1921 Atlantic

Organization Name: GF55 Architects

Project Title: 1921 Atlantic

Project Location: Brooklyn, NY

Project Description:
1921 Atlantic is a 14-story mixed-use multi-family building that provides 236 affordable residential units to Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. The building defines a modern aesthetic that reflects the vibrant growth of the NYC neighborhood while simultaneously integrating with the existing urban landscape. The bulk of the building, which is 14 stories high, is concentrated on the southern part of the site along Atlantic Avenue. This makes the building easily identifiable along the busy thoroughfare. The building steps down in height where it faces lower density sections of the neighborhood. The drop in height avoids overwhelming the surrounding community and instead invites interaction with the building and its community facilities. The building’s modern façade is composed of mixed materials. Large windows create a cadenced grid framed by white stucco panels. Red brick forms a second layer on the façade. The brick is used to emphasize the height of the 14-story building and reveals the building corner facing Atlantic Avenue where white metal panels frame the fenestration. As the building steps down in height, the brick is used to emphasize the rectangular geometry of the shorter volumes.

Community Impact:
1921 Atlantic provides 235 much-needed affordable residential units to the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. This transit-oriented, Enterprise Green Communities-certified building offers tenants a healthy, quality living environment with convenient access to metropolitan work opportunities. The building’s community-centered programming includes 15,000 SF of commercial space designated for a bank and a fresh food grocery store. An additional 8,000 SF of space includes a healthcare center, community facilities managed by Brooklyn Neighbor Services—providing education, housing, and counseling services—and an art gallery operated by Right of Return, an organization founded by artists to support and mentor formerly incarcerated individuals. Right of Return Fellows create works advancing criminal and racial justice.

Organization Description:
GF55 Architects is dedicated to the practice of architecture in a way that brings buildings from sculptural thought to spaces of functionality and beauty; crafting solutions for the needs of the people who live and work within the forms designed. The firm is spearheaded by partners David E. Gross AIA, Leonard Fusco AIA, and Shay Alster AIA. Of special importance to GF55 is its ongoing commitment to workforce and supportive housing where revitalization directly impacts people and neighborhoods.

Team Members:

GF55 Architects
Dabar Development Partners & Thorobird Companies
Monadnock Construction Inc
DeSimone Consulting Engineers
Skyline Engineers