“Closing the Loop” is a mixed-use housing development in West Harlem that reimagines urban living by integrating maker spaces and biogenic design principles. The project responds to New York City’s challenging urban conditions – defined by rigid grids, narrow lots, and dense verticality. By fragmenting the building mass into six rotated and terraced 50'x50’ volumes. This formal strategy maximizes natural light penetration, creates diverse living spaces, and establishes meaningful connections to the outdoors through terraced gardens. The programming reflects Harlem’s cultural identity by incorporating public maker spaces—including metal, ceramic, painting, and woodworking studios—connected by an exterior circulation path that transforms production into a performance. The building employs sustainable solutions: cross-laminated timber provides structure while sequestering carbon, straw bale insulation creates inhabitable wall depths, and recycled brick is repurposed into terrazzo panels. Supplementary systems include rainwater harvesting and heat capture from composting and kiln operations. By integrating housing with creative maker spaces, biogenic materials, and community engagement, the project presents a new model for urban development that addresses both environmental and cultural sustainability while providing a comprehensive solution to NYC’s housing challenges. The design closes the loop between living and making, between public and private realms, and between resource consumption and regeneration.
