Captain Plan→it

 

The project is located at East 156th Street and Brook Avenue and is a 20-story, 222-unit building for working-class people. But what is unusual and unique about Via Verde with many other public housing projects is its emphasis on improving the quality of the health of its residents. And unlike the Soviet-style brutalist style of architecture, the planners of Via Verde, who were selected in an architectural competition, placed an importance on aesthetics and quality design not often seen in low-income housing projects, which often prioritize maximizing the number of apartment units.

Unlike so many public-housing projects, Via Verde rethinks the mix of private and public spaces to encourage residents to spend time outside, in the fresh air. It breaks the mold of subsidized housing whereby clinics, low-income rentals and home ownership are all conceived, financed and regulated separately. Piecing them together, it takes the healthier, holistic tack. Healthy design comes down to fundamentals in this case: air, light, places to stroll, things to look at.

How to Incorporate Design in Low-Income Housing Projects