525 Wales

Organization Name: S9 Architecture

Project Title: 525 Wales

Project Location: Mott Haven, Bronx

Project Description:
525 Wales Avenue is a 120,000-square-foot affordable senior housing development bringing sustainable, supportive homes to the Bronx. Developed in partnership with Catholic Homes and the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s SARA program for affordable senior housing, the building transforms the former site of a local church into 160 units of much-needed, permanently affordable homes specially designed to serve the area’s aging population. S9 Architecture designed the nine-story building to serve as a new neighborhood hub that continues the site’s legacy of community connection. The brick façade is arranged in dynamic patterns to create visual interest; the building includes a series of setbacks with planted terraces. Resident amenities include a communal lounge, fitness room, social services office, and courtyard garden. The building meets Enterprise Green Communities and EnergyStar sustainability standards.

Community Impact:
On the former site of the historic St. Roch Catholic Church, S9 Architecture has created a new neighborhood anchor designed to nurture community in much the same way that the church did for generations. For nearly a century, St. Roch served as a pillar for the local immigrant population; today, this new senior housing continues to enrich the neighborhood with thoughtfully designed, affordable homes in a connected, accessible setting.
Rather than replicate the modest scale of surrounding blocks, the 9-story building echoes the church’s monumental presence in the neighborhood. The textured brick façade uses commonly available brick in a dynamic expression, bringing visual richness while retaining affordability. Setback terraces and green space at ground level offer a welcoming, neighborhood-scale transition that encourages local interaction and gathering.
Shared interior spaces ensure 525 Wales remains a place of rich community, while sustainable design choices contribute to long-term resilience. The result is a building deeply rooted in context—revitalizing a historic, community-centric site with purpose and providing a safe, supportive, and connected environment for aging Bronx residents.

Organization Description:
S9 Architecture is a New York City-based firm dedicated to designing spaces, buildings, and neighborhoods that respectfully integrate and enhance communities and cities. S9's designs are specific to their micro-geographies and designed to enhance them. Through site analyses, historical and physical investigations, and studies of local communities and cultures, we design projects that are authentic, additive, and transformative while also fitting into the local urban context.