1/6
The massing of the tower is modulated into three parts, reducing its perceived scale and aligning with height datums of surrounding buildings.
2/6
Screened exterior walls fold inward to create terraces with modest bits of nature that permeate all academic and residential units throughout the building.
3/6
The three-section articulate mass is programmed as 1) a base of shared university/public functions, along with classroom & studio space; 2) a shared mid-section of academic/university functions, along with residential amenities and one & two-bedroom units; and 3) and upper block of one & two-bedrooms and shared rooftop space.
4/6
The 15th floor's shared residential terraces result from a reciprocal shift of the southwest and northeast building corners, defining the top mass of residential units. Concrete exterior walls fold inward to create terraces with modest bits of nature that permeate all academic spaces and all residential units throughout the building.
5/6
At street level, the southwest and southeast corners are setback from the property line, creating slivers of outdoor space at the building's entries. The massing steps back at the 8th floor with three building corners shifting around a northwest corner that remains pinned in place. The 15th floor's shared residential terraces result from a reciprocal shift of the southwest & northeast corners, defining the top section of the tower.
6/6
Detail view of top section residential units & terraces at night.

MIXED-USE SMALL TOWER

Client withheld, New York, NY

Project 2014-15

R+L designed this 200,000gsf mixed-use small tower, situated in a dense urban neighborhood of lower Manhattan, in response to extensive zoning research which demonstrated that a combined not-for-profit academic/university program could be supported by an associated market-rate residential development. The massing of the tower is modulated into three parts, reducing its perceived scale and aligning with height datums & bay sizes of surrounding buildings.

At street level, the SW & SE corners are setback from the property line, creating slivers of outdoor space at the buildings dual (academic & residential) entries. The massing steps back at the 8th floor with three building corners shifting around a NW corner that remains pinned in place. These setbacks form multi-use garden terraces for both university & residential use. The 15th floor's shared residential terraces result from a reciprocal shift of the SW & NE corners that create the top mass of residential units. Exterior screen-walls fold inward to create terraces - modest bits of nature that permeate all academic spaces and all residential units throughout the building.

The three-section articulated mass is programmed as follows: 1) a base where shared university lobby, meeting, & study functions, along with classroom & studio space join with renovated space in an existing adjacent building; 2) a shared mid-section of
academic/university functions, along with residential amenities and one & two-bedroom units; and 3) and upper block of one & two-bedrooms and shared rooftop space.

Upper Residential Block (Floors 8-27) 69,082gsf
Middle Residential Block (Floor 8-14 ): 36,883gsf
Academic/University Base Area (Floors C-8): 47,826gsf (new)+ 45,000gsf (existing)

Rice+Lipka Architects
Principal: Lyn Rice & Astrid Lipka
Associate: Benjamin Cadena
Project Team: Rachel Kim, Emmeily Zhang

Land Use, Construction & Development: Fried Frank
Real Estate: U3 Advisors