Our restoration plan for social housing sets the stage for community and environmental resilience
When Superstorm Sandy slammed into the northeastern US in 2012, flooding hit New York City Housing Authority properties on Coney Island especially hard. 1,300 dwellings lost heat, power, and elevators for weeks. Working with Curtis + Ginsberg Architects, we developed a $200-million rebuilding plan to protect community facilities from future disasters, upgrade damaged housing, and lift the entire neighborhood.
Our recovery plan begins with new community facilities designed to withstand floods and serve as staging areas for rescue in severe weather. New lines of defense include flood barriers at each building, green infrastructure to reduce flooding, and essential systems such as energy-efficient boilers, flood-protected elevators, and backup generators. But a long-term vision addresses community-wide issues—such as social resilience, economic stability, and job opportunities—with new types of affordable and mixed-income housing. We also provided new income-generating activities, a multimodal approach to transportation, and better architectural design.
In short, we reached beyond simple planning to help a community of vulnerable residents move towards a safer, more stable future.
At a Glance
- Offices
Caitlin DiDonato, Senior Associate
Continuous communication with clients is key, especially when working on projects that are moving at a quick pace.
Eric Smith, Senior Principal
Working in a city with many unique opportunities allows us to leverage our experiences and provide the right solutions for our clients.
Evan Wilbert, Principal
Leveraging relationships to make a project the best it can be is my passion.
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