New York, NY, October 5, 2010 — Construction of 1465 & 1473 Fifth Avenue, an 80,000-square-foot, Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) project in Harlem, is complete, announces RKT&B Architects, the firm that designed the affordable residences for the developer, Artimus Construction Corporation.
One of the most distinctive features of the buildings is their facades, which have a unique brick pattern of three different colors that relate closely to the colors of the surrounding buildings. The facades also have staggered window arrangement to allow for flexibility in locating apartment walls and to break down the surface, giving the buildings a much more intimate scale.
“People don’t typically associate affordable housing with innovative design,” says Carmi Bee, FAIA, president of RKT&B. “1465 & 1473 Fifth Avenue offers both, and the façades are just one example. This project demonstrates there is no reason why affordable housing can’t look like upscale housing.”
The buildings, which encompass 80,000 square feet in aggregate, are located between West 118th and 119th Streets on a block that was incomplete for many years. Each is eight stories tall, with ground floors designated for commercial use.
“Urban infill is an effective method of revitalizing neighborhoods,” says Mr. Bee. “Now that these buildings are complete, the block looks great. It’s also much safer without the vacant lots.”
Other firms involved in the project include Goldreich Engineering, PC (structural) and Sideris Engineers (mechanical).
