The Maynard Designed by RKT&B Architects And Developed by Community Preservation Resources, Is Latest Incarnation

The Maynard, the latest infill project designed by RKT&B Architects and developed by the Community Preservation Corporation Resources Inc. (CPCR), is now complete, marking another milestone in their “Smart Housing” initiative.
The project, located at the intersection of Bergen Street and Schenectady Avenue in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood, contains six separate buildings with eight apartments each. It is the fifth completed application of the affordable housing prototype. Other projects are located in several Brooklyn neighborhoods, including Park Slope, Bedford Stuyvesant and East New York.
This prototype, which is designed to fit into vacant lots of varying widths, is a four-story walk-up with a glass-enclosed stairwell that enhances security from the street. “This prototype makes sense for affordable housing because, as a single stair walk-up, it allows developers to avoid the high costs of elevator installation and maintenance,” explains Carmi Bee, FAIA, president of RKT&B. “Furthermore, it accomplishes two key objectives: It addresses the urgent need for affordable housing in New York City and it offers a strategy for revitalizing neighborhoods.”
Mr. Bee also points out that the prototype meets the strict zoning requirements of many outer borough neighborhoods where most of the available infill sites are located.
Other project team members included Goldstein Associates (structural engineers), Reynaldo C. Prego, PE Consulting Engineers (mechanical), and Landgarden Landscape Architects.
RKT&B has a long history of designing affordable housing. Mr. Bee notes: “In our opinion, affordable housing options are critical to New York City’s economic and cultural vitality.”