garage and Salt Shed are recognized as changing the way people think about modern infrastructure facilities and their relationship with the waterfront.
The working waterfront was once defined only by its industry – goods being imported and exported. Although, limited by size and scale, the waterfront took a turn for the worst when facilities became insignificant and therefore abandoned and neglected. These key projects are contributing to a turning point in the rediscovery of Manhattan’s waterfront. Now, with a variety of architecture, programs, and, most importantly, people, the deluxe residences, office buildings, parks, and infrastructure required to support this City draw residents to the edges of Manhattan. Departures states “The architectural parade celebrates a city that early on suffered the miseries of deindustrialization and found a way to reinvent itself in glamour.” Among 16 buildings, Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage is recognized as a “garbage truck depot disguised by a fetching metal skin and, after dark, a colorful play of light,” and the Salt Shed is known as a “concrete beauty.”
Image: Sunny Norton Photography
Last night, members of the Dattner Architects’ CANstruction team attended the 25th Annual Awards Gala held downtown at Battery Gardens Restaurant. The night was filled with drinks, appetizers, and camaraderie between fellow CANstruction competitors.
Image: Sunny Norton Photography
All CANsculptures are currently on full display at Brookfield Place until November 15th. Food cans will later be donated to City Harvest for distribution to those in need with part of the proceeds also going to Puerto Rico to help those affected by Hurricane Maria.
CANstruction is not only a design competition, but a truly unique food charity.
“To me, CANstruction means contributing to a very worthy cause in a creative and challenging way. We set our goal at a certain place and then try our hardest to execute it.” – Richard Jolta RA (Dattner Captain)
“It is our duty to care for the well-being of our neighbors and CANstruction gives us an opportunity as architects to fulfill our social responsibility through design.”
– Kate Spata AIA, LEED GA (Dattner Co-Captain)
We are grateful to be a part of such an amazing event. A big thank you to Anthony Figueroa and Goya Foods for sponsoring our team this year. We look forward to competing again next year and doing our part to continue the fight against hunger.
Voting is open for the People’s Choice Award. Our entry, “Heart to Heart,” is #26.
Image: Sunny Norton Photography
Last night, members of the Dattner Architects’ CANstruction team attended the 25th Annual Awards Gala held downtown at Battery Gardens Restaurant. The night was filled with drinks, appetizers, and camaraderie between fellow CANstruction competitors.
Image: Sunny Norton Photography
All CANsculptures are currently on full display at Brookfield Place until November 15th. Food cans will later be donated to City Harvest for distribution to those in need with part of the proceeds also going to Puerto Rico to help those affected by Hurricane Maria.
CANstruction is not only a design competition, but a truly unique food charity.
“To me, CANstruction means contributing to a very worthy cause in a creative and challenging way. We set our goal at a certain place and then try our hardest to execute it.” – Richard Jolta RA (Dattner Captain)
“It is our duty to care for the well-being of our neighbors and CANstruction gives us an opportunity as architects to fulfill our social responsibility through design.”
– Kate Spata AIA, LEED GA (Dattner Co-Captain)
We are grateful to be a part of such an amazing event. A big thank you to Anthony Figueroa and Goya Foods for sponsoring our team this year. We look forward to competing again next year and doing our part to continue the fight against hunger.
Voting is open for the People’s Choice Award. Our entry, “Heart to Heart,” is #26.
Last week Dattner Architects unveiled the new building design for the renovation and expansion of Scarsdale’s original 1950’s Library. Presented to the Village of Scardale's Planning Board and the Library’s Board of Trustees, the design team’s concepts incorporate new 21st century additions including a new “makerspace” for the community, flexible conference and meeting rooms with retractable walls to accommodate varying user group sizes, and a multi-purpose technology center. The library will be equipped with audio visual technology for “distant learning” throughout.
While the flexible spaces refreshed and re-envisioned interior design, and improved technological infrastructure are the highlights of the new library, the space will also provide an expanded connection to the community it serves. Featuring an entrance plaza and a new cafe and lobby that opens up to the library’s main collection area, allowing daylight and views to establish a strong connection from entry to exit. Glass walls line the exterior of the new reading gallery and conference rooms, framing views of the nearby park and allowing natural light to create more inviting spaces from within. New programming opportunities, such as after-hours scheduling for the Technology Center, and increased access of the expanded children’s area, will solidify the Library as a communal hub.
Pending an upcoming presentation to the Board of Architectural Review, construction is expected to begin in the Spring of 2018.
Last week Dattner Architects unveiled the new building design for the renovation and expansion of Scarsdale’s original 1950’s Library. Presented to the Village of Scardale's Planning Board and the Library’s Board of Trustees, the design team’s concepts incorporate new 21st century additions including a new “makerspace” for the community, flexible conference and meeting rooms with retractable walls to accommodate varying user group sizes, and a multi-purpose technology center. The library will be equipped with audio visual technology for “distant learning” throughout.
While the flexible spaces refreshed and re-envisioned interior design, and improved technological infrastructure are the highlights of the new library, the space will also provide an expanded connection to the community it serves. Featuring an entrance plaza and a new cafe and lobby that opens up to the library’s main collection area, allowing daylight and views to establish a strong connection from entry to exit. Glass walls line the exterior of the new reading gallery and conference rooms, framing views of the nearby park and allowing natural light to create more inviting spaces from within. New programming opportunities, such as after-hours scheduling for the Technology Center, and increased access of the expanded children’s area, will solidify the Library as a communal hub.
Pending an upcoming presentation to the Board of Architectural Review, construction is expected to begin in the Spring of 2018.
Dattner Architects has been selected to design Chestnut Commons, a new 274-unit deeply affordable housing building in Cypress Hills. The building, which includes a large, multi-story community facility and ground floor retail for local businesses, was designed in response to community input and local East New York needs. It will pursue Passive House certification and incorporate Active Design principles, contributing to the sustainability and resiliency of the development. Our clients for Chestnut Commons are MHANY Management, Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation, and Urban Builders Collaborative. They were awarded the project through New York City's Housing Preservation & Development arm, which earlier this week announced that they are on track to build and protect 200,000 affordable homes by 2022, two years ahead of schedule.
Dattner Architects has been selected to design Chestnut Commons, a new 274-unit deeply affordable housing building in Cypress Hills. The building, which includes a large, multi-story community facility and ground floor retail for local businesses, was designed in response to community input and local East New York needs. It will pursue Passive House certification and incorporate Active Design principles, contributing to the sustainability and resiliency of the development. Our clients for Chestnut Commons are MHANY Management, Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation, and Urban Builders Collaborative. They were awarded the project through New York City's Housing Preservation & Development arm, which earlier this week announced that they are on track to build and protect 200,000 affordable homes by 2022, two years ahead of schedule.
Comprising chapters from across the North East Region, AIA QUAD State has recognized Dattner Architect’s Residences at P.S. 186 / Boys & Girls Club of Harlem with an Honor Award for excellence in Preservation. A well experienced team of jurors, Tom Liebel FAIA, Heather Cass FAIA, and Jon Penndorf FAIA, selected 29 recipients from a pool of 234 high quality submissions – “This admirable adaptive reuse of a neighborhood and national landmark celebrates the building’s distinguished history and its promising future. The restoration of the exterior showed great skill.”
After only one year of completion, we are honored to receive recognition for this important project. Our Principal, Joseph Coppola will accept the award Thursday, November 9th during a reception, as part of the AIA QUAD State Conference. The Conference brings together thousands of members during a three-day event encompassing an expo, education seminars, and award presentations.
Comprising chapters from across the North East Region, AIA QUAD State has recognized Dattner Architect’s Residences at P.S. 186 / Boys & Girls Club of Harlem with an Honor Award for excellence in Preservation. A well experienced team of jurors, Tom Liebel FAIA, Heather Cass FAIA, and Jon Penndorf FAIA, selected 29 recipients from a pool of 234 high quality submissions – “This admirable adaptive reuse of a neighborhood and national landmark celebrates the building’s distinguished history and its promising future. The restoration of the exterior showed great skill.”
After only one year of completion, we are honored to receive recognition for this important project. Our Principal, Joseph Coppola will accept the award Thursday, November 9th during a reception, as part of the AIA QUAD State Conference. The Conference brings together thousands of members during a three-day event encompassing an expo, education seminars, and award presentations.
Our firm’s third project to achieve LEED Certification in 2017, we are thrilled to announce Prospect Plaza North has been awarded the LEED for Homes Gold Certification. All buildings within the development will be LEED certified—Prospect Plaza South (Phase I) achieved LEED for Homes Platinum Certification, Prospect Plaza North (Phase II) (LEED Gold), and Prospect Plaza Phase III is currently being designed to meet LEED standards.
In addition to sustainability, Phase I of the development received Active Design Verification for design that promotes resident health and wellbeing. Phase I’s garden plots available for residents and amenities offering outdoor play and exercise activities contribute to the project’s active design components. Prospect Plaza II also participated in the New York State Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Multifamily Performance Program (MPP) to save on energy by 20% and reduce energy bills. To achieve a higher certification, the design incorporated prefabricated precast concrete exterior wall systems and quality control throughout construction.
Overall, as the year comes to an end, we look forward to additional projects pursuing LEED and Passive House Standards. With each commission, we seek to push beyond conventional standards for sustainability, innovating high-performance approaches that align with each building program, site, and resources.
Our firm’s third project to achieve LEED Certification in 2017, we are thrilled to announce Prospect Plaza North has been awarded the LEED for Homes Gold Certification. All buildings within the development will be LEED certified—Prospect Plaza South (Phase I) achieved LEED for Homes Platinum Certification, Prospect Plaza North (Phase II) (LEED Gold), and Prospect Plaza Phase III is currently being designed to meet LEED standards.
In addition to sustainability, Phase I of the development received Active Design Verification for design that promotes resident health and wellbeing. Phase I’s garden plots available for residents and amenities offering outdoor play and exercise activities contribute to the project’s active design components. Prospect Plaza II also participated in the New York State Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Multifamily Performance Program (MPP) to save on energy by 20% and reduce energy bills. To achieve a higher certification, the design incorporated prefabricated precast concrete exterior wall systems and quality control throughout construction.
Overall, as the year comes to an end, we look forward to additional projects pursuing LEED and Passive House Standards. With each commission, we seek to push beyond conventional standards for sustainability, innovating high-performance approaches that align with each building program, site, and resources.
Thursday, May 17th, Dattner Architects joined Stanley Commons LLC, Kretchmer Companies, ELH Management, Galaxy General Contracting, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Assembly Member Charles Barron, Council Member Inez Barron, and partnering community leaders for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at the Stanley Commons Development and Community Center, aka Prince Joshua Avitto Community Center.
Operated by the non-profit organization, Good Shepherd Services, and Man Up!, a community-based social services organization, the two-story, 20,750 square foot Prince Joshua Avitto Community Center is named in honor of a six-year-old local boy who was killed in 2014. This new state-of-the-art community center will serve over 1,000 East New York youth and families annually and offers after-school and summer day programs, a mentoring program, and college access programming as well as a college-sized gymnasium, multipurpose rooms, a full kitchen, computer lab, sound booth, game room, and offices.
A central, open staircase connects the center’s lobby and multipurpose game room on the ground floor with the main classrooms on the second floor. The wide public corridor at the second floor is configured to wrap the double-height gymnasium and incorporates glazing that looks onto the gymnasium below. Windows are provided at various heights and widths to invite a sense of play and provides areas for different sized groups to informally gather and engage. This visual connectivity between the participants echoes the primary design elements of the residential buildings – with the expressed and open staircases enabling connections both within and without.
Prince Joshua Avitto Community Center will also offer services to families transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing, and will house Single Stop – a non-profit organization providing resources, including legal assistance and counseling, to families and recent immigrants.
Stanley Commons is the result of a partnership between the NYC Housing Authority, NYC Department of Housing Preservation, and a private development team. This development offers affordable rental opportunities and helps knit together the urban context of this growing East New York neighborhood. Providing 240 affordable apartments across seven low- and mid-rise buildings, the development’s green spaces, intimate private streets, and expressed vertical circulation elements create a safe and welcoming atmosphere for residents, including formerly homeless veterans who now have a place to call home.
During this ribbon cutting ceremony, Mayor Bill de Blasio reflected on the opening of the new facility and its meaning to the community.
"Here is a great example of a lot of people stepping up to honor this family, to honor this community, to do something that would make a change, to do something for the hundreds and thousands of young children today and in the future, for the Prince Joshua’s we will get to know, the young people who will be here and will be our future who will experience this. This will be the environment they learn and grow in, that they will enjoy, they will feel empowered by." – Mayor Bill de Blasio
We are proud to design spaces that help create a safe space for youth, families, and communities to engage and live independently.
Today, a modern metropolis cannot live and sustainably grow without safe and fast transit infrastructure networks. In fact, no modern-day city could have evolved into what it is today without the most efficient transportation mode to move people: trains.
The Number 7 Subway Line Extension to the Far West Side of Manhattan is a great example of how adding a train connection can "disrupt" and transform a once underutilized and detached neighborhood, turning it into the fastest growing part of the City, spurring the development of new commercial and residential construction. The redevelopment of the Hudson Yards District – until recently the last under-developed, large-scale part of Manhattan suitable for high rise urban redevelopment – would not be possible without connecting to New York City’s subway system.
Large-scale transportation and infrastructure projects transform civic space and urban environments and require creativity, sensitivity, and collaboration. As the lead architect on the WSP team, Dattner Architects designed 34th St Hudson Yards Station and five Systems Buildings along the subway extension. As the first new subway station built in New York City in over 50 years, our design team reflected at length on the question: How should a modern subway station and its supporting buildings be planned, designed, and implemented to integrate successfully into the City of today? And what we discovered was how to define constructability for these vital projects...
Safety. The 34th Street Hudson Yards Station is approximately 125-foot of depth – one of the deepest in the NYCT’s subway system – 34th Street Hudson Yards Station addresses strict passenger safety and comfort requirements. In order to meet the NFPA-130 requirements regarding smoke control and two-minute station evacuation time, the Station is supported by two Systems Buildings located at each end of the Station, each housing four, three-story high fans. These 400hp fans are part of the large push-and-pull ventilation system which – in case of fire – will push fresh air into the Station through the shafts of the Systems Building located near one end of the Station and remove the smoke (pull) through the shafts of the Systems Building located at the other end of the Station.
Sensitivity and Future Planning. Due to the size of the fans and other mechanical and electrical equipment required to run the subway trains, the Station, Station Entrance, and the supporting Systems Buildings are relatively large structures that take a lot of space. As the land in Manhattan is expensive and limited, the Station was designed to allow for integration and overbuild. While the Station and vast majority of the connecting tunnels are located deep underground, the Station Entrance is integrated with the Hudson Yards Boulevard Park and the Systems Buildings will be fully overbuilt and integrated into the Developer’s Towers and eventually disappear from the City’s streetscape.
Collaboration. This complex planning and design approach required a commitment to coordination among architects and engineers and with MTA Capital Construction, New York City Transit, various State and City’s agencies, the Developers, and Contractors. The Site J Systems Building located at North side of 33rd Street, which for a short period of time was a free-standing building, has already became an integral part of the 55 Hudson Yards Tower form. The building was designed to receive structural load of the future 55 Hudson Yards Tower. The tunnels that house escalators and Inclined Elevators and connect the 34th Street Hudson Yards Station Upper Mezzanine with the Lower Mezzanine were appropriately spaced to allow for the Tower’s caissons foundation. The building was set back from the property line just enough to allow for future recladding of the façade that is successfully happening right now.
Grounded by Safety, Sensitivity and Future Planning, and Collaboration, objectives vital to the project's constructability, this new station is one to be proud of and an important beginning for one of Manhattan's newest neighborhoods... "This beautiful new station is just the beginning of the enhanced service the hundreds of thousands of customers on the 7 Line will see in the future,” James L. Ferrara, Interim President of MTA NYCT.
Architects are famously known for resolving spaces according to geometric or aesthetic principals. To this end, we’ve honed our abilities with certain design tools, computer software, and thought processes that lend themselves to this compartmentalized way of thinking about the built environment. However, when it comes to the urban environment, there is tremendous power in thinking about its structure and organization as a system of interconnected and interdependent networks. Network-thinking emphasizes the importance of the relationships between multiple sites and gives consideration to the fact that small shifts in balance or orientation of a single component can have enormous effects throughout the rest of the system. This way of thinking reveals the importance of the connections themselves – the infrastructure – between the various components.
Connectivity is a central concept for our recent winning entry for the Master Plan Design Competition for LaGuardia Airport. Our entry, titled Port LaGuardia reconceives the airport as a fully integrated transportation center that acts as a flow-through portal, rather than the terminus of a journey. Through a number of strategic moves, we proposed a seamless, multi-modal connection to the LaGuardia airport, employing existing and new modes of transportation – with a focus on the traveler’s experience. Approaching the challenge through the lens of connectivity, PORT LAGUARDIA channels the flow of people, goods, and services through the most congested airspace in the nation to a regional multi-modal ground transportation network. The airport terminal becomes a component of a complex multi-modal network that includes a new multilevel circulation spine. The result is an efficient, world-class system, and a welcoming gateway to the city and region.
When we design infrastructure spaces and facilities, we think about them in terms of how they fit into the physical framework, as well as how they contribute to the experiential framework of the city. For example, our approach to designing transportation facilities, like the Hudson Yards – 34 Street Station, carefully considers both the required passenger and vehicular flow as well as the human interactions and the passengers’ experience. The station entrances are integrated into a new 3-block-long park and are graced with brilliant public art. Inside the station, the passenger is intuitively guided through the sequence of spaces and experiences to provide the connection from Street Level to the Platform 120 feet below. The brightly-lit column-free station platform and mezzanine, as well as the awe-inspiring 80-foot-high escalator and inclined elevator tunnels contribute to the quality of the passenger’s experience – as evidenced by the public’s overwhelming response upon the station opening! In terms of connectivity, the station’s impact reaches far beyond its entrances in the park – it has spurred the incredible redevelopment of the Far West Side of Manhattan. Similarly, in designing the Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage and Salt Shed – a “Not In My Back Yard” building type – we thought about how to marry the facility with the neighborhood – the result is a sculptural landmark, much-loved by the community. The facility also has a complex program as a critical component of the city’s sanitation and snow removal network. We used the architecture to turn a NIMBY into a YIMBY!
As our cities continue to expand and grow, both in size and complexity, our approach to designing the buildings that make-up the urban framework – the infrastructure – will need to evolve. In many cases, these are structures and uses that communities think of as undesirable. The challenge to Architects and Urban Designers is to design – not just for the client’s and the public’s acceptance – but rather for the possibility of strengthening people’s connection to the building, to the city, to the Earth, and to each other.
Thank you to everyone who came out to join us last night for an exciting evening of Passive House discussion and sustainable building trivia as part of the NYC Ice Box Challenge!
Moderated by the Passive House experts from Steven Winter Associates, attendees tested their knowledge of the Passive House history and standards to win prizes. Following trivia, Dattner Architects' John Woelfling joined Christopher Hamm from Steven Winter Associates, and Mark Ginsberg from Curtis + Ginsberg Architects LLP, to present on the state of Passive House as it relates to multifamily buildings in New York City.
Overview
While the Passive House standard is based on simple concepts, achieving certification for large multifamily buildings in New York City is no easy task. Dattner Architects’ Principal John Woelfling and Mark Ginsberg of Curtis + Ginsberg Architects–each with experience working on more than a dozen Passive House projects at many scales throughout the City–presented their own unique challenges and lessons learned, along with an introduction to the Passive House standard in NYC by Steven Winter Associates.
About the Speakers
John Woelfling AIA, LEED AP, CPHT, Principal, Dattner Architects
John’s work is driven by the belief that architecture should be sensitive to the environment. His involvement in woodworking, carpentry, and construction have instilled in him a passion for the hands-on aspect of the architectural process, as well as a sense for practicality and an understanding of materiality. Whether directing a design team, spearheading AIA 2030 Commitment efforts, leading the firm’s Sustainable Practice Group, or incorporating Passive House design into the firm’s projects, his focus on sustainable design practices is guided by proactive education of evolving green technologies and incorporating them into his design work.
Mark Ginsberg FAIA, LEED AP, Principal, Curtis + Ginsberg Architects
Mark Ginsberg, a native New Yorker, is a partner of Curtis + Ginsberg Architects LLP with over 33 years of professional experience in planning, urban design, institutional and housing projects. His expertise in affordable and mixed income housing, resiliency and green design has been recognized through his many lectures at national and local conferences and meetings. Mark has led C+GA’s efforts on developments that comprise well over 10,000 units of housing, most of which are affordable and sustainable.
About the Ice Box Challenge
The Ice Box Challenge was created in Brussels and brought to New York City to celebrate the environmental leadership in both cities, and to commemorate Brussels Days - an annual series of activities to promote the Brussels-Capital Region. It is made possible by the Brussels-Capital Region and Brussels Invest & Export / hub.brussels, organized with NYC Mayor's Office of Sustainability and the Building Energy Exchange, and partnered with New York Passive House among many other local organizations.
This year in New York City, the Ice Box Challenge is a contest and an experiment to demonstrate how a home can be super energy efficient AND comfortable. The Ice Boxes are left outside in the sun for a month. When they are opened, the amount of ice left in each box will be measured. How much ice is left shows how well each Ice Box keeps out the summer heat. Better building design can help us reduce our carbon pollution without changing our behavior. Energy-efficient homes are comfortable, quiet, and healthy.
As we continue to see mounting indications of climate change, New York City, like other densifying cities, will need to further expand on its responses and fortify its resilience through the built environment. The region’s current weaknesses become especially apparent in public infrastructural applications that tend to be more exposed to the elements, providing service to large quantities of residents and businesses. This applies most discernably to transit, however, the term infrastructure also refers to other urban necessities with seemingly less public interface, such as those structures that provide power to homes, businesses, and transportation networks; garages that facilitate public service; and service centers that act as dispatch hubs in emergencies.
Through the planning of new facilities and the modification of existing structures, transit and infrastructure facilities are evolving to respond to the pressing environmental concerns. As part of Harrison, New Jersey’s Redevelopment Plan, Dattner Architects and Jacobs designed the replacement of Substation Number Nine, a facility responsible for providing power to high volume segments of the PATH train network in New Jersey, a critical commuter rail system. In its existing condition, the substation is located near the Passaic River, deeply embedded within the flood plain. Sited adjacent to the Harrison Station serving the PATH line between New York City and Newark, the substation and the station itself are crucial to ensuring full connectivity between neighboring urban networks and our region’s major airports. Both the station and the substation sustained significant damage from Hurricane Sandy. To allow this critical infrastructure to remain operable in future severe weather situations and regional emergencies, the new Substation has been designed in response to new climate realities. Sub 9 will have a ground floor elevation of 14’ – 4” (which is 4’ – 4” above the FEMA 100-year flood level). Additionally, efforts have been made to manage stormwater on site by utilizing a sloped roof and incorporating a right-sized drainage system. These types of decisions may seem simple, however, raising the facility’s elevation, in a typology such as this, requires extensive coordination among all disciplines and with operations to ensure that vehicle loading docks are still accessible, utility services are managed efficiently, and egress will be compliant. The two-story structure is designed to completely enclose the substation equipment, protecting it from the elements and allowing easier access for future maintenance and repair.
Resilient design creates modern infrastructure facilities that are functional, aesthetically pleasing, and integrated into the fabric of the communities they serve. Aesthetics and connectivity are important design components when integrating these vital structures within an existing, public site. Adjacent to the substation, Dattner Architects / WSP designed a renovation and expansion to the PATH Harrison Station. The station enhancement is a critical component of the Harrison Waterfront Redevelopment Plan – serving as a catalyst for further development of the surrounding area. Currently in construction, the design of the new station houses reconfigures and significantly enhances public access to the platforms in anticipation of the 10-car PATH expansion program. The station entrances are also elevated above the flood zone. Through careful planning of ground floor spaces and accessibility to entrances and the raised tracks, service will remain resilient in the event of a dramatic weather event.
While raising a structure’s ground floor drastically above the BFE, as we did for the substation, is not always an option, it may not always be required. Modular flood barrier systems can provide protection and resiliency in emergencies; these are manually deployed in vulnerable doorways and openings at the ground level to further secure a building’s perimeter against flooding. Other discreet options are being introduced to the market and implemented including modular flood walls and low profile fabric barriers. While these defensive approaches are the best course of action in many cases, architects and landscape architects are also exploring adaptive and passive approaches that allow rain and sea water to flow through – and out – a project during severe weather events.
Through thoughtful solutions from the onset, and coordination through all disciplines, resiliency strategies become integrated into the design – instead of being an afterthought. Utility rooms and paths can be located proactively, a building’s site can work to its advantage, easily deployable fortification can be built into the envelope to ensure longevity despite proximity to flooding, and areas of the project can be designed to channel water during the worst of the storm, while remaining operational.
"The 6th annual National Infrastructure Week is a national week of events; media coverage; and education and issue advocacy to elevate infrastructure as a critical issue impacting America's economy, society, security and future. In 2018, hundreds of organizations and thousands of leaders are uniting around one message: The future won't wait. Neither can we. It's #TimeToBuild."
Thanks to our layered transportation and information networks, people – as well as our ideas and products – are moving from place to place faster and more frequently than ever before. But does that necessarily mean we are more connected to our environment? To information? To each other?
Our built environment includes the obvious physical connectors – roads, bridges, tunnels, and subways. Equally important connectors are the mental and spiritual linkages that tie us all to this Earth. The frameworks for these connections do not operate independently. Rather, they are knitted together by what can broadly be defined as “infrastructure.”
In this sense, infrastructure is more than just bridges and tunnels, ports and terminals. The definition can be expanded to include much of the public realm – including public schools, parks, libraries, and community centers. In that case, isn’t multi-family housing a critical part of the framework? And in the vein of physical connectors: the framework of maintenance facilities, sanitation garages, and transfer stations that support these systems also fall under the umbrella of “infrastructure.”
Throughout the rest of this week, stay tuned to learn more about trends and impacts and how our firm is approaching this important topic.
This year’s AIA Conference on Architecture (A’18) will be hosted in one of the world’s most iconic cities – New York City! Over three days, architects, designers, and firms from all over the world will immerse themselves in what is new and current in architecture and design, exploring the A’18 theme: Blueprint for Better Cities. Programming includes nearly 100 tours of some of the city’s best architecture in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island – including a special behind-the-scenes look at more than 30 on-going projects spanning the five boroughs, and all in ONE location: Dattner Architects!
On Friday, June 22, we will be hosting Conference-goers from 11:00am-1:00pm with an Open Studio tour and discussion, showcasing our commitment to enriching civic space and the urban experience through our process, our projects, and our social commitment.
Select works-in-progress will be on view, and visitors will have an opportunity to engage in an informal design review with members of the Dattner Architects staff. The Open Studio will also include insights into our firm culture – showcasing our commitment to industry involvement, professional development, philanthropy, and advocacy.
If you are interested in joining us on June 22, please RSVP to aiaopenhouse@dattner.com, and stay tuned for sneak peaks into our Open Studio as we lead up to the big day!
On May 3, Dattner Architects joined CAMBA Housing Ventures, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), New York City Housing Preservation and Development (NYCHPD), New York State Homes and Community Renewal (NYSHCR), and partnering community leaders for the opening of CAMBA Van Dyke – a new affordable and supportive housing development in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
Replacing an underused parking lot within Van Dyke Houses, the Dattner-designed CAMBA Van Dyke (also known as 603 Mother Gaston Blvd.) provides 101 units of affordable and supportive housing with 30 units reserved for homeless families and families at risk of homelessness. The 12-story complex offers a computer training center, an on-site laundry room, two flexible community rooms for group activities, an outdoor garden, a rooftop terrace, and on-site social services, including financial literacy, family services, healthcare access, and referrals to 160 programs and services across the city. Providing a gateway to the Van Dyke Houses campus, this development incorporates sustainable elements to conserve energy, promote the health and wellness of residents, and is LEED Gold-certified.
A model for NextGeneration NYCHA – a 10-year strategic plan to preserve and protect public housing for current residents as well as the next generation of New Yorkers – CAMBA’s 603 Mother Gaston Blvd. is the result of a forward-thinking public-private partnership that has resulted in sustainable, affordable, and supportive housing for local residents.
“[CAMBA Van Dyke] is proof that innovative ideas like building housing on underutilized public land are possible with wonderful public and private partners.” – Joanne Oplustil, President & CEO of CAMBA Housing Ventures
Now a community asset, this transformative project gives individuals and families the opportunity to create healthy, stable lives and provides services to help “break the cycle of housing instability once and for all.” Dattner Architects is proud to have a part in designing the future of affordable housing.
Since 2014, the AIA NYS Excelsior Awards program has recognized civic projects for design excellence in publicly funded buildings. Envisioned as a platform to showcase collaborative efficiency between design teams and state agencies, the Excelsior Awards provide an archetype for state-funded building designs. Selected as an example of these principles, Dattner Architect’s recently completed Public School 50Q Addition (PS 50Q) received the AIA NYS Excelsior Honor Award for Excellence in Renovation & Addition.
In attendance at Monday’s Awards Ceremony in Albany, Dattner Architect’s Principal Daniel Heuberger and Project Manager Eric Epstein joined other New York State honorees to celebrate innovative and noteworthy publically funded architecture. AIA NYS and representatives from various New York State contracting agencies presented the team with the award, acknowledging the project for its harmonious design, functionality, and impact on the surrounding community.
Jurors continued to comment on the project’s neighborhood impact, stating that “[PS 50Q] provides a great sense of transparency and reinforces the importance of safety and care. The school ’feels safe’ with controlled transparency, natural surveillance, and friendliness. It humanizes security.”
A key design opportunity included rethinking the “front door” of the school and simplifying circulation by creating one new, and transparent, common entrance for all students that leads them, according to their grade, to different parts of the building. At the seam between new and old, the original façade is revealed in the entrance lobby and corridors so that the trace of the historic building is not lost inside the new wing.
Juror’s also noted that “[The school] doesn’t look like a public school; it looks like a college campus—generous, open.” The design team strategically intervened and thoughtfully reprogrammed to transform an existing building into a vital community resource. The school now provides refreshed and innovative learning spaces for over 900 students in Jamaica, Queens.
We were proud to be there amongst so many great publicly-funded architecture projects. Congrats to all the winners!
“Building an equitable economy in New York City requires a groundbreaking approach to urban design.” – Urban Design Forum
As a civic-minded, mission driven firm, Dattner Architects responds to the Urban Design Forum: Call for Ideas. This year, the theme was Work Force. Urban Design Forum invited proposers to explore creative design, policy, or financing, and were prompted to bring bold ideas with real life applicability. They drove the conversation with a few key questions: How can we use creative zoning, investment in the public realm, and new infrastructure to enhance economic outcomes for all; How will automation impact the urban workforce and long-standing commercial districts; and how can emerging working neighborhoods be connected through new mobility networks?
Excited by Urban Design Forum’s leading questions, members from the firm’s three studios began with round table discussion, and evolved into deep research and design collaboration to submit a proposal called Revitalizing the Urban Extent.
Revitalizing the Urban Extents
A stent is a device deployed to heal the circulatory system and prevent a more intensive surgical undertaking.
NYC was once a hub of self-sustaining enclaves, each with an identity playing part to a whole. As the city evolves, those individual neighborhoods are losing some of their character, growing more dependent on Manhattan’s Central Business Districts (CBD) and the transit networks that serve them. We propose deconcentrating our CBDs through strategies that catalyze and encourage development of the urban extents—underserved neighborhoods at the City’s peripheries and in-between spaces—deploying efficient, inexpensive infrastructure by using existing right-of-ways, automated technologies, and creative methodologies to infill current transit deserts. Recent precedents indicate that constructing new subway infrastructure in New York City costs upwards of $2 billion per mile. The speeds and capacities that our rail systems offer are not suitable for every situation, and often resources are not allocated to areas of lower density. In these areas, neighborhoods rely on alternate large capacity modes of transit including the public bus and private shuttle. However, riders can expect longer wait times as schedules slow to match the demand. Even with reduced frequencies, buses continue to circle their route far below capacity.
The City has committed to preserving and supporting job growth by revitalizing existing manufacturing districts. To further benefit the workforce and these underserved neighborhoods, we propose connection through the immediate deployment of small-scale, lower cost means of transit at the urban extents comprising:
A comprehensive waterway network resulting in 14 new ferry landings to provide access to all waterfronts.
High speed automated vehicle thruways using existing right of ways which will not contend with a more fluid pedestrian and vehicle movement.
Aerial ropeways as an urban ‘stent’ to immediately reconnect the urban extents to the existing transit network. The proposed system will include 220 new stops over approximately 165 miles of ropeway, totaling at an estimated $2 billion.
By implementing alternative systems, we are able to move methods of public transportation off the roads via waterways or ropeways, creating a more activated and engaging streetscape. These strategies are particularly vital to waterfront neighborhoods, where resiliency and environmental responsiveness are integral to future development, emphasizing existing infrastructure to solidify the waterfront as a crucial foundation to New York’s landscape and culture. Simpler construction of transportation over shorter distances, coupled with app-based network technologies providing on-demand service, alleviates unnecessary, empty transit circulation. Reduced up-front costs and minimal operational responsibility create opportunity for Public/Private Partnership as a funding strategy, benefiting both the Municipality and private investors. With a more robust and resilient transit network, we envision neighborhoods thriving with diversified job opportunities, local amenities, and scales of housing—supporting a life and identity independent of the CBD.
On April 26, Principal Beth Greenberg FAIA and Dattner Architects were honored with a Builders of the Future Award at Institute for Community Living’s (ICL) Annual Gala. Celebrating ICL’s 31-year commitment to improving lives and strengthening communities, this year’s gala paid tribute to honorees whose generosity and dedication have enabled ICL to remain responsive and proactive in new and innovative ways – specifically recognizing the entire project team responsible for bringing ICL’s East New York Hub to life.
Opening later this year, the Dattner-designed East New York Hub is an integrated, state-of-the-art community health clinic. Consolidating health and community-based services, this one-stop-shop facility will provide family support, outpatient programs, day treatment, and care coordination to address behavioral and physical health concerns. The building program and design has been developed to encourage physical and mental healing. Visual and physical connections to both nature and the community, including garden and terrace spaces, framed views, and access to natural light and air, reinforce the link to the natural environment, while framing activities to engage the street and support the relationship with the community.
The building is composed of two interlocking volumes, legible to the users from the exterior. The first is a two-story communal volume, expressed in a corduroy-like red brick pattern. Its form responds to the scale of the neighborhood, and its presence, solidity, and unique brickwork participate in a dialogue with the existing structures around the site. The second volume, a three-story office volume, is conceived as planar with windows smaller in scale and regular in appearance.
The interior design approach focused on the celebration of the industrial architectural attributes of the existing building and the contrast of the modern addition. Polished concrete floors contrast with bold colors throughout the spaces, creating energetic and inspiring public gathering spaces for the community. The industrial architecture is the framework for the interior design inspiration – exposed brick and large arched openings are throughout the open office spaces. The furniture is brightly hued and low whenever possible, allowing open views throughout the spaces and sunny contrasts of color against the concrete and brick. Each space was designed with careful consideration to the varied support programs at ICL for adults and children, promoting safety, a sense of community, and wellness.
“As an organization, ICL is doing tremendous work to advocate for the health and behavior health needs of communities like East New York. The opening of the Hub…will truly have a transformative impact on our community.” – Council Member Rafael Espinal
We are honored to be a part of the ICL team and design spaces that will provide a vibrant community with vital health services.
On April 24, Dattner Architects joined CAMBA Housing Ventures, Governor Andrew Cuomo, and partnering community leaders for the ribbon cutting ceremony at CAMBA Gardens II – a new supportive and affordable housing development situated on the campus of Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn.
Recently awarded the 2018 Excellence in Affordable Housing Development by ULI-NY, CAMBA Gardens II offers 293 supportive and affordable housing units, half of which are designated for the formerly homeless. A “U” shaped structure, this building encloses a courtyard facing CAMBA Gardens I to the east and includes amenities that promote sustainability, health living, and wellness. CAMBA Gardens II encompasses residential, office, and public spaces including a double height lobby, day lit corridors to promote “active design,” two community rooms, and shared outdoor spaces, and features on-site social services and 24-hour security. Part of the larger CAMBA Gardens development, CAMBA Gardens I and CAMBA Gardens II provide a combined 502 homes for qualifying New Yorkers.
Co-locating affordable and supportive housing on the Kings County Hospital campus allows residents easy access to much needed healthcare and mental health facilities.
“CAMBA Gardens II is prime example of how we can provide our most vulnerable New Yorkers the opportunity to move forward and upward with their lives by living independently in a compassionate community that takes their interests and goals to heart.” – Governor Cuomo
“As we deliver the Governor’s housing plan, it is projects like [CAMBA Gardens II] that revitalize our communities, create opportunity, and grow our economy.” – RuthAnne Visnauskas, New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner
With available resources and a support system in place, CAMBA Gardens II affords residents with stability and the ability to live healthier and more independent lives.
We are honored to announce that CUNY Brooklyn College Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema received a Special Citation in the 2018 SCUP Excellence in Architecture for Building Additions or Adaptive Reuse Awards. The design teams’ innovative approach to adapting a historic Navy Building and transforming it into a state-of-the-art film school began through a private-public partnership. The top two floors of the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s 25 Washington Avenue embrace the culture of a contemporary movie lot and creates a micro-campus for this new program. With full production and post-production facilities, this unique higher education program links cinema studies with a working film studio.
This year the jury selected eight Honor, eight Merit, five Honorable Mention, and three Special Citation entries from across the country. Take a closer look at all the winners in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Planning categories on SCUP’s website.
The award ceremony was held during the 2018 SCUP Annual Conference, on July 14-17 in Nashville, Tennessee. During the conference, award jurors shared trends and observations during a special session titled, “Observed Themes in Higher Education Planning and Design.” Most specifically, jurors distinguished Brooklyn College Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema for being a “really ambitious program for a heavily subsidized school.” Through a highly collaborative design process, the team was able to create New York City’s first public graduate film school.
Dattner Architects is proud to announce that our recently completed CAMBA Gardens project won the EXCELLENCE in Affordable Housing Award – revealed during last night’s 2018 ULI New York (ULI-NY) Awards Gala. CAMBA Gardens II signifies the revitalization of underutilized hospital property into much-needed sustainable and affordable housing co-located with on-campus mental health care services, helping New Yorkers achieve their full potential and generate new jobs.
In an innovative partnership with CAMBA Housing Ventures, NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation agreed to the demolition of a former psychiatric facility, enabling a new housing development ranging from five to nine stories. The central courtyard and perimeter open spaces create a cohesive landscape accessible to all residents and provides a clear visual connection to the outdoors from strategic intersections and end points within the building.
The program creates synergies between providing housing opportunities for formerly homeless and low-income community residents, while elevating design standards for affordable housing. The thoughtful building systems and materials promote sustainability, healthy living, and wellness. CAMBA Gardens II encompasses residential, office, and public spaces including a double height lobby, day lit corridors and stairwells to promote “active design,” community rooms, social service offices, and shared outdoor spaces. The development features on-site social services, 24-hour security, laundry rooms, a computer/study room, two community rooms, and well-appointed, durable and non-toxic finishes.
ULI-NY’s Awards for Excellence recognizes outstanding development projects in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors across New York State that best exemplify ULI’s commitment to responsible land use and creating sustainable, thriving communities. The Awards for Excellence highlights the full development process of a project, not just its architecture or design. Projects that reflect best-in-class development are celebrated in eight categories: office development, housing development, mixed-use development, repositioning or redevelopment, hotel development, institutional development, retail development, and civic space.
As part of his continued dedication to the transportation and infrastructure industry, Dattner Architects’ Principal Jeffrey Dugan will participate in AERIAL FUTURES: Urban Constellations – a two-day event exploring airport-city interfaces as infrastructure, operating at a metropolitan scale. This think tank will use New York City as a case study to re-imagine airport constellations as a choreographed urban ecosystem. Jeff joins selected participants across all disciplines, including his AIANY Transportation + Infrastructure Committee Co-Chair Rob Eisenstat (PANYNJ), to explore how technology can help create an integrated urban airport system.
“On International Women’s Day, let us all pledge to do everything we can to overcome entrenched prejudice, support engagement and activism, and promote gender equality and women’s empowerment."
– UN Secretary-General, António Guterres
In celebration of Women’s History Month as well as International Women’s Day this March 8th, we feel it is important to recognize the spirit of progress and change surrounding the topic of women and diversity in our close-knit Architecture & Design community. As an advocate of this discussion, we believe design plays an important role in fostering diversity and inclusion, as seen in NY Times’ March 2017 feature of our Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, bridging the discussion of diversity in Hollywood and Design.
As the AEC industry continues to become more diverse, industry organizations are stepping up to champion this important issue. Just last month, the AIA NY’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee held a day-long seminar at New York’s Center for Architecture, Next Gen Arch – Designing towards an Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive Architecture Profession. Highlighting implementation strategies to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion within the profession, we were proud to have our HR Director, Mary Beth Lardaro, and Associate, Venesa Alicea, represent Dattner Architects. Also a supporter of the BWAF, an organization dedicated to embracing issues specific to women in the building industry, Dattner Architects’ Managing Principal, Kirsten Sibilia, sits on the Board of Directors, and two members of our firm are participating in their Emerging Leaders Program. On February 27th, Kirsten Sibilia also joined the AIA CNJ’s Women in Architecture Panel, Paths to Opportunity, to speak about what inspired them to take their chosen career path, the challenges they faced, and what advice they have for women who are at a crossroads in their career.
In January, our firm organized a coalition of architecture firms to March in support of women’s rights, and last June, we also gathered members of our firm to support the annual NYC Pride March, walking in tandem with other A/E/C firms. These events symbolize a city dedicated to representing and empowering all people. As a firm dedicated to designing spaces that enrich and inspire, we will continue to seek out opportunities to lend our values and voices to support women and diversity inside and outside of our industry.
In 2018, our firm’s support of women leadership is reflected through our 2018 promotions, and we are proud to announce the establishment of a Dattner Women’s Group, dedicated to encouraging the career development of women at Dattner Architects; creating a supportive office culture that recognizes the unique challenges associated with being a woman in the field of design and construction; and educating ourselves about ways in which we can support the ideas and goals of the women we worth with. Stay tuned during the month of March to see how Dattner Architects is ingrained in this important issue and what we are doing within our firm and around the industry to be a part of the change.
In 1967, Seward Park Urban Renewal Area tenants were removed from their homes to make way for a supposed massive urban renewal project. Instead, the site remained vacant for decades. 50 years later, a decades-old promise to revitalize an important corner of Manhattan’s Lower East Side (LES) was realized.
This past January, Dattner Architects joined Delancey Street Associates, city officials, members of the development team, and former Seward Park Urban Renewal Area tenants for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of 175 Delancey Street, the first of nine buildings to be completed within Essex Crossing – one of New York City’s largest housing developments.
This Dattner Architects-designed 15-story, mixed-use building is comprised of 100 units of affordable senior housing. With integrated ground floor retail, a health clinic, and a community facility, 175 Delancey offers vital community services and increased access to food, healthcare, and amenities. The Frances Goldin Apartments – named after longtime LES housing activist, Frances Goldin – are oriented so that residents may enjoy southern exposures and expansive views of the Manhattan skyline with rooftop gardens providing beautiful recreational space.
The architecture of 175 Delancey is helping to redefine how people think of affordable senior housing. At the Frances Goldin Apartments, senior housing means warmth, vibrancy, and a welcoming atmosphere. It allows residents to remain independent, while being a part of a community with supportive resources, modern comfort, and practicality.
An on-site senior community center on the fourth floor is operated by Grand Street Settlement (GSS) – a social services institution providing personalized services and resources to advocate, empower, and strengthen communities. The center contains a cafeteria serving hot meals, meeting space, an activity room, roof terrace, and administration space. In addition to operating the community center, GSS also operates the GrandLo Café – a coffee shop by day and hip lounge by night. While the GrandLo will be managed professionally, its duel mission is to provide job training for local residents seeking to gain experience in the food service business, while becoming baristas along the way.
Another critical component to 175 Delancey is the NYU Langone Health medical center, designed by Dattner Architects and slated to open this summer. The new state-of-the-art facility will include programs encompassing physical therapy and ambulatory surgery. Easy access to healthcare amenities gives residents a sense of security knowing that there are professionals nearby who can help in their time of need.
The essence of 175 Delancey lies in its beauty and balance - both in aesthetics and its sensible functionality. Although its impact cannot be measured, as New York City continues to struggle with increasing housing costs, we are proud our project will help make a difference and that our work takes part in fighting this on-going battle by designing mixed-use affordable housing that creates stability and affords opportunity.
MERGE is the theme for this year’s SMPS Northeast Regional Conference on March 21-23 in Baltimore, Maryland. Bringing together innovative thinkers from across multiple industries, sectors, geographies, and SMPS chapters, attendees will discuss the ongoing transformation of AEC marketing.
Dattner Architects’ Marketing Director Amy Stroud and Human Resources Director Mary Beth Lardaro will be panelists for Branding, Connecting, Positioning, Cultivating: Merging Marketing & HR. Moderated by Robin Carathanasis (Marketing Manager, Lilker Associates Consulting Engineers; 2016-2017 SMPS-NY Chapter President), Amy and Mary Beth will be joined by Brian Gallagher CPSM (Vice President-Marketing, O’neal, Inc.) and Lindsay Diven CPSM (Founder, Marketers Take Flight).
SMPS’s Four P’s of marketing—price, place, promotion, and product—align strategically with HR’s components of recruiting, professional development, and corporate culture. Merging marketing and HR allows for the creation and fostering of a corporate culture that is not only on-brand, but more effective in building business. During this session, professionals from AEC firms on the east coast will demonstrate how firms can capitalize on the efforts of these departments by sharing resources and developing joint initiatives. Furthermore, Amy and Mary Beth will discuss how they implement strategies to effectively deliver Dattner Architects’ brand and messaging so that our firm at every level “lives the brand.”
Marketing and HR have allied missions within our firms, and capitalizing on those synergies can make the most of our efforts. We believe this collaboration between HR and Marketing is an innovative trend in and of itself. This session will cover six topic areas: The War for Talent vs. Clients; Recognition & Reviews—Employee vs. Client/Project; Retention—Employee vs. Client; Continuing Education/Professional Development; Engagement & Ambassadors—Employee vs. Client; and Branding—Internal vs. External. Speaking directly to these topics, the speakers will present their firm’s integration strategy, how they and their firm have benefited, and offer examples of how each objective can be accomplished.
Just as firms are constantly working to connect with new clients, they are also pursuing the best and brightest talent. Marketing can help strengthen HR’s ability to attract and retain employees who bring a lot to the table design-wise, work well with their project team and clients, and believe in advancing the company’s brand and business strategies. Employees who are engaged and have an emotional commitment to the organization are its biggest brand advocates.
Branding, Connecting, Positioning, Cultivating: Merging Marketing & HR
Date: March 22, 2018
Time: 10:15AM – 12:00PM
Location: Grand Ballroom at the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore
On February 27, Dattner Architects’ Managing Principal Kirsten Sibilia Assoc. AIA spoke at the AIA CNJ’s Women in Architecture panel, Paths to Opportunity. As a mentor and leader, Kirsten is a champion and supporter of diversity in architecture.
Megan Pritts Assoc. AIA (Designer/Project Manager, JZA+D), Liz Cook AIA (Principal/Vice President, HDR), Martina Decker AIA (Assistant Professor, NJIT’s College of Architecture and Design), Verity Frizzell AIA (Principal Architect, Feltz & Frizzell Architects), and Karen Nichols FAIA (Principal, Michael Graves Architecture and Design) joined Kirsten in a discussion moderated by Donna Terzano AIA (Project Manager, HDR) about what inspired them to take their chosen career path, the challenges they faced, and the advice they have for women at career crossroads.
As part of his continuing work with the AIANY Transportation + Infrastructure Committee, Dattner Architects’ Principal Jeff Dugan and the Committee have organized the Framework for the Future: Transportation + Infrastructure event – an evening of ideas, discussions, and community building.
On January 25th, the Committee’s co-chairs, Jeff and Robert Eisenstat FAIA along with their committee members James Wright AIA (Director of Advocacy), Katie Osborn (Director of Communications), and Margaret Newman (Director of Programming) will begin the evening with a presentation on the Committee’s Policy Framework. Serving as a guide for architects, planners, and policy makers, the Framework discusses the interrelated issues of mobility, placemaking, sustainability, building smarter, and financing as it relates to the planning and design of transportation and infrastructure in NYC. Following the presentation, Robert and Jeff will introduce the Committee’s 2018 initiatives and attendees will participate in workshops for Public Programs, Advocacy Outreach, and Design Awards.
Event: Framework for the Future: Transportation + Infrastructure
Date/Time: January 25, 2018, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Location: Center for Architecture
Price: Free for AIANY Members and Students with Valid ID; $10 for the General Public
Today, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) selected Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage & Spring Street Salt Shed as a winner of the 2018 Institute Honor Awards for Architecture! Honor Awards recognize the highest level of design excellence in our industry – this year, over 500 entries were submitted from across the globe. Jury members evaluated how well each building successfully met their individual project requirements, and how the design demonstrated architecture achievement, creation of place and purpose, and advanced sustainable features.
Dattner Architects collaborated with WXY architecture + urban design to create an impressive state-of-the-art garage and iconic sculpture salt shed—two vital resources for the neighborhood’s daily functions. The 425,000 square foot garage’s double skin façade is not only visually unique with perforated metal fins that adjust based on sunlight, but it also reduces solar loads, resulting in lower utility costs and environmental impact. The Salt Shed, smaller in size, but grand in character and articulation, sits adjacent to the garage on the south side of the street. Inspired by the salt itself, the faceted concrete planes create a crystallized form and is tapered towards the bottom, creating a more pedestrian friendly street. This project not only embodies the team’s commitment to designing sustainably innovative buildings, but also creating facilities that benefit the community for years to come.
As a firm committed to responsible civic architecture that benefits the surrounding neighborhood, we are proud to see the Garage and Salt Shed recognized nationally as a groundbreaking and iconic infrastructure building.
Our project will be showcased in the AIA Conference on Architecture 2018 in New York City. For additional information on the event, please see the conference page here.
We are proud to announce our 2018 promotions. In recognition of her tremendous contributions to our firm and her evolving role in the practice, Catherine Selby has been elevated to Principal. Our new Senior Associates are Keith Engel and Jing Xiang. Jillian Crandall, Rem Garavito Bruhn, Yohan Kim, Emily Kotsaftis, Nathan Kozlowski, and Karyn Lee have become Associates. These nine promotions reflect demonstrated leadership, dedication to our firm and our values, and passion for civic architecture.
Clockwise from top left: Rem Garavito Bruhn, Yohan Kim, Nathan Kozlowski, Karyn Lee, Jing Xiang, Keith Engel, Catherine Selby, Jillian Crandall, Emily Kotsaftis
PRINCIPAL
In Catherine Selby’s new role as Principal, she will lead projects in Dattner Architects’ Healthcare, Educational, and Housing Sectors and continue to serve as a mentor within the office. Motivated by a commitment to civic architecture, Catherine’s ability to develop and apply creative and thoughtful design solutions for each project allows her to add value to complex projects across multiple sectors.
SENIOR ASSOCIATES
Driven by architecture’s ability to affect change and provide meaningful and equitable experiences, Keith Engel AIA, LEED AP BD+C, CPHD joined Dattner Architects in 2013. He has dedicated his career to practicing socially responsible design and maintains a focus in urban, sustainable affordable and supportive housing.
Jing Xiang, Controller, directs the firm’s finances and is a critical part of the senior management team. Jing joined Dattner Architects in 2004 with over 15 years of experience ranging from global 500 companies to the architectural and engineering industry.
ASSOCIATES
A practicing architect and urban designer, Jillian Crandall AIA explores local and global networks in architecture, infrastructure, and urbanism. With a social and physical infrastructure research background, she approaches design with a technical rigor and enjoys the challenge of incorporating civic architecture into facilities with high functional requirements.
Rem Garavito Bruhn AIA, OAQ, LEED AP BD+C joined Dattner Architects in 2015, eager to work in a mission-driven firm, designing projects that positively influence people’s lives each day. Passionate about residential design in the urban context Rem approaches each project as an opportunity to contribute to the sustainable evolution of our cities through design.
In the five years since joining Dattner Architects, Yohan Kim AIA has focused his passion in civic architecture, creating public space that is accessible without conditions, and available to all. Coming to the firm with a diverse background in retail, institutional, and residential design, Yohan has a keen ability to turn a challenge into the source of great design.
Emily Kotsaftis AIA, LEED AP has developed an expertise in the design and construction of innovative transit stations and the integration of infrastructure into each community. Fascinated by the complex networks that impact people’s lives every day, Emily approaches each project motivated by a deep interest in creating transportation architecture that truly serves as civic space.
Nathan Kozlowski AIA, LEED AP has always had a strong desire to design buildings with prominent social, environmental, and urban components. At Dattner Architects, Nathan combines these interests with his background in community-based design and an eagerness to explore new and evolving cities—and develops urban housing projects, holistically integrated into their communities.
With experience practicing in both New York and Hawaii, Karyn Lee AIA came to Dattner Architects in 2013, drawn by our reputation of creating design that promotes the health of our communities. Through her work on a variety of typologies, Karyn has found that the most personally rewarding projects have been those where she felt there was a larger purpose, an ability to create change for the public good.
With the holiday season here again, Dattner Architects is excited to celebrate a year of significant new projects, collaborations, opportunities, and continued growth as a firm. As a summation of this growth over 2017, our holiday card showcases a collective enthusiasm for both design and designers. A reflection of teamwork evidenced through our annual design charrette, the holiday card (and corresponding album) is the summation of ten teams and less than two weeks of incredible work.
The resulting creations were assembled into a Dattner Architects Holiday Village unveiled at our holiday party, capturing the magic of the season. We are pleased to share them with all of you. Happy Holidays!
We recently discovered that the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem was briefly featured in an episode of Showtimes’ Homeland. In Season 6, Episode 10, the Offices of Child Protective Services is actually the multi-purpose room and conference room at Dattner Architects’ very own Boys & Girls Club of Harlem. During the episode, the highly visible and vibrant donor wall can be seen behind the reception desk.
Homeland is an American spy thriller television series starring Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, a Central Intelligence Agency officer with bipolar disorder, and Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody, a U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper.
Which neighborhood should advance—Downtown Brooklyn or East New York? The CURBED Cup is CURBED’s annual awards program for best neighborhood. With 16 areas vying for the top neighborhood title, each week we will become closer to hearing the top choices! New York City is consistently and rapidly changing—and our projects are right in the heart of it all.
CURBED Cup Round 1: Downtown Brooklyn vs. East New York
Downtown Brooklyn: Cultural Center. High-rise Buildings. Amenity Rich.
East New York: Industrial Center. City block development. Low-rise Manufacturing Buildings.
Dattner Architects’ projects made the list for both locations! Hub is currently downtown Brooklyn’s tallest residential building and is known for having the best borough amenities to date. In East New York, the Atlantic Chestnut development is part of New York’s rezoning plan to promote affordable housing, encourage economic development, create pedestrian-friendly streets, and invest in community resources.
We know it’s a tough decision but check out the Round 1 Results and be sure to vote in Round 2!
On December 8th, The New York Times featured an inspiring article about modern living in Brooklyn’s iconic Cultural District. We have been working with Bernheimer Architecture on designing Caesura's exterior façade that complements the surrounding community but to also hold its’ own identity. Not only iconic from the exterior, the Dattner Architects’ Interiors team worked with the client to develop meaningful design decisions that both maximize floorplans and create a serene atmosphere, a “pause” from the hustle and bustle of the growing neighborhood. The micro-units’ custom beds, tables, and storage, mixed with warm wood tones and large windows impart a welcoming, light, airy feeling.
The Caesura’s shared spaces encourage residents to engage with one another and access untraditional amenities. The core concept is based off sharing products and spaces to reduce the need for excess materials. These areas include a lending library, open to share books and household gadgets; a conservatory bathed in natural light, for mediation, contemplation, and yoga; and a roof terrace for social gathering and events, with views of Brooklyn’s thriving cultural hub. This is an important addition to Brooklyn’s Cultural District. A building that will share new space for important creative venues, designed as the neighborhood’s innovative, yet tranquil core, opening to residents in 2018.
Opening just over a year ago, our Adaptive Reuse of P.S. 186 has earned an incredible year of recognition. This project, accomplished from years of hard work from the entire project team, has been honored locally and nationally for excellence in historic preservation, interior design, and for its contribution to the community. The line-up of prestigious awards includes: New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Lucy Moses Award, Society of American Registered Architects NY’s Design Award, and the Building Design + Construction Platinum Restoration Award, along with the American Institute of Architects QUAD State Design Award, and Interior Design Magazine NYCxDesign Award.
As the sixth award for The Residences at P.S. 186 / The Boys & Girls Club of Harlem (BGCH), we are proud to announce the project’s latest recognition from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation (NYS OPRHP). Each year, NYS OPRHP selects a handful of exceptional buildings that preserve and rejuvenate New York’s historic cultural treasures. Under Governor Andrew Cuomo, the Office of the Governor of New York recognized five “Outstanding Projects” at the end of 2017—and only one project is located within New York City. The design team, led by Dattner Architects, was honored during the awards ceremony on December 7th for their commitment to preserving a local landmark and providing vital resources for the vibrant Harlem neighborhood. The adaptive reuse of this once abandoned public school building transformed P.S. 186 into much needed affordable housing and a beautiful new home for BGCH.
We are honored to breathe new life into this remarkable historic landmark.
Among 25 honorees across six categories, the Queens & Bronx Building Association (QBBA) recognized three of Dattner Architects’ multi-family housing projects during their Annual Awards Program and 50th Anniversary Gala. The QBBA Building Awards honors developments located anywhere in New York City for its excellence in design and construction. QBBA recognized Stanley Commons and Prospect Plaza II in the Residential category, and Draper Hall in the Rehabilitation, Alterations & Additions category. All three multi-family housing projects are nearing completion or completed, and will collectively add 500 units to Brooklyn and Manhattan. We were proud to have Senior Associate Ira Mitchneck and Associate Keith Engel represent Dattner Architects during the Building Awards Gala held on Saturday, December 2nd.
Celebrating their 50th anniversary, QBBA is a local association dedicated to building and preserving homes, communities, and neighborhoods. The Queens & Bronx Building Association is a trade organization with more than 300 construction-related member companies and are devoted to changing the way the city cooperates with builders and contractors and how the effects filter down to many related industries.
Dattner Architects and WXY’s Spring Street Salt Shed is featured in Phaidon’s Destination Architecture. The essential travel guide highlights the Salt Shed’s reinforced cast concrete walls and triple-height door from where sanitation trucks access the 5,000 tons of salt that is stored to treat New York City’s icy roads. Situated across from the diaphanous, scrim-like façade of the Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage, this crystalline structure tapers toward the bottom creating more pedestrian space beneath a dramatic overhang. The shed emerges from a moat of textured glass paving, further contributing to its enigmatic and iconic nature in the city. After initial community concern, the Salt Shed is now applauded as an example of how good design can successfully integrate critical infrastructure into communities.
“It has been exciting to see the Salt Shed emerge as a destination for New Yorkers, photographers, and architectural enthusiasts, as well as the media’s go-to site for winter storm coverage. We are thrilled that the sculptural design of the Salt Shed has served to reveal and celebrate the critical role that DSNY plays in keeping New York’s streets safe and clear of snow, using the humble salt stored within.” – Associate Principal and Salt Shed Project Manager, Gia Mainiero AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Destination Architecture features 1,000 of the most fascinating works of architecture from around the world completed in the last 30 years. Each building is illustrated with a single image and accompanied by a brief description, including addresses, websites, and opening details. It is an excellent way to find and enjoy contemporary built culture on every continent – whether at home or on the road.
Phaidon is a premier global publisher of the creative arts with over 1,5000 titles in print. They collaborate with some of the world’s most influential artists, writers, and thinkers to produce innovative and cutting-edge books on architecture, art, photography, fashion, food, and travel.
Hosting one of the longest running reconstruction project award programs, Building Design + Construction Magazine has selected The Residences at PS 186 / The Boys & Girls Club of Harlem as a Platinum winner of the 2017 Reconstruction Award. The winning projects – two platinum and four gold awards – were selected for demonstrating the best reconstructed, renovated, or remodeled projects from across the country. The jury focused on how design teams overcame challenges and the way designs transformed the building and neighborhood.
One juror marveled at how the “adaptive reuse of PS 186 in West Harlem shows what can be done when imagination and determination come together.” We are proud to have contributed to such an important landmark building. After many years, “the project was applauded by the Reconstruction Awards jury as a shining example of what can be done to bestow new life on the thousands of vacant public schools that face ruin in America’s older cities.”
Winners were profiled in the November 2017 issue of the Building Design + Construction Magazine.
One of New York City’s largest housing developments, Essex Crossing, is breathing new life into the Lower East Side. As New York City continues to struggle with ever-increasing homelessness, Delancey Street Associates (DSA) and the City seek to create more affordable housing to help battle the crisis and create more health and economic stability for the neighborhood. Essex Crossing is a nine-building mixed-use development with more than 1,000 residential units, half of which will be affordable. What was once abandoned vacant lots, DSA saw potential – the kind of potential that leads to an abundance of opportunities. Dattner Architects’ 175 Delancey Street, a 100% affordable mixed-use building in Essex Crossing, will offer important community services for what is essentially a brand new neighborhood. With retail, healthcare, and a community facility at its base, 175 Delancey will help establish a strong foundation for the new development, affording resources for food and healthcare and increasing access to amenities. With a commitment to improving and bettering the Lower East Side, 175 Delancey Street will bring vibrancy and opportunity to this vital New York City neighborhood.
Affordable Housing Finance (AHF) named Draper Hall the overall winner for their 2017 Readers’ Choice Awards. AHF hosts the nationwide competition each year, letting readers determine the projects with the most thoughtful and innovative approach towards future affordable housing. Of the initial 120 nominations, AHF and its readers selected ten award recipients, with Draper Hall selected as both the Overall Winner and Best Senior Project. Cited as the "new standard for senior affordable housing,” AHF highlighted Draper Hall not only as a pioneering affordable/supportive housing development, but a project that will benefit the community as a whole. A formal presentation took place at the Readers' Choice Awards ceremony on November 15 at the AHF Live Conference in Chicago.
Developed by SKA Marin, and built along the East River in Manhattan’s East Harlem neighborhood, Draper Hall will offer 203 units of much needed senior housing. The residential units will be supported by a multi-purpose community room at the building’s base that features space for an adult day program with home healthcare and medical services for residents. Taking advantage of the building’s context, Draper Hall will also act as a liaison between the residents and the nearby Metropolitan Hospital.
We are proud to be a part of this project, as well as its neighboring building, The Gilbert. These developments will undoubtedly have a strong, positive impact on the surrounding community.
ARCHITECT magazine released its 9th Annual Architect 50 List, and Dattner Architects is proud to be included in the the Top 50 in Sustainability category.
Many of our projects are LEED certified, including Prospect Plaza Phases I and II. 425 Grand Concourse is the largest Passive House project planned for North America to date, and we were recently selected to design Chestnut Commons – an affordable housing complex that will incorporate Active Design principles and pursue Passive House certification. Dattner has a long-standing commitment to sustainable design and we seek to push beyond the conventional standards for sustainability.
Architect 50 is a nationwide ranking of architecture firms and is based on how firms perform in Business, Sustainability, and Design.
As part of Building Design+Construction (BD+C)'s Giants 300 Report, Dattner Architects has been recognized as one of the country's 72 most innovative design firms and 42 out of 130 top green architecture firms. In the past year, our firm has hosted presentations by sustainable technology experts and encouraged our staff to pursue additional professional credentials. BD+C took notice, citing our support of "WELL AP and Passive House certification for [our] designers" as a factor in placing our firm so high on their lists. We seize every opportunity to apply new technologies to design, and our commitment to sustainability and continuing education has never been stronger. We are proud to be recognized among the best in the country!
In addition to coming in at number 69 of the top 115 architecture firms in the country, we are proud to be considered number 24 in the top transit architecture firms, number 20 out of 95 in the multi-family housing sector, number 71 of 90 in K-12 education, number 140 of 162 of the top reconstruction architecture firms, and number 129 of 150 of the top BIM design firms.
Departures Magazine highlights Dattner Architects’ Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage & Spring Street Salt Shed in “An Architecture Tour of New York City’s West Side.” Considered architectural gems of Manhattan’s West Side, the Garage and Salt Shed are recognized as changing the way people think about modern infrastructure facilities and their relationship with the waterfront.
The working waterfront was once defined only by its industry – goods being imported and exported. Although, limited by size and scale, the waterfront took a turn for the worst when facilities became insignificant and therefore abandoned and neglected. These key projects are contributing to a turning point in the rediscovery of Manhattan’s waterfront. Now, with a variety of architecture, programs, and, most importantly, people, the deluxe residences, office buildings, parks, and infrastructure required to support this City draw residents to the edges of Manhattan. Departures states “The architectural parade celebrates a city that early on suffered the miseries of deindustrialization and found a way to reinvent itself in glamour.” Among 16 buildings, Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage is recognized as a “garbage truck depot disguised by a fetching metal skin and, after dark, a colorful play of light,” and the Salt Shed is known as a “concrete beauty.”
Image: Sunny Norton Photography
Last night, members of the Dattner Architects’ CANstruction team attended the 25th Annual Awards Gala held downtown at Battery Gardens Restaurant. The night was filled with drinks, appetizers, and camaraderie between fellow CANstruction competitors.
Image: Sunny Norton Photography
All CANsculptures are currently on full display at Brookfield Place until November 15th. Food cans will later be donated to City Harvest for distribution to those in need with part of the proceeds also going to Puerto Rico to help those affected by Hurricane Maria.
CANstruction is not only a design competition, but a truly unique food charity.
“To me, CANstruction means contributing to a very worthy cause in a creative and challenging way. We set our goal at a certain place and then try our hardest to execute it.” – Richard Jolta RA (Dattner Captain)
“It is our duty to care for the well-being of our neighbors and CANstruction gives us an opportunity as architects to fulfill our social responsibility through design.”
– Kate Spata AIA, LEED GA (Dattner Co-Captain)
We are grateful to be a part of such an amazing event. A big thank you to Anthony Figueroa and Goya Foods for sponsoring our team this year. We look forward to competing again next year and doing our part to continue the fight against hunger.
Voting is open for the People’s Choice Award. Our entry, “Heart to Heart,” is #26.
Last week Dattner Architects unveiled the new building design for the renovation and expansion of Scarsdale’s original 1950’s Library. Presented to the Village of Scardale's Planning Board and the Library’s Board of Trustees, the design team’s concepts incorporate new 21st century additions including a new “makerspace” for the community, flexible conference and meeting rooms with retractable walls to accommodate varying user group sizes, and a multi-purpose technology center. The library will be equipped with audio visual technology for “distant learning” throughout.
While the flexible spaces refreshed and re-envisioned interior design, and improved technological infrastructure are the highlights of the new library, the space will also provide an expanded connection to the community it serves. Featuring an entrance plaza and a new cafe and lobby that opens up to the library’s main collection area, allowing daylight and views to establish a strong connection from entry to exit. Glass walls line the exterior of the new reading gallery and conference rooms, framing views of the nearby park and allowing natural light to create more inviting spaces from within. New programming opportunities, such as after-hours scheduling for the Technology Center, and increased access of the expanded children’s area, will solidify the Library as a communal hub.
Pending an upcoming presentation to the Board of Architectural Review, construction is expected to begin in the Spring of 2018.
Dattner Architects has been selected to design Chestnut Commons, a new 274-unit deeply affordable housing building in Cypress Hills. The building, which includes a large, multi-story community facility and ground floor retail for local businesses, was designed in response to community input and local East New York needs. It will pursue Passive House certification and incorporate Active Design principles, contributing to the sustainability and resiliency of the development. Our clients for Chestnut Commons are MHANY Management, Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation, and Urban Builders Collaborative. They were awarded the project through New York City's Housing Preservation & Development arm, which earlier this week announced that they are on track to build and protect 200,000 affordable homes by 2022, two years ahead of schedule.
Comprising chapters from across the North East Region, AIA QUAD State has recognized Dattner Architect’s Residences at P.S. 186 / Boys & Girls Club of Harlem with an Honor Award for excellence in Preservation. A well experienced team of jurors, Tom Liebel FAIA, Heather Cass FAIA, and Jon Penndorf FAIA, selected 29 recipients from a pool of 234 high quality submissions – “This admirable adaptive reuse of a neighborhood and national landmark celebrates the building’s distinguished history and its promising future. The restoration of the exterior showed great skill.”
After only one year of completion, we are honored to receive recognition for this important project. Our Principal, Joseph Coppola will accept the award Thursday, November 9th during a reception, as part of the AIA QUAD State Conference. The Conference brings together thousands of members during a three-day event encompassing an expo, education seminars, and award presentations.
Our firm’s third project to achieve LEED Certification in 2017, we are thrilled to announce Prospect Plaza North has been awarded the LEED for Homes Gold Certification. All buildings within the development will be LEED certified—Prospect Plaza South (Phase I) achieved LEED for Homes Platinum Certification, Prospect Plaza North (Phase II) (LEED Gold), and Prospect Plaza Phase III is currently being designed to meet LEED standards.
In addition to sustainability, Phase I of the development received Active Design Verification for design that promotes resident health and wellbeing. Phase I’s garden plots available for residents and amenities offering outdoor play and exercise activities contribute to the project’s active design components. Prospect Plaza II also participated in the New York State Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Multifamily Performance Program (MPP) to save on energy by 20% and reduce energy bills. To achieve a higher certification, the design incorporated prefabricated precast concrete exterior wall systems and quality control throughout construction.
Overall, as the year comes to an end, we look forward to additional projects pursuing LEED and Passive House Standards. With each commission, we seek to push beyond conventional standards for sustainability, innovating high-performance approaches that align with each building program, site, and resources.
