the beacon residential facility
LOCATION: East Harlem, New York, NY
PROGRAM: Extremely Low & Low-Income Affordability Program (ELLA)
TOTAL AREA: 39,040 SF
CLIENT: The Community Builders + Ascendant Neighborhood Development
PARTNERS: New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, Dagher Engineering, Silman Structural Solutions, GEODesign, Inc, Philip Habib & Associates, Terrain-NYC, Cany Architecture + Engineering, Atelier Ten, ZeroEnergy Design, MaGrann Associates
The Beacon is a 21-story residential high-rise set to introduce 282 affordable housing units to the historical, culturally rich East Harlem neighborhood. Paul A. Castrucci Architects (PCA) provided complete design services for the new building, fostering a connection between 120th Street and The Beacon with the NYCHA Wagner Houses Community.
With its fully electrified, passive house, and flood-resilient design, The Beacon aims to serves as a symbol of community resilience. It sets a new standard in sustainability, incorporating innovative heating and cooling systems that lower lifetime operating costs and carbon emissions. Advanced building controls, time of use rates, and resident engagement systems, further minimize lifetime operating costs.
Inside The Beacon, residents will find ~5,000square feet of indoor amenity space, including a playroom, fitness room, reading lounge, laundry facilities, and ample bike storage. Additionally, ~6,000 square feet of outdoor amenity space offer a private courtyard, roof terrace, and north yard for communal gatherings and relaxation.
By building upon existing best practices, The Beacon demonstrates how cost-effective, resilient, low-carbon, and healthy buildings can be replicated throughout New York State. Its innovative approach serves as a blueprint for sustainable urban living, paving the way for future developments.