The primary goals in designing the Brooklyn Arts Tower are to provide socially, fiscally and environmentally responsible performance and living spaces while presenting the city with a pilot project for future city-wide sustainable affordable housing developments.
A total of 187 housing units, over half of them affordable to low-, moderate- and middle-income families, will be accommodated in the uppers floors with a rich mixture of cultural and commercial spaces located in the 5 storey plinth.
The scale of the five communities of mid-rise buildings relates to Brooklyn’s existing urban fabric and the immediate neighbourhood. Through limiting the number of units per floor and opening up the circulation spaces to light and natural ventilation qualities are promoted which will lead to an increased sense of ownership and identity.
In contrast to the monolithic housing project tower the new 130m tower is composed of a number of mid-rise “Sky-Communities”; five rectilinear forms assembled around the vertical core which lend the tower a distinct appearance. While some apartments have private terraces, balconies and wintergardens, all apartments have access to the communal gardens and the adjacent semi-public amenities.
Sustainability is embedded in the proposal through a high-performance envelope, natural ventilation strategies, roof gardens, and advanced heat recovery systems. Conceived as a pilot project for sustainable affordable housing, the tower combines environmental ambition with social responsibility.
At ground level, a five-story plinth activates the street with cultural and commercial uses, strengthening the BAM district as a creative hub and ensuring the tower engages with the public realm.
The BAM High Rise demonstrates how tall buildings can move beyond iconic object status to become context responsive, climate aware, and socially integrated urban structures.
