A freight elevator enables a community to rebuild, regrow and reunite.

The fabric of the East Village culture can be observed or understood through its history. Three moments in time drove this project forward: The Rivington School, CHARAS Recycle-a-Bike, and the Village Green Recycling Team. These three movements share threads of creation, sharing resources, resourcefulness and peer-to-peer learning.

Proposed Intervention

Vertical programming: Freight elevators support high production activities atop the building, (e.g. heavy machinery repair and metal fabrication). Activity lightens as one moves down through the building, (level three bicycle repair) until one reaches the lower level printing press and cafeteria.

Value of Void: The internal ramp allows systematic progression down through the building (e.g. from power washing on level five to reupholstery on level four). Moreso, the ramp creates a true luxury: openness.

Expert Studios: These spaces expand educational opportunities with the invaluable insertion of expert guidance.

Forward Thinking Construction: Operational efficiencies have critical residual value — captured in the expert studios — which provide exterior shading for floors below and utilize energy efficient Okalux glazing.

Mobile Utility System: Designed and built as an exploration in lightweight low-cost building methods and functional customization suited for the vertical program.