Making Manhattan Livable
Proposal for a Near-Future New York
2020
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‘Making Manhattan Livable’ explores methods of increasing the island’s density without ereasing its built identity by rethinking historic preservation and adaptive reuse. The steps are as follows:
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1. Locate a huge, under-utilized property with F.A.R. to spare (in this case, 620 Avenue of the Americas in Midtown South, which is missing out on over 300,000 s.f.).
2. Carve out a double-height arcade to increase street-level porosity and free up additional residential F.A.R.
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3. Carve out 30’-wide light wells to increase the perimeter of the floor plates, making them viable for residential layouts.
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4. Erect a continuous triple-core central spine that doubles as the building’s vertical structural support.
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5. Cantilever concrete floors from the vertical spine. The elimination of perimeter structural support maximizes the buildings long-term spatial flexibility.
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6. Insert 1300 per-fabricated units, comprising studios (40%), 1BRs (45%), and 2BRs (15%). Given the building’s structural flexibility, this mix can be adjusted in the future as the city’s needs change.