Current Work: Betances Residence Project Study

Current Work is a lecture series featuring leading figures in the worlds of architecture, urbanism, design, and art.

This spring, the League is focusing on the imperative for a more accessible built environment, from different perspectives and through different typologies. The overarching concern is to look beyond the often inconsistently executed design ramifications of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to address how the fields that are charged with planning, design, construction, and management can more fully address an inclusive, well-designed approach to disability justice.

What are some of the ways we interpret accessibility in housing, from the economic to the physical aspects of a project? How can architects effectively partner with non-profit organizations to create mindful, enduring designs that are truly welcoming for residents from vulnerable communities?

Betances Residence is a supportive, multi unit development for low income and formerly unhoused senior citizens. Designed by COOKFOX Architects, the 152-unit building contains on-site medical and community facilities and meets Passive House standards. This program will bring together the architects, client, and community service provider behind Betances Residence to discuss the process of creating accessible supportive housing, with participation from COOKFOX Architects, non-profit developer Breaking Ground, and the Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS).