concept & vision

working closely with SCAPE on landscape and resiliency, we propose a series of floodable platforms of undulating and inhabitable secondary dunes shaped to contain and protect key site infrastructure, parking and utilities. In between these dunes - in the ‘slack’ - are dynamic floodable coastal scrub gardens designed to absorb overtopping and provide desirable beach views for all residential units

design & architecture

the iconic Rockaways bungalow typology is reconceived to be resilient in its construction: a new concrete topographical and infrastructural base below is coupled with prefabricated steel modular units above ABFE where frame and finishes are built within a continuous hard shell. Bungalows cluster to form semi-public shared courtyards, creating smaller scale social spaces and a local neighborhood character

program & use

we anchor revenue generating program and mid-size density zones to the site’s two subway stops: at Beach 44th Street, the Hotel Complex is the gateway to the nature preserve, and at Beach 36th Street, a linear promenade, with a mix of retail, cultural, and residential units above, culminates in a pier that reaches out to the ocean, concentrating commercial activities and animating the N-S connection between the city and the beach

impact & significance

reimagining a resilient neighborhood where different lives coexist, retaining the grain of the preexisting fabric and encouraging interaction between people and with nature