Edwin’s Place provides 126 apartments for homeless and low-income individuals, veterans, and families in Brooklyn's Brownsville neighborhood. The eight-story building is composed of 69 one-, two-, and three-bedroom units as well as 56 studios. 88 units are home to formerly homeless individuals and families, and 37 units are for low-income residents.
Edwin's Place was designed by the renowned Robert A.M. Stern Architects.
At the corner Livonia Avenue and Grafton Street, the building is set back to accommodate the curve of the adjacent elevated New York City Subway tracks. A metal and glass curtainwall bay above the entry provides a focal point to the south facade and light to the elevator lobbies. A community facility space is incorporated into the ground floor and is home to the nonprofit organization Power of Two. The L-shaped building cradles a sunken courtyard with various outdoor amenities, as well as providing light to lower-level offices for social service staff, a fitness center, a computer lab, and meeting rooms. The upper floors offer a variety of apartments ranging from 300-square-foot studios to 1,100-square-foot three-bedroom units. Pergolas provide shade for a rooftop terrace.
The building is clad in a blend of warm beige brick; brick sills and reveals pick up the rhythm of pre-existing apartment buildings nearby. Edwin's Place also demonstrates Breaking Ground's dedication to sustainable and affordable development: the design features a robust yet economical structural system of precast hollow-core floor planks and reinforced concrete block walls; continuously insulated walls, triple-glazed windows, a green roof, and a photovoltaic solar array all contribute to reduced energy use.
The project is our first collaboration with the African American Planning Commission, Inc., which provides onsite social services for all tenants of Edwin's Place.
Photos by Francis Dzikowski/OTTO.
