Last year, I had the huge honor of being a member of an Advisory Board to the Mayor for Bloomberg's adAPT micro unit project. Back in November, I met with my fellow board members and reviewed the finalists in the competition to help determine the design the city would move forward with. (Talk about a day to remember - it was all a bit of a dream come true for this design-obsessed editor.) Today, the Mayor announced the winning submission and the choice is a very interesting one. Super small and modular in construction, the 55 units will range from 250 to 370 square feet. Jump below for a look at one of the floor plans and a rendering of the interior...
Some details of the winning design, chosen from a field of 33:
• 55 micro-units that measure 250 to 370 square feet. 40 percent of the apartments will be set aside as affordable housing units, based on competitive market rates, and will be available to households with incomes that meet specific criteria based on Area Median Income.
• Modular construction, with the modules prefabricated locally by Capsys at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
• 9'-10" floor-to-ceiling heights in apartments with Juliette balconies to amplify the sense of openness. The kitchen, bath and storage (closets and loft) are part of a "toolbox" area, and the main area or "canvas" is a flexible, open space for living and sleeping. A counter/table that separates the kitchen from the living area can be folded up when not in use to further open up the space.
• Efficient apartment design with ample storage, like a 16'-long overhead loft space and a full-depth closet.
• Programmed interior space, like a resident lounge and reading areas, that comprises 18% of the building's gross square footage and is available to all building residents. Common spaces will include a rooftop garden, shared lounge areas, including one that can seat 20 for dinner and an 8th floor deck. Laundry, storage, bike and fitness rooms are also planned.
• A multi-purpose and transparently-glazed space on the ground floor that could be programed for rehearsals, performances, lectures and other creative activities, in addition to a café.
The resulting building will be located on West 27th street and is slated to be the first multi-unit modular construction structure in Manhattan. The team behind the winning proposal includes Monadnock Development, nARCHITECTS and the Actors Fund HDC.
Interested in learning more? An exhibit on the project opens tomorrow at the Museum of the City of New York.
MORE INFO:
• adAPT Press Release 1.22.13
• New York Times
• Museum of the City of New York
MORE MICROUNITS ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• Micro Unit Design Solutions and a Little Bit of Apartment Therapy
• SF's Micro-Apartments: 220 Square Feet for $1500
(Images: New York City Mayors Office via the New York Times)
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So 60% will be unaffordable?
weatherman, i was thinking the same thing! but hey, it's probably a small price to pay for extra surfboard storage.
I think these are a great idea. Another effort for sustainability by Bloomberg's admin.
Why are renderings for small spaces done in extreme wide angle and with it's point of view taken from three apartments away?
I like the design, except for the loft space. How will someone get to things that get pushed to the very back? Hire a child?
So only 22 will be affordable? I guess it's a start!
I'm kind of underwhelmed. There are thousands of studios just like this all over the city, especially in brownstones, which have so much character. Plus the current zoning means studios must be a minimum of 450 sq ft -- so this new proposal strikes me as a step backward. The city would be smarter to encourage better transit and development in underutilized area -- but keep up our standard of living.
clarification -- newly constructed studios (this from the 1960's on) must be 450 sq ft. The older, smaller ones are grandfathered in.
The hallway seems to take up unnecessary square footage. Otherwise, it looks much better than I expected it would. Maybe large front hallways gives more of an illusion of space and is better for well-being in a studio than having it a box with bathroom and kitchen stuck on?
@Mid-C: the idea is that by creating affordable "starter" housing in every area of New York, no one area becomes unaffordable for young people or people without high paying jobs. Keeping New York diverse (economically and racially) is important to its vitality.
I understand the idea -- I underwhelmed by the "solution" chosen.
the hall does seem to be a waste of space, but i like the open kitchen layout with the table to eat off of. i HATE the sofa bed idea though... not only would it be a pain to open and close every day, but I live in 350 sq ft and manage to fit a lot more in (comfortably)! here's my layout if you're curious: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-10fnJJI1Acw/T7Np3i2yzyI/AAAAAAAADbs/CmwMu7sjGUw/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-05-16+at+1.48.05+AM.png
Not impressed at all. Bloomberg is ruining this city.
It seems the bathroom could be cut down a foot in width without disrupting it's utility. I agree the hallway is a waste of good space, considering it's narrow roughly 12x30' layout, I don't see another way. .And I can understand why it's narrow: it's factory built and trucked to site, so it has to be roadable. I wish we could have seen the other layouts and the pros/cons of each.
MSN showed a micro apartment built in the Museum of the City of New York, in which show a number of forehead slapping innovations; the pull down closet bar and the way the Murphy bed folds down over a back-cushionless sofa come readily to mind. Not so keen on the micro fridge with no freezer (no ice, no ice cream?!?). "I really don't think of it in terms of making it a home, more as a sort of place to be at the end of the day" says micro apartment occupier Sam Neuman. As for myself, I need to come Home at the end of the day, not be at just a place.
I wonder if the various designers have looked at the Small Cool contests to see what people have made from their Tiny spaces.
Think MadeByMeg's layout is a more efficient use of space, I question the wide hallway too. Mike_in_H do you have a link to the MSN site? My apt. had Murphy beds and I've been curious about them.
These layouts look almost exactly like typical small Japanese apartments. Take a look at floor plans on the apartment search section of GaijinPot and you'll see the similarities.
"I wonder if the various designers have looked at the Small Cool contests to see what people have made from their Tiny spaces."
Obviously not. To say I'm underwhelmed would be a gross understatement. Nothing remotely new or innovative here, never mind the wasted space. In that respect, Bloomberg would have been much better off comprising hs Advisory Board of Small Cool dwellers here.
I agree with nycagnes. I have a sudden craving for a 16 oz soda (and I don' drink soda).
@ Janel: Celebrating your bit of a dream come true with you. It was truly an honor to be chosen for he Advisory Panel, I'm sure. I may not be a fan of the ultimate design but your achievement did not escape my notice. Congrats. Just needed to say that.
*the* Advisory Panel
Tricia_2 here's that link:
http://www.onenewspage.com/video/20130122/1153242/Micro-Apartments-Are-the-Future-in-New-York.htm
The wasted space is actually a consequence of ADA compliance. Though, ironically, anyone in a wheelchair would not be able to access the loft, much less open up a Murphy bed or pullout sofa.
I've lived in a number of tiny apartments in NYC and with the right layout and furniture arrangement, 300 - 400 square feet is plenty for 1-2 people. Personally, I do not like this design, though.
I have never liked studios where the kitchen is right next to the bed, as opposed to in an alcove (cooking smells and sleeping with your head next to a stove is not restful!). Also, I think the designers gave the idea of entertaining too much weight vs. having a comfortable static setup. I think most people would prefer to be able to move from the couch to bed and use a table without having to fold things up and down - also think about a couple where one person wants to go to sleep earlier than the other. The foldout bed seems uncomfortable, expensive to repair/replace, and inflexible since it can't be moved to another place in the room.
I understand the size of the kitchen and bathroom are in order to comply with accessibility requirements but I wonder if the apartment dimensions were fixed as well - a squatter rectangle would allow designers to do more with the space.