One of the major challenges facing most metropolitan centers in the world is affordable housing. It is not a new challenge by any means, but the search for solutions has changed radically since the days of tenements and gargantuan public housing complexes. There have always been issues such as zoning, density, construction costs, and design quality – and let’s not forget NIMBY-ism (not-in-my-backyard) – when it comes to affordable housing. Contemporary urban centers now must deal with additional considerations such as sustainability and accessibility.

 

Nowhere is this more evident than in New York City. Last fall, the “New Housing New York” design ideas competition was launched to generate new ideas in affordable and sustainable housing design for housing production in the city. It was initiated by the City Council in cooperation with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York Chapter and the City University of New York. It was developed in partnership with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the NYC Department of City Planning, and the NYC Department of Buildings. A co-sponsor of the competition is the New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH).

 

The competition received 160 entries, and the winners were announced yesterday. An exhibition of the winners opens February 11^th at the Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place and will run through March.

 

The competition solicited proposals for housing designs for three specific sites around the city: a brownstone/townhouse infill in Manhattan; an 11-acre waterfront site in Queens; and a large avenue, full block frontage area in Brooklyn. 

 

Time (and budgets) will tell if the winning solutions become part of the public/private toolbox – both in New York City and elsewhere.

 

And the winners are…

 

Manhattan site – 1^st Prize: Choi Law, A.V.K. Group, Irving, Texas 

 

Queens site – 1^st Prize: Arte NY

 

Brooklyn site – 1^st Prize: Blostein/Overly Architects, Ohio 

 

Manhattan – 2^nd Prize: Andrew Berman Architect

Manhattan – 3^rd Prize: SYSTEMarchitects

Manhattan – Honorable Mention: Motonobu Kurokawa

 

Brooklyn – 1^st Honorable Mention: Sven Schroeter, Karen Hock

Brooklyn – 2^nd Honorable Mention: Mitchell/Giurgola Architects

 

Queens – 2^nd Prize: Judith Kinnard, AIA, Noel Murphy, Assoc. AIA

Queens – 3^rd Prize: Deborah Berke & Partners

 

(Click on the link above for a complete list of winning teams and exhibition details.)

 

A total of $45,000 in cash prizes was awarded to the prizewinners. First place prizes are $10,000, second place, $3,500, and third place, $1,500.

 

The jury: Carmi Bee of Rothzeid Kaiserman Thomson and Bee; Carlton A. Brown of Full Spectrum of NY, LLC; Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts; Hugh Hardy, FAIA, Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates LLP; M. David Lee, FAIA, Stull and Lee, Inc.; Michael Pyatok, FAIA, Pyatok Architects Inc.; Susan S. Szenasy Editor-in-Chief of Metropolis Magazine; and Gregg Pasquarelli, ShoP/Sharples Holden Pasquarelli.

Professional advisor: Lance Jay Brown, FAIA