New York’s housing conversation is understandably focused on supply. We need more homes, faster approvals, and better ways to make development feasible.
But an equally important question often gets overlooked – what kinds of homes are we building?
Much of today’s multifamily housing is optimized around a relatively narrow set of apartment types, limiting the overall housing choices. That makes sense from a construction and development standpoint, but it doesn’t always reflect the diversity of households that make up New York City. Growing families. Empty-nesters. Multigenerational households. People working from home. People aging in place. These aren’t niche conditions. They’re part of the reality architects and developers need to accommodate for.
Across projects like Leonard Street Rowhouse, North 8th Street, and the Opal and Onyx Residences, we’ve tried to ask a different question. It’s not just about how many units fit on a site, but whether a project can expand the range of housing choices available for the surrounding communities within the constraints of that site.
Sometimes that means rethinking circulation. Sometimes it means introducing a different unit mix. Sometimes it simply means recognizing that standing out from the neighboring comps can be an asset.
Adding housing will always be important. For us, adding housing diversity has proven just as important.
Project Credits (by photo order):
Opal Residences – developer: RedHoek+ | design team: Pliskin Architecture / panyc, FAB 314 Architecture Workshop, Jose L. Ramirez, AIA | photo by Luis Chavez
Leonard Street Rowhouse – developer LTNG | design team: Pliskin Architecture / panyc | photo by David Mitchell
Onyx Residences – developer: RedHoek+ | design team: Pliskin Architecture / panyc, FAB 314 Architecture Workshop | photo by Luis Chavez
76 North 8th – developer LTNG | design team: Pliskin Architecture / panyc | photo by Tim Waltman