Home Street Residences are an innovative low-income housing development conceived primarily for seniors, with a community space now home to a teen support and video gaming centre.
Located on Freeman Square in the Foxhurst section of the Bronx, the building has 63 affordable apartments and opened in early 2020.
Maximising the 75,000 sq ft building, the architecture team carved out the apartments which averaged out at 550 sq ft each. The building uses panelised steel-stud framing, recessed fenestration, and extra insulation to lower heating and cooling costs and meet its LEED Gold aspirations.
Grey brick cladding echoes the schist from the dilapidated church that once stood on the site, and the recessed window openings produce a sculptural quality in the geometric shadows often gracing the facade. The former Presbyterian church’s cartouche of 1909 is embedded in the foundation of this 1017 Home Street structure.
Inside, BLA’s contemporary interior design signature is seen in the stainless steel appliances and dark wood finishes. Browns and grays in the hallways, common areas and apartments complement the exterior palette, with original paintings by Body-Lawson in corridors and elevator lobbies.
Residents have access to roof patios with dramatic views of Manhattan and the Bronx as well as a quiet rear courtyard. Succulents, ferns and other perennials provide needed biophilic touches.
The ground floor uses a tessellated and colour variegated stone pattern, contrasting the interior courtyard’s elegant gray herringbone tiles.