YP Senior Residence

Organization Name: Volunteers of America - Greater NY

Project Title: YP Senior Residence

Project Location: Bronx, NY

Project Description:
YP Senior Residence is a 9-story, LEED Platinum certified development that brings 117 units of affordable senior housing to the Bronx. Developed by Volunteers of America – Greater New York and co-developer Robert Sanborn Development, the building is designed to address the social needs of seniors, featuring supportive services and a network of flexible common areas. Amenities include a large community room, landscaped rear yard, lounges on most levels, 8th-floor double-height lounge and adjacent terrace, and laundry rooms on each floor. Sustainability features improve the building’s performance and enhance resident comfort, including VRF heat pumps, energy recovery ventilators, photovoltaic panels, and continuous stonewool exterior insulation. The building, designed by Magnusson Architecture and Planning, pays homage to the surrounding Art Deco structures with a recessed, courtyard style entry that preserves the street rhythm. While the dark masonry on the exterior is a contemporary take on the neighboring brick facades, white, silver, and gray metal panels lighten the building’s appearance. Glazing at the lounges breaks up the massing, creating two distinct volumes that fit the community’s scale.

Community Impact:
YP Senior Residence provides critical housing for low- and extremely low-income seniors, with 37 supportive units reserved for seniors experiencing chronic homelessness. Designed to address isolation, it features a network of indoor and outdoor gathering spaces. Sunny lounges welcome residents as they exit the elevator and provide convenient spaces to connect with neighbors, while the 8th-floor double-height lounge and terrace ensure that the building’s best views are accessible to all. At the cellar level, the rear yard functions as an extension of the adjacent community room, supporting programmatic flexibility. A large sliding wall can be opened to join the spaces, and features like moveable furniture and an interior partition can facilitate various social activities.

The courtyard-style entry is recessed from the street, establishing a pleasant buffer between pedestrian activity and resident circulation. The evening glow from the lobby and glazed lounges illuminates the entryway, enhancing safety and welcoming residents home. Landscaping at the rear yard and terrace complements the streetscape with green accents and creates a serene and inviting interior living space.

Organization Description:
Volunteers of America-Greater New York (VOA-GNY) is an anti-poverty organization with a rich 125+ year history of serving our neighbors in need. Through more than 70 programs located in New York City, Northern New Jersey, and Westchester County—including emergency shelters, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing—we deliver services to more than 12,000 adults and children annually. We are also the largest provider of residential services for veterans within a coalition that has virtually ended chronic homelessness for veterans in NYC.

Team Members:

Owner: Volunteers of America-Greater NY
Co-Dev: Robert Sanborn Dev
Architect: Magnusson Architecture and Planning
GC: Procida Construction
Structural: GACE
MEP: Dagher
Landscape: terrain