St Philip Neri Apartments

Organization Name: Think! Architecture + Design

Project Title: St Philip Neri Apartments

Project Location: Bronx, NY

Project Description:
St Philip Neri Apartments is a pair of 100% affordable housing buildings located diagonally across from one another on land owned by the Archdiocese of New York, and adjacent to the St Philip Neri Church on Villa Avenue in the Bronx. The two buildings accommodate 186 residential units in total. 3054 Villa is 96,000 sq ft and 14 stories with 101 residential units and 3069 Villa is 77,000 sq ft and 12 stories with 85 residential units. Located on two former parking lots, the design considers the two buildings as a family with a strong connection to one another pragmatically, socially and architecturally. The scheme breaks down the scale with two basic massings; a lower folded wall up to 9 stories, clad in a light brick. Set back behind these folds is a recessed plane, clad in a darker brick. The lower zone slightly inflects at both buildings, and together creates a sense of “embrace” that connects them visually and creates a distinctive pedestrian experience rarely seen in NYC. The tones and textures are borrowed from the beautiful Gothic 19th century St. Philip Neri church adjacent to 3054 Villa, and the massing strategy honors it as it steps down in scale.

Community Impact:
Both buildings provide homes for a wide diversity of tenants, including low-income families, individuals with mental disabilities, and a set-aside for formerly homeless people, including veterans. In total the building contains 186 residential units as well as resident amenities such as community rooms, laundry, bike storage, recreational gardens, and in the case of 3069 Villa Avenue, a center for formerly homeless youth called the Beacon of Hope.
Programmatically the buildings contain spaces and programs that provide outreach to the immediate community and help connect them to this Bronx neighborhood. The transparent ground floor treatment adds to the sense of welcome.
New York City is facing a well-known housing shortage crisis and the principal benefit of this project is in providing dignified, compassionate, safe and long-lasting housing within this underserved Bronx community. While providing this housing it also benefits formerly homeless youth within its ground floor social programs. Additionally, these buildings raise the bar in a neighborhood not known for quality design and architecture. They are seen as a welcome asset to the community and lend a sense of neighborhood pride for residents.

Organization Description:
Think! Architecture + Design is a Brooklyn, New York based architecture practice. Think! specializes in a rigorous and collaborative design process that balances creative exploration with practical feasibility. This is manifested in a variety of projects including affordable, supportive and market rate housing, theater, education, commercial interiors and healthcare facilities