Image courtesy of nARCHITECTS

CARMEL PLACE: the first micro-unit apartment by nARCHITECTS

nARCHITECTS’ Carmel Place (formerly known as My Micro NY), with Monadnock Development, is the winning proposal in the adAPT NYC competition sponsored by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD). Former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and HPD Commissioner Mathew M. Wambua announced on January 22nd, 2013, that the My Micro NY development team has been chosen through a competitive Request for Proposals, which received the largest response to date for an HPD housing project. 

 Image courtesy of nARCHITECTS

The adAPT NYC competition was created as part of the administration’s New Housing Marketplace Plan to introduce additional choices within New York City’s housing market and accommodate the city’s growing population of one – and two – person households. The City’s housing codes have not kept up with its changing population, and currently do not allow apartments smaller than 400sf nor an entire building of micro-units. The Mayor’s office waived certain zoning regulations at the Kips Bay site to allow the Carmel Place/My Micro NY pilot project to be developed. 

 Image courtesy of nARCHITECTS

Carmel Place will be the first micro-unit apartment building in New York City, one of the first multi-unit Manhattan buildings using modular construction, and at the time of writing, the tallest modular building in New York City. The project focuses on quality and livability through features that highlight the use of space, light, and air, such as 9’-8” floor-to-ceiling heights and juliet balconies. Shared amenities will include a gym at ground floor level, a small lounge, den, community room and public roof terrace, bicycle storage, tenant storage room and separate storage lockers dispersed throughout the building, and a small garden. 

Image courtesy of nARCHITECTS

By incorporating setbacks as a governing design logic, My Micro NY could in principle be adapted to many sites, at a range of heights and floor area ratios, and at nearly any location in a block. The 55 micro-units, ranging from 250 to 370 square feet, achieve affordability for low – and middle-income households, in part through its use of modular design to significantly shorten project schedule. The project completed the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure in early winter 2014, and began construction in Spring 2014, with expected completion in early 2016.

more. narchitects.com