Creston Avenue Residence is a new 10-story affordable and supportive housing development comprised of 66 studio, one- and two-bedroom units. Located in the Bronx, it is the first building funded by the New York State Medicaid Redesign Team Housing Capital Program.

The building is set amongst buildings half the size and nearly 80 years older. Amid a curtain of brick, broken by shadowed entry courtyards and adorned by fire escapes, this design reflects the neighborhood’s past and offers a vision of its future.

The building is divided into three masses, two separate brick sections and a main body.  The brick sections are consistent in both material and proportion with the adjacent properties. The metal panels work in tandem with large windows creating reflections that brighten the façade.

Front facing windows are fitted with sunshades – a green design staple, but the metal, ladder-like pieces also serve as a visual analog.  They repeat the form, façade layering and even cast shadows of fire escapes. The property’s downward slope keeps the first floor apartments off the ground and allows the basement, with laundry and community rooms, to open onto a landscaped courtyard.

The development achieved LEED Platinum certification and meets the goals of the NYSERDA Multifamily Building Performance Program for New Construction. Green features and technology include photovoltaic panel system at the roof, a green roof, generous fenestration to maximize daylight, low-E thermally broken Energy Star win-dows, low or no VOC paints, primers and caulks, water saver faucets and shower heads, and a rainwater harvesting system to aid in the irrigation of the landscaped rear yard planted with native, non-invasive species.