Atrium at Sumner | Studio Libeskind

The 11-story senior building was constructed on underutilized land on NYCHA’s Sumner Houses campus. The new building features 190 apartments, with 132 available to senior households earning below or equivalent to 50 percent of Area Median Income (AMI), 57 units reserved for seniors who had formerly experienced homelessness, and an apartment designated for a live-in superintendent.

Located in the park-like setting of the existing Sumner Houses campus on Marcus Garvey Boulevard between Park Avenue and Myrtle Avenue, the building will feature 132,418 square feet of affordable senior housing, coupled with a ground-level community facility of 8,309 square feet.

The design features a dynamic, yet rational geometric form interrupted by a pattern of open and solid elements. The design team aimed to interact actively with the street and the surrounding context. Bold diagonal lines wrap the building at angles that rise from the ground, creating a folding form that breaks down street-level massing. A glazed entrance lobby creates a transparent and open connection to the street. The residential facility is a courtyard building with corridors looking inward toward a central green public space on the second floor.

The studio and one-bedroom units feature a variety of open, spacious layouts with large windows throughout. The building is designed to accommodate the Age-In-Place philosophy. All aspects of the development are dedicated to bolstering seniors’ quality of life. The building’s amenities include a 24-hour attended lobby, free broadband in common areas and apartments, on-site building manager, an apartment designated for a live-in superintendent, laundry on the second and nineth floors, a multi-purpose community room, a library/computer room, bicycle storage room, exercise room, emergency pull cords and built-in air conditioners in each apartment, and handrails in common areas.

The building also incorporates Passive House Standards. It has significant green and energy-efficient features, which align with Enterprise Green Communities, Energy Star Multifamily High Rise, and NYSERDA Programs. This results in 60 to 70 percent less energy consumption than the average New York City apartment building. The highly sustainable design features high-performance envelope materials and systems and energy-efficiency HVAC and ERV systems. The design also features full electrical appliances and HVAC systems in the apartments & amenity rooms, prioritizing clean energy and reduced carbon emissions. In addition, the building features an emergency power generator serving life safety systems, emergency lighting, and outlets, allowing residents to utilize the community room as a resilient hub.

Active design elements, such as stairwell windows and hallway organization, encourage residents to use stairs rather than elevators. The new building features a community garden for residents and outdoor seating adjacent to the building’s entrances. The Sumner Houses campus’ open space next to the new building also received new landscaping, walking paths, lighting, seating, and bioswales providing protection from extreme storms.

Photography: Hufton+Crow