A social housing intervention on three levels of the renowned Lever House in midtown Manhattan.
DESIGN EXCELLENCE NOMINATION, CLAY ODOM
GRANULAR LIVING
Continuous ground planes, a multi-functional stair intervention, and the spatial congregation of vertical circulation promote a more egalitarian circulatory experience. Within units and common spaces, generous and intentional floor plans welcome users of various mobility levels. A notable “notch” geometry is reconfigured to indicate places to linger, form thresholds and surfaces, and establish a recognizable aesthetic identity both within the complex as well as from the exterior.
Poche is utilized to define spatial relationships and contain function in an efficient and aesthetically-clean manner. Each unit serves as a simple but warm backdrop for the granularity of domestic life.
White oak, tinted plaster, foamed aluminum, and ribbed glass are sure to set the proposal apart as a unique place to call home.
Single, two-bed, three-bed, and studio spaces are on offer. Units are situated to cater to the potential of extended family or other communal arrangement; for example, an aging parent or differently-abled resident retaining their independence in the studio next door, with the convenience and conviviality of living near family or friends.
The proposal is such that each unit has a pronounced entrance threshold uniquely oriented from the others, imparting a sense of distinction on the residences that is often lost in the density of urban housing. The notion of gathering around one’s “stoop” remains possible with ample space in which to linger along the circulation route.
Each level offers a common space of which all residents are encouraged to take advantage. Level three hosts a work and collaborative space; level two boasts a covered terrace with flexible gathering space; and level one provides a communal kitchen and living area.
As the level two and three programs are traditionally (pre-Covid) distinguished as exterior to the home, these spaces are situated in plan as “destinations” relative to preceding units. Conversely, because kitchen and living programs tend to be interior to the home, the level one common space is integrated as an extension of surrounding units, in hopes that residents might perceive the comfort of their own units with additional room for community.
