Via Verde brings a unique outdoor environment to urban affordable housing
A long, dormant plot of land in the Bronx has been transformed into a rising ribbon of sinuous architecture that promotes affordable housing, sustainable development and community building. Called “Via Verde” (the green way) the building comprises three sections that house 222 apartments in a low-rise townhouses, mid-rise duplex apartments and a 20-story tower.
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Via Verde results from the first juried contest for affordable housing in New York City. The co-developers are Phipps Houses, New York City, the city’s oldest not-for-profit developer, and Jonathan Rose Cos., New York City, a leading developer of green projects. The design team included two leading architecture firms that submitted a joint proposal: Dattner Architects, New York City, and Grimshaw Architects, New York City.
The lay of the land
The building wraps around an awkwardly shaped plot. According to Robert Garneau, AIA, LEED AP, associate architect at Grimshaw and the project architect for the firm, the guiding ethos of the building was “to make a holistic building that connects all that unites all the different aspects into a single form.” He describes the building as a “ribbon that unravels across the site.” The expression offers several advantages, including uniting the site visually, offering strong southern exposures and, because of the thin buildings giving residents the benefits of light on two sides and great cross ventilation.
Dattner principal William Stein, FAIA, says: “The key expression was a response to the narrow, triangular shape of the site and an adjacent building that is high. It suggested a building that would step down from a fairly high portion … to a lower expression, which was going to be as low as three stories, then down to grade at the south end of the site. That developed into wrapping this around the central courtyard, which was a landscaped and social space for the residents.”
The riser effect presented an opportunity for the designers to create a rising garden on terraced roofs in the middle of the urban environment. The buildings use green roofs and at the lowest level there are fruit trees. On the south end at a higher level is a communal garden, which leads to another, higher landscaped roof that also includes photovoltaic arrays from Sun- Power Corp., San Jose, Calif. This area, with the treelike structures for the photovoltaics in the midst of the landscaping, is one of the favorite spots for Garneau. The terraced gardens and central courtyard, combined with other communal amenities, such as a fitness club and amphitheater, create a dynamic social environment that encourages residents to interact more easily.
Via Verde has been submitted for LEED Gold status, and that is abetted by the solar array, heavy use of recycled materials in construction and high energy efficiency among many other features.
The rainscreen
The terraced roof gardens, central courtyard and sustainable practices aren’t the only elements that separate Via Verde from the typical affordable housing project. It also presents a very different façade. “We wanted to go to a rainscreen system,” says Stein, “to have a fresh contemporary expression. In New York City, the bulk of affordable housing is brick buildings, but in this case we wanted a fresh and different expression. The second reason was we wanted a higher performing wall system.”
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As with all buildings, the success of the design is measured over time, and with Via Verde those metrics will be determined by the residents and the surrounding neighborhood. But if there is a simple measure of success that can be mentioned less than a year after opening it is in its occupancy. Via Verde is nearly full capacity already. Residents are voting for sustainability, terraced gardens, access to sunlight and community-based living with their wallets.The rainscreen includes patterned panels of Eastman, Ga.-based Alcoa Architectural Products’ Reynobond aluminum composite material (ACM), fibercement board and wood. Island International Exterior Fabricators, Calverton, N.Y., fabricated the rainscreen, which is mounted to girts attached to a steel framing system. Between the framing and the rainscreen are cement board sheathing, a waterproof layer and insulation. An air space between the panels promotes circulation and allows moisture infiltration to exit. The ACM panels represent about 60 percent of the total wall space. According to Stein, its selection is partly based on aesthetics but also affordability. The aluminum was less expensive. Garneau explains that the different light shadings and textures across the panels offer a greater depth and interest to the façade.
Photos: David Sundberg-Esto
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Via Verde, New York City
Developers: Phipps Houses, New York City, and Jonathan Rose Cos., New York City
Project size: 300,000 square feet: 277,000 square feet of residential and 7,500 square feet of commercial/community. 40,000-square-foot green roof space
Completion date: April 2012
Construction cost: $70 million
Architects: Dattner Architects, New York City, and Grimshaw Architects, New York City
General contractor: Lettire Construction Corp., New York City
Rainscreen/sunshade fabricator: Island International Exterior Fabricators, Calverton, N.Y.
Metal wall panels: Alcoa Architectural Products, Eastman, Ga., www.alcoaarchitecturalproducts.com
Photovoltaics: SunPower Corp., San Jose, Calif., us.sunpowercorp.com