St Philip Neri Apartments wins AIA NYS Excelsior Award

St Philip Neri Apartments consists of 186 units of affordable and supportive housing across two buildings in the Bronx. It has been awarded an AIA NYS Excelsior Award. Read more

Groundbreaking at 570 Eldert Lane

A ground breaking ceremony took place at 570 Eldert Lane at the end of April to mark the start of construction on this exciting project.

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Construction starts at Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Plaza

Construction has started on a new 123 unit affordable housing development and the creation of a permanent indoor home for the iconic Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Market. Read more

Think! appointed to renovate CCNY’s Aaron Davis Hall

Think! has been appointed by City College New York and DASNY to design the renovation of their primary performing arts facility, Aaron Davis Hall. Read more

Modular and Passive House two-family in Fort Greene

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The American Institute of Architects for New York State has recognized St Philip Neri Apartments in its Excelsior Awards. The Excelsior Awards highlight the best in publicly funded buildings, outdoor areas, and public art across New York State, and the architects and design professionals who support and advocate for them.

St Philip Neri Apartments is a pair of 100% affordable housing buildings located diagonally across from one another on land adjacent to the St Philip Neri Church on Villa Avenue in the Bronx. The two buildings accommodate 186 residential units in total.

Located on a former parking lot of the neighboring St Philip Neri church, the design considers the two buildings as a family with a strong connection to one another pragmatically, socially and architecturally. The scheme breaks down the scale with two basic massings; a lower folded wall up to 9 stories, clad in a light brick. Set back behind these folds is a recessed plan, clad in a darker brick. The lower zone slightly inflects at both buildings, and together creates an “embrace” that connects them visually. 

In addition to the embrace, the buildings connect to each other in several ways. The wood-clad entry pavilions are diagonally arranged across the street, inviting people into the residences through these transparent and welcoming structures, which then travel into the interiors as a pathway to public spaces, amenities and a garden.

Both buildings provide homes for diverse demographics, including low-income families, individuals with mental disabilities, and a set-aside for formerly homeless people, including veterans. In addition to the residential units amenities include community rooms, laundry, bike storage, recreational gardens, and in the case of 3069 Villa Avenue, a center for formerly homeless youth called the Beacon of Hope.

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Think! has been appointed by City College New York and DASNY to design the renovation of their primary performing arts facility, Aaron Davis Hall. Located in Harlem and opened in 1979, Aaron Davis Hall (ADH) is home to City College Center for the Arts (CCCA). The building houses three venues: a 629-seat proscenium theater named for American contralto Marian Anderson, a 110–265-seat black box theater, and a 75-seat flexible studio and teaching space—making it the largest performing arts complex in Manhattan north of Lincoln Center.

Think!'s 50,000 sq ft renovation of ADH will be the most ambitious capital improvement project in the building's 45 year history, and will include a massive accessibility upgrade; an expansion of the Marian Anderson Theatre's seating capacity; major upgrades to theatrical lighting, rigging, and AV/IT control systems; necessary updates to the building's decades-old mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and sprinkler systems; an overhaul of the building's various roofs; and an architectural refresh of the main lobby and significant public spaces.

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Groundbreaking at 570 Eldert Lane

The groundbreaking took place at 570 Eldert Lane a new 196,000 sq ft affordable housing development in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn. Designed for a joint venture of Slate Property Group, Thorobird Companies LLC, and Bangladeshi American Community Development & Youth Services (BACDYS), the project transforms a long-underutilized parking lot adjacent to the Grant Avenue subway station into 213 apartments and 10,000 sq ft of community space.

The building was initially conceived as a modular project; however, due to a range of factors, the design was adapted to traditional concrete construction. Because of the network of subway tunnels located just a few feet below grade, the foundation is designed to isolate the structure from train vibration through a system of acoustical pads. To reduce the load imposed on the tunnels, the structural shell is formed of post-tensioned concrete. To retain elements of the original modular approach, the façade is unitized and is being fabricated in Europe.

The development includes studio, one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartments. In addition to housing, the project is planned as a neighborhood resource. The ground-floor community space will be anchored by BACDYS for local programming and will also include an indoor fitness room, a landscaped rooftop, and a rear courtyard.

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Construction has begun at Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Plaza in West Harlem, NYC. Designed by Think! Architecture and Design for the Malcolm Shabazz Mosque Development Team and The Procida Companies, this mixed-use multifamily development consists of 100% affordable housing with 123 units across two buildings, a central landscaped garden for the residents, and a new permanent indoor home for the Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Market; a beloved cultural gathering space and iconic destination in Harlem.

The new marketplace will function as a local business incubator that showcases West African crafts, traditional clothing, goods and food. The market hall, which spans from West 116th Street to West 115th Street, will stitch together two city blocks, activated by a bustling pedestrian arcade. This arcade will be topped by large skylights to evoke the formerly outdoor market condition. During construction, the market will be continuously operating in a temporary indoor space nearby.

The two new 9-story buildings above the market will offer homes that conform to the City’s Extremely Low and Low‐Income Affordability (ELLA) criteria. 

The project will also implement Passive House design principles and won the Blue Ribbon Award in Round 4 of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Buildings of Excellence program, winning the distinguished project award and a major capital development grant. The energy and sustainability performance of the building will meet Energy Star, Enterprise Green Communities, Indoor airPLUS and Fitwel certifications.

The main West 116 Street Market Hall entry will be adorned by a translucent art wall that will serve as a central identity and characterize the essential meaning and history of the market while creating an iconic neighborhood destination.

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