2Program

Like many other waterfront portsites in New York City, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, was once a flourishing industrial area. Large numbers of Polishimmigrants came and settledin Greenpoint during the 1860's to work in its distinctiveshipyards and rope factories.

However, with the rapid declineof post-war industry and increase in rents, heavy manufacturing left Greenpoint and New York in the 1960's.

Today the waterfront of Greenpoint is largely abandoned; the large emptyindustrial buildings lining theshores are the only remindersof its storied past.

With the recent renewal of housing demand in New York City and its boroughs, the waterfront area of Greenpoint has become of great interest to residents, planners, and developers. Despite several drawbacks, (i.e., no direct subway service to Manhattan, no waterfront access), there is great potential in developingGreenpoint because of its stable immigrant population,historic character, and safe neighborhoods.

The 197a Plan for Greenpoint'sredevelopment was used as an important reference because it clearly outlines the community's goals in shaping the future of Greenpoint. Those goals include: visual and physical waterfront acess,connections to other parks within Brooklyn, increases in affordable housing, mixed-usedevelopment including lightmanufacturing, retail

Critic: Michael Haverland

URBAN PLANNING STUDIOGreenpoint, Brooklyn

development, and developmentof community facilities. In order to develop an urban strategy, other relevant New York City urban precedents were studied: Sunnyside Gardens, Roosevelt Island, and Long Island City.

The Sunnyside Gardens model (right) developed by the Regional Planning Association in the 1920's was a particularly instructive model for its innovations in block typology,use of open space, and articulation of traffic (serviceand front door entry), within the constraints of the New York City grid layout.

From these precedent studies, a systematic approach was adopted for the development of the Greenpoint Plan.

The Greenpoint Plan Analysis(pg 3-4) proposes to connectthe site to the greater urbanfabric of Brooklyn at three urban scales: regional connection, residential core, and open space. The intent is to study how these three scales overlap, relate, and intersect to create urban synergy. In other words, how can open space activate commercial activity, how canresidential neighborhoods interlock with open space, and how can the public access the waterfront. Proposed urban synergies are promoted through programmatic adjacencies and sharing, and overlapping of infrastructure.

A more detailed precinct studyof the residential core followsthe proposed Greenpoint Plan.

I

II

One of the many distinctive abandoned industrial buildings that comprise the Greenpoint Terminal Market (left)

Residential housing crafted by shipyard workers on Milton and Noble Streets (above)

Public open space

Private yard

Communal courtyard

Public entry

Housing

Service entry

OPEN SPACE CONFIGURATION ENTRY MODES

SECTIONAL LAND USE

TYPICAL SUNNYSIDE GARDENS BLOCK TYPOLOGY

PRECEDENT ANALYSISSUNNYSIDE GARDENS

II III

GREENPOINT PLANNINGANALYSIS

INTEGRATED SITE STRATEGY

The overlay of the three scales / types of circulation patterns provides for an interlocking of various programmatic elements, allowing for cross-site connectivity at different points. The superimposition proposes a synergistic interweaving of site into the existing urban tissue of the Greenpoint neighborhood by commercial, residential, and open space-oriented means.

McCarren Park

manhattan

G

Coastal Interborough Ferry (Queens)

Interborough Ferry (Manhattan)

Coastal F

erry (B

rooklyn)

Long Island Expressway (L.I.E.)Queens WestQueensborough Bridge

Long Island City

Sunnyside Gardens

B.Q.E.Williamsburg BridgeBrooklyn Bridge

Williamsburg

COMMERCIAL / RETAIL PROGRAM LAYOUT (VERTICAL):

1. Parking located below ground 2. Ferry terminal and retail 3. Restaurants, bars, clubs 4. Supermarket 5. Service retail

INNER RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM LAYOUT (VERTICAL):

1. Parking in industrial buildings 2. Converted lofts 3. Inserted residential tower

OPEN SPACE PROGRAM LAYOUT (VERTICAL):

1. Existing park 2. Open space expansion 3. Public open space corridor 4. Semi-public stairway space

6. Library, internet cafe 7. Cultural centre, cinema 8. Retail 9. Parking structure10. High density residential

1

1

1

2

2 3

3

34

55

6 7

88

9

10

10

10

9999

1

2

3

4

5

6

6

7

7

7

1

2

3

Subway Manhattan Commercial Spine Greenpoint Avenue

Milton Street Residences Abandoned Industrial Buildings

Waterfront View Towards Manhattan

Neighborhood Park McCarren Park

REGIONAL CONNECTION

Greenpoint Avenue and Calyer Street are changed to support commercial and retail activities, thereby linking the Manhattan Avenue commercial spine to our site. High density residential uses are located at important intersections with commercial nodes to support the commercial/retail activities

Mass transit (ferry, subway, buses) and vehicular (cars and trucks) transportation links are made between our site and the region.

Access to the waterfront is provided for the greater Brooklyn neighborhood. Service areassuch as parking structures support our newregional connection.

Residential Core

OPEN SPACE

Open space consists of adjoining public, semi-public, semi-private, and private spaces.

All open spaces have a direct sectional relationship to the continuous pedestrian corridor located in close proximity to the East River waterfront, which acts as inter-site circulation, while providing connections to the greater Queens / Brooklyn waterfront infrastructure.

The public / private nature of the open spaces changes in relation to sectional changesthroughout the site.

Open space is activated by different programs (i.e., day care, watersports, restaurants) at different times of day. Water activities become a vital part of the open space.

RESIDENTIAL CORE

The residential core is directly related to the inland residential neighborhoods between WestStreet and Manhattan Avenue. It lies at the intersection between the Greenpoint and Williamsburg street grids. To retain the distinctive character of our site, theGreenpoint Terminal Market is converted to residential uses. A semi-public realm is created through the modification of circulation elements in existing industrial buildings.

Ample parking is provided in the interior of the adapted industrial buildings to retain the pedestrian character of the residential core.

5. Terrace space 6. Retail open space 7. Continuous promenade

Ferry Access Live Work Residential Waterfront Promenade

The site model on the right shows the proposed waterfront development for Greenpoint. The highest density residentialareas coincide with the commercial nodes on the waterfront to support retail activity.

The low density Residential Core Precinct is established by adaptively reusing abandoned industrial buildings in the Greenpoint Terminal Market area. The pedestrian nature of Milton and Noble streets is extended through the precinct with pedestrian pathways, and off-street parking.

GREENPOINT PLANSITE MODEL

RESIDENTIAL COREPRECINCT PLAN

IV

III

II

I

III

IV

II

I

CALYER

OAK

NOBLE

MILTON

WE

ST

RESIDENTIAL CORETYPICAL BUILDING PLANS

The abandoned industrial buildings are adaptively reusedto support residential and livework units.

The first four floors of the inner core of the buildings are converted to parking. This takesadvantage of the dark interiorspans of the existing buildings to facilitate service and deliveries to live work units, to allow a secondary mode ofegress, and to provide ampleparking for the residents and

LEVEL 5

LEVEL 3

LEVEL 1

visitors to the precinct.

The roofs of the parking form two large open communal spaces that terrace down towards the water. These open spaces are used for larger gatherings and social activities.In addition, every unit has access to a private terrace.

Stairways are inserted into thefacade of the buildings to createa semi-public realm overlooking the steet.

A series of pedestrian pathways are cut through the buildings to link the northern and southern commercial nodes (at the ends of Greenpoint Ave. and CalyerSt.) and the residential buildings to the waterfront.

RESIDENTIAL COREELEVATIONS

The building elevations show how the residential core is directly related to the core between West Street and Manhattan Avenue on Milton and Noble streets. Corrugated metal is incorporated into the original brick facade to indicatenew construction. A semi-public realm is established by inserting stairways into the facade of theexisting factory buildings.

The Milton Street elevations(below) show how institutions(church and daycare) anchor the eastern and western endsof the street.

North Elevation 1"=20'

West Elevation 1"=20'

RESIDENTIAL CORESECTIONS

The dark interior spans of the abandoned factory buildings are used for parking. Housinglines the perimeter of the building.

The parking serves not only the building's occupants, but promenade visitors and other residents in the neighborhood.

The sections show how live work apartments in the firstthree levels of the building have direct access to parking to facilitate deliveries.

A courtyard structure rests on top of the parking. The parkinglot ventilates between the structure of the building and the parking lot.

North Section 1"=20'

West Section 1"=20'

Dwelling units are built into the existing structure/column grid ofthe abandoned factory building. Each unit facing the interior courtyard has a larger private terrace. Each unit facing the street has a balcony. The balconies are formed by carving into the building to allow more light and ventilation possibilities.

Dwelling units interlock throughthe shared plumbing stacks(right). In live-work apartments, one bathroom is removed to connect the living to the work space. On the upper floors, bathrooms are repositioned to allow residents of the building to circulate to the communal roof-top courtyard.

To facilitate deliveries and service by car, live-work apartments are located on garage accessible floors (Levels 1-4). The back door opens out to the fire escape hallway and the garage.

RESIDENTIAL COREUNIT PLANS

2 Bedroom Apartment Studio Live-work Studio

Typical Unit Plans 1"=16'

Live-work 1 Bedroom

LEVEL 1

LEVEL 2

LEVEL 3

LEVEL 4

LEVEL 5

LEVEL 6

Live-work Unit

1 Bedroom

Studio

Bathroom

Communal Open Space

Parking

Vertical Circulation

Private Terrace

TYPICAL UNIT STACKINGTYPICAL UNIT STACKING