New Square Garden Apartments
New Square, New York

Owner:	New Square Development
Size:	24,750 square feet
Cost:	$30 million

Designed using requirements established by the New York State Housing Development Authority as well as following the religious principles imposed by the community, this 22 unit garden apartment represented a challenge to our designers. The challenge was how to achieve approval from the authorities in Albany for the development of 3 to 5 bedroom units with specific design requirements, not typical in housing of this type, and meet the unique needs of this religious community.

Considerations included 8 foot wide corridors to ensure adequate separation of men and women within common areas, exterior entries allowing no more than 4 families to share a common entrance way, as well as providing a central corridor system linking all the units to an elevator for barrier-free compliance. Additionally, units were designed with space to allow families to develop a second kitchen for ritual purposes.

This project won a design award from the state of New York and was cited as a demonstration project that low income housing need not be unattractive.