Project by Liza Hegedus @lizahegedus98 + Mahum Erkin @mainlymahum
Rooted in the layered meaning of the “bridge,” this project reimagines the Bridge Apartments and surrounding Washington Heights infrastructure as a site of reconnection. Responding to the noise, pollution, and isolation produced by the open 12-lane expressway, the proposal builds new ground over the highway to create parks, housing, public amenities, and ecological repair. Existing abandoned tunnels are reactivated as air-exchange corridors, redirecting exhaust through purification systems that convert toxicity into resources for the landscape. The Bridge Apartments are adapted with new cantilevered units, green corridors, and communal terraces, while three new housing blocks introduce varied apartment types, public programs, and layered green spaces. Timber bridges, staircases, and walkways stitch these elements together, transforming circulation into social infrastructure. By combining architecture, ecology, and infrastructural repair, the project turns overlooked residual space into a connected residential and civic landscape for Washington Heights.
