GLUCK+

Two colorful buildings on either side of New Lots Avenue, with lush greenery around the subway tracks.
New Lots Avenue subway station, featuring the street corners of two colorful buildings in front.
View from the subway platform looking down at the sidewalk and Van Sinderen Ave in front of the colorful buildings.
Woman walking across the New Lots Avenue subway platform with colorful panels in the background.
Angled view of the two colorful buildings from beneath the canopy of the New Lots Avenue station.
New Lots Avenue intersection between two colorful gradient buildings.
Long red-to-yellow gradient building on the north end of Van Sinderen Ave.
Long red-to-yellow gradient building from south end of Van Sinderen Ave.
Close-up of a corner building façade with grey, orange, and yellow cladding, and window fins.

Van Sinderen Plaza Affordable Housing

Gateway to the neighborhood

Brooklyn, NY

Van Sinderen Plaza addresses New York City’s urgent need for affordable housing by transforming two long vacant sites into 130 high-quality apartments with street level retail and a community daycare. Developed under the Extremely Low- and Low-Income Affordability Program of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the project combines city- and privately-owned manufacturing lots and rezones them as residential with a commercial overlay. Right next to the elevated tracks of the L train, at the border between East New York and Brownsville, the two seven-story buildings flank the avenue at the transit hub intersection to create a colorful gateway into the neighborhood. This 100% affordable housing development is LEED and Enterprise Green Communities certified.

Housing 193,670 sf Completed in 2022 Architect

Stories

A balanced push and pull

Transforming an undesirable pedestrian experience with urban and architectural moves.
A balanced push and pull

A colorful edge and its assembly

To celebrate its urban condition and enhance its presence against coming and going trains, bold colors change gradually along the building's facade.
A colorful edge and its assembly

Press & Recognition

DezeenMarch 7, 2023

Colorful Façades on Affordable Housing Block in Brooklyn

By Jenna McKnight
The PlanAugust 9, 2023

Van Sinderen Plaza, A Gateway to the Community

“The construction of Van Sinderen Plaza will turn long-vacant lots into 130 new, affordable housing units for the families of East New York and Brooklyn for generations to come. It is a permanent, positive change for the neighborhood.”

—Ron Schulman, Best Development Group

2024

Honorable Mention, American Architecture Award

The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design

Photographs

Elevation view of two red-to-yellow gradient and grey-clad buildings beside the L subway tracks.
L subway tracks with two colorful gradient buildings behind them in Brooklyn.
Two colorful buildings on either side of New Lots Avenue, with lush greenery around the subway tracks.
Two colorful buildings on either side of New Lots Avenue, with autumn foliage around the subway tracks.
Close-up of New Lots Avenue between two colorful buildings, with the subway station in front.
New Lots Avenue subway station, featuring the street corners of two colorful buildings in front.
Angled view of New Lots Avenue intersection between two colorful buildings, with the L subway station in front.
View from the subway platform looking down at the sidewalk and Van Sinderen Ave in front of the colorful buildings.
Woman walking across the New Lots Avenue subway platform with colorful panels in the background.
Angled view of the two colorful buildings from beneath the canopy of the New Lots Avenue station.
New Lots Avenue intersection between two colorful gradient buildings.
Long red-to-yellow gradient building on the north end of Van Sinderen Ave.
Long red-to-yellow gradient building from south end of Van Sinderen Ave.
Subway underpass with the smaller red-to-yellow gradient building in the background.
Two vintage brick houses on Snediker Ave, with a sliver of a red building peeking between them.
Two red brick buildings on Snediker Ave, with a sliver of a red and orange building peeking between them.
Close-up of a corner building façade with grey, orange, and yellow cladding, and window fins.
Close-up of the building façade on the long side with grey, red, and orange cladding, and window fins.
Angled close-up of a red-to-yellow gradient-clad building with grey volumes protruding out.
Looking up at the building façade with dark red cladding and orange accents.
Close-up of a building façade with red and orange cladding, and a grey volume protruding
Two people walking into the entrance of the 679 Van Sinderen building.
Rooftop terrace of a grey, orange, and yellow building overlooking a smaller building.
Colorful recreation room with a view of a vibrant building through the window.
Grey minimalist living room and kitchen with a view of Brooklyn.
Grey minimalist bedroom with a view of an orange and yellow-clad building.
Close-up of a window with a view of a yellow-to-orange gradient building beside the subway station.
Bright orange-accented daycare room with two kids playing with balls.
Colorful daycare room with half-height walls and kids playing with toys.
Neon blue striped walls in a daycare room with a view of the corner of a long building.
Colorful daycare room with half-height green walls and large windows.
Colorful daycare foyer with half-height walls and kids running around.

Drawings

Site plan of Van Sinderen Plaza with the two buildings shaded in black.
First floor plan of Van Sinderen Plaza, with the street conditions shaded in grey.
Typical floor plan of Van Sinderen Plaza with subway tracks shown.
Section of Van Sinderen Plaza highlighting the building conditions relative to the subway station. Program of building noted; recreational, residential and commercial.
Elevations of Van Sinderen Plaza showing all sides of the buildings.
Section diagram showing the rationale for the building's final form relative to the subway tracks. Text reads: sidewalk too narrow, apartments compromised, and balanced push and pull.
Diagram showing how the two buildings form a gateway to the neighborhood and create an entry plaza to the commercial corridor.
Diagram showing the red-to-orange-to-yellow gradient on the two buildings.
Diagram of the façade panel assembly, with a fully rendered west elevation of the long building. The text reads: 1. Fins Bent aluminum 9'4"/10'-0" tall, 2. Window System PTAC integrated into window system, 3. Cladding Fiber cement panel 9'4"/10'-0" tall.
Annotated wall section of the wall and floor assemblies of Van Sinderen Plaza.
Type
Housing
Size
193,670 sf
Year
2022
Scope
Ground Up
Role
Architect
LocationLoc.
Urban
 
679 Van Sinderen Avenue & 170 New Lots Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11207
Van Sinderen Plaza Affordable Housing
Van Sinderen Plaza Affordable Housing