277 CANAL ST
SAMANTHA LEEPER & ALEXA MILLER
PROJECT ABSTRACT
Recent findings reported by the New York Times disclose a startling reality: “Half of N.Y.C. Households Can’t Afford to Live Here.” This revelation underscores the urgent need for creative and comprehensive solutions to address the diverse housing challenges confronted by the city’s residents.
In the midst of our site research, we learned about the efficacy of communal living as a strategy to battle the high cost of living in large urban areas like New York. The multi-use building holds a variety of 1-4 bedroom apartments meant to provide equity to NYC renters. Amenities are spread throughout the of the building, while floors 3-5 are accessible to residents only.
Monthly rent includes a waived fee to open and maintain a checking account with Bank of America (first floor), a free pass to the rooftop yoga studio and second floor gym (including childcare drop-off), and bookable office spaces on the first floor. The revenue from commercial spaces within 277 Canal St--rentable meeting room/offices, extensive gym, massage, childcare, shops etc.--keeps rent low, and amenities plenty.
What excites us most about shared-living situations are the communal aspects and the social movement they provide. The multi-use building is a place for one to expand their social network, whether they be new to the city or simply looking for a community to be a part of. New perspectives, new conversations, and new people cultivate engagement and connection, things we believe are important in urban settings where anonymity feels natural. Our multi-use building aims to welcome young families and young professionals with a plethora of third spaces to foster that novelty and connectivity among residents.
Third spaces are a setting for casual public interaction, and are communal by definition. Each floor includes a laundry room, green roof, and balcony, in addition to a third space that varies from floor to floor. This encourages residents to move vertically through the building, and associates people by activity/interests.
277 Canal St aspires to spark contact and unite indiviuals within the urban landscape.
Our mixed-use building lies South of Houston St. (SoHo), in Manhattan, New York. It takes ic forms and representation in New York and the struggle to slow down within the fast-paced non-rigid form draws attention to the more human-scale aspects of living in New York, and capacity for coexistence. With this in mind, we introduce new third spaces to a post-pandemic communal housing and amenities while remaining inclusive to all lifestyles.
note of the lack of organfast-paced city. Our curvilinear, and the city’s tremendous post-pandemic society and prioritize
Commercial
Communal
Outdoor
Residential
Green
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Structurally, our building relies on three vertical cores, and a horizontal diaphram at each floor level. The emergency stairs on either side, act as primary structural columns, made of reinforced concrete. The third vertical core is the elevator shaft lined with an extra foot of material added to each side for strength.
In addition to the structural cores, we have columns stretching in between these points of stress to act as secondary support.
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Each residential floor has a unique layout, with exception to the curved hallway, which remains the identical throughout. The apartments themselves each have a unique character and arrangement.
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1/8” = 1’ 0”
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1/8” = 1’ 0”
