ODA develops 800,000ft of residential space in 416-420 kent towers

ODA develops 800,000ft of residential space in 416-420 kent towers
all images courtesy of bloomimages

ODA challenges the archetypal towers of new york city with ‘416-420 kent’, an expansive three-building project on the east river waterfront. once the epicenter of the city’s industry, the area — just south of the williamsburg bridge — has massive potential that for years has gone unrealized. that is, until the site came into the possession of spitzer enterprises, who commissioned ODA to design 800,000 feet of residential space.

view from kent avenue

three, 22-story structures comprised of 857 apartment units were developed — with 20% of the total reserved as affordable housing. using two standard floor plans, and mirroring them about a central axis, the towers manage to side-step one of NYC’s most common issues: lack of corner units. traditionally, four coveted spaces had to be sparred for floor by floor. due to its re-imagined architectural language, ‘416-420 kent’ provides three-sided views in more than 80% of the apartments.

numerous roof levels and projections are programed with diverse activities

besides allowing for mid-floor corner residences, cantilevered structural shifts are used to create private garden terraces — another ODA trademark and equally coveted rarity in the city. adding a third dimension to the envelope enables intimate moments of interaction to occur both inside and out, and boasts sight lines onto the williamsburg bridge, east river, and eastern manhattan. ‘kent’s’ promenade will add to the communal boardwalk stretching from greenpoint to dumbo, and approximately 77,000ft² of outdoor space will be available to residents. 

tower spatial relation 

manhattan view framed by the towers

shifting allows for a more open vista and increased amount of sunlight exposure 

shifting the central axis provides premium units with three-side views and terraces

the three dimensional envelope provides horizontal surfaces for a vertical village lifestyle

 typical floor plans are mirrored around a central axis to create the multi-plane façade and ‘corner’ units 

tower diagram

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions  feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: nick brink | designboom

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