ODA New York is remaking the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn—two blocks of it, at least.
The New York–based architecture firm, along with local developer All Year Management, has begun work on its largest project to date on the former site of Brooklyn’s Rheingold Brewery. The Bushwick II will be built over two city blocks and will bring 1 million square feet of apartment units, retail, and community park space to the neighborhood.
The design is inspired by the blueprint of a European village and will break up the traditional pattern of New York City’s street grid with a system of interconnected courtyards. A 17,850-square-foot park will run through the center of the development, and other interspersed green spaces will encourage leisure among residents in a bustling community.
“Social pockets will be filled with plazas, parks, playgrounds, creative hubs, and networking spaces, within which communities can grow and thrive,” said Eran Chen, founder and executive director of ODA New York, in a statement. “By interrupting the rigid order of a typical New York City street grid and blending it with the sequencing of a European village, the path becomes a meandering courtyard rather than a direct line from point A to B, a place where one can wander and find moments of discovery and interaction that are currently in such short supply in our daily lives.”
The interconnected design of the project will be further enhanced by the covered walkways and glass-enclosed corridors that run between the courtyards and the external streetscape. The single-loaded corridors throughout the courtyards are meant to bring an open feel to the space and let in natural light.
The development will have 800 to 900 residential units, 20% of which will be affordable.
An urban farm—along with other amenities—will be housed on the building’s 60,000-square-foot roof, allowing residents to grow and harvest their own fresh produce. The public will have access to numerous plazas, coffee shops, art galleries, lounges, fitness and recreational areas, and study areas in the development.
“The project is truly a city within a city, a culture in and of itself, and a project we hope will continue to challenge all the expected sacrifices of urban life,” said Chen.
Construction has begun on the project, which borders 10 Montieth, another ODA development currently under construction. Both are slated to be completed in 16 months.
