RKT&B designs 4 new affordable housing facilities totaling 192 units

RKT&B Architects has added four new projects to its "Smart Housing" urban infill program, developed in conjunction with CPC Resources (CPCR) to address the need for affordable housing in New York City, according to Carmi Bee, FAIA, the firm's president. The projects are modeled on a prototype designed by RKT&B and CPCR for four-story, eight-family walk-up housing; the first example of that prototype was Prospect Gardens at 249-251 16th St. in Park Slope, Brooklyn, completed in 2003. The new projects include: * Bergen Street Housing: a facility under construction in Crown Heights, Brooklyn that comprises six separate buildings and 48 apartments. * Putnam Madison Housing: 48 apartments located at 1007 Putnam St. in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Construction will begin in the early fall. * 476 Sterling Place: Eight apartments in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, 20 percent complete. * Brownsville Housing: 11 buildings in Brooklyn, encompassing 88 apartments. "These projects are the result of extensive analysis of zoning, building codes and site potential," said Bee. "We zeroed in on sites that are multiples of 20 to 25 feet and on neighborhoods with R6 zoning (allows medium-density housing of approximately 100 apartments per acre), where most of the available sites are located. "An important objective was to keep costs low," he continues. "We firmly believed that people would want to rent or own walk-ups at the right price. And since the maximum height of buildings with one means of egress is four stories, we created a walk-up prototype with an attractive, large glazed egress stairwell that both eliminates the need for a costly elevator and its maintenance, and increases safety through two-way visual access from the street. In addition, the prototype has characteristics that make it sustainable, such as through ventilation in the apartments." Further cost savings stem from repetition, Bee points out, and he notes that RKT&B and CPCR are now honing the model for additional savings. "We're very committed to this program," said Bee. "Affordable housing is still a major challenge for New York City. Urban infill not only helps to address this problem, it also makes use of vacant space that is going to waste, resulting in safer and more attractive neighborhoods. In other words, it benefits both residents and communities." RKT&B is an architectural and planning firm in New York City.