Cities are complex, always in motion, changing and expanding, with an ever increasing, never fully satisfied need for affordable housing. Take a look around. Long vacant city centers are coveted once again; once polluted industrial manufacturing districts are rezoned for new development; and sites long removed from cities are now fully integrated into urban life.

By designing housing on the boundaries—both natural and manmade, physical and metaphorical—Buildings on the Edge negotiate scales, uses, geographies, densities, and programs. In different contexts, at different points in our history as a firm, and with different populations in mind, we designed built and developed them. The goal was to weave less isolated neighborhoods, composing and unifying previously fragmented sites.

Whether next to an elevated subway station, between heavy infrastructure and historic fabric, or on a risky, complicated hillside, these four projects exemplify the power of Architect-Led Design Build in addressing urban housing challenges.