Contemporary Residential

Communal Living

This exploded perspective drawing shows the locations of all the communal spaces throughout the building.

Multi-level Decks

Making use of those 3 voids that go down through the building, I began by placing these communal multi-level decks, with both lounge and dining areas. These can be accessed from any floor and lead up to the roof.

Indoor Lounges with Balconies

For indoor communal spaces, I decided to include a lounge for the residents on every other floor. These spaces connect to balconies along the northern side of the building, which connect from street level up to the roof, making use of the space between the next building on the north side. I used glass walls along each side of the lounges to keep the space feeling open, with window treatments for the option of semi-privacy.

Communal Living North Side 110 Morningside Drive Rendering

The North Side

The Lobby

I wanted the entrance of the building to feel warm and welcoming. I designed the lobby to be very soft and muted, using curved lines and soft materials. I also wanted to incorporate a more secure space for the residents to receive their mail, so I attached a separate locked mailroom off the side.

The Basement

For the basement, my first priority was making sure I had enough space for a storage unit for each of the available apartments, and for mechanical space with storage for the maintenance staff. With the remainder of the space, I added a laundry area for the residents and a gym, with a small lounge area in-between. I also added an ADA-compliant ramp that begins on the street level by the main entrance on the east side, which goes around the southeast side and down into the basement.

The Rooftop

Communal Living Rooftop Lounge and Garden 110 Morningside Drive Rendering

To take advantage of the site’s gorgeous view of Morningside Park and the city, I designed a rooftop deck with even more communal space for the residents, adding plenty of lounge and dining areas. The rooftop is accessible from any of the multi-level decks or with the elevator.

Pavilion H by Kettal

To provide shade and add some privacy to the rooftop space, this product by the brand, Kettal has a selection of parts to create custom pavilions. They have electric louver ceilings that residents can adjust to keep out light or rain, and sliding vertical panels and curtains that can provide semi-privacy. They also have integrated lighting and electrical outlets.

The Pavilion Parts

Vertical Panels

Wood panel

Curtains

Tempered glass panel

Sliding glass door

Stone wall

Ceilings and Lighting

Bioclimatic electric ceiling

Ceiling with micro dot lights

Wood canopy

Canopy micro dot lights

Column up & down light

Accessories

Lighting control switch

Power outlet / USB

Finishes

Slate Stone

Misty Smoke

African Savannah

Wet Stone

Ash

Sand Dune

Bone

Tuff

Terracotta

Amber

Ginger Root

Desert Storm

Dry Clay

Arabica

Sepia

Spring Meadow

Kombu

Forest Stream

Sea Moss

Glacier Ice

Rose Canyon

Blossom

Ruby Dust

Sunset Glow

Terrarosa

Polar Sky

Nightfall

Indigo

Wild Lupin

Galena

Bronze

Corten

Manganese

Concrete Anchoring System

Pavilion H by Kettal Concrete Anchoring System

The Rooftop with Terrarosa Pavilions

Circulation

Circulation Space

Street Level

Stairs

Elevators

Ramp

Roof

Level 6

Level 5

Level 4

Level 3

Level 2

Level 1

Basement

Unit Layouts

Level 1

Level 2

This layout is shared with level 4 and level 6 for the units and northern lounge space.

300 SF

350 SF

400 SF

425 SF

480 SF

500 SF

Level 3

This layout is shared with level 5 for the units.

110 Morningside Drive Rendering Exterior Facade

Units Available

The final residential project will have 109 units, compared to the current 53 apartments.

300 square feet - 6 units
350 square feet - 20 units
400 square feet - 35 units

425 square feet - 13 units

480 square feet - 23 units

500 square feet - 12 units

How can this affordable housing be funded?

1 | Airbnb Revenue

This development can be extended to Columbia’s residential building next door, which can be repurposed for a luxury Airbnb with higher rental rates. This is a great location for this and revenue could be divided between the two buildings. The buildings would share maintenance staff by connecting the two buildings with a tunnel under their basements, taking the elevators down below.

2 | Affordable Housing Grants

There are a number of organizations, from private nonprofit foundations to larger corporations, that you can apply to that invest in projects designed to improve the social welfare of Americans by providing grants for affordable and community housing.

3 | Government Help

There are a number of options to receive government funding for this type of development. The New York State HOME Program, for example, uses their investment partnership program funds to expand the supply of decent, safe, and affordable housing within the state, assisting rental projects that “primarily serve households with incomes at or below 60 percent of area median income.”

Transforming Apartments with Resource Furniture's Modern Multi-Functional & Transforming Furniture

Resource Furniture in New York City creates custom furniture that is perfect for designing more comfortable micro-living. Their pieces can be used in a variety of ways to make better use of smaller spaces. The furniture I have selected for this project is shown below along with diagrams of how they transform. Every piece is made using only ethically & sustainably sourced materials and all are backed with a lifetime warranty.

Swing Chaise - Queen Wall Bed with Sectional Sofa