e-Oculus
Urban Architectural Initiatives has completed two supportive housing projects in the Bronx for single, low-income adults living with special needs, developed by the social service agency Odyssey House. The five-story, 35,000-square-foot project on Soundview Avenue in the South Central section provides housing for 56 residents. Located on an unusually shaped triangular site that used to be occupied by a gas station, the project is now the organization’s first green project, designed to achieve LEED Silver certification. The building is clad in a glass-fiber reinforced rain-screen system with a transparent glass façade fronting the corner entry and lounge areas above, and is accented with painted metal panels. Punched windows are designed to take advantage of natural ventilation. The program of community functions in the basement opens up onto a sunken courtyard, which is terraced from its lowest level to the surrounding grade. The 38,000-square-foot, four-story project on Tinton Avenue in the Morrisania section houses 65 residents. The design responds to its corner site with a tower-like projection clad in a transparent curtain wall showcasing double-height tenant lounges and program spaces. The rear yard includes an amphitheater and a performance platform. Tenants in both buildings have access to the organization’s comprehensive social services programs, including substance abuse and mental health treatment, community-based recovery networks, and educational and vocational services, as along with a communal dining room, lounges, and a gym. Both projects were developed with support from the New York State Office of Mental Health.