Project by: David Ni, Estrella Vanini, Lama Barhoumi, Maria Elisa Pardi, Raphael Ogoe, Shirley Yan
The Community at Gowanus proposes a family-centered mixed-use development designed to support multigenerational living and everyday neighborhood life. The project combines 99 residential units, including 24 affordable apartments, with commercial and community facility spaces carefully organized around the needs of families. The new northern building introduces family-sized housing, including townhouse-style units designed to provide families with greater privacy, direct access, and a stronger connection to the open courtyard and streetscape. Shared indoor and outdoor amenities, along with active ground-floor retail, create a safe and engaging pedestrian environment. On the southern lot, the existing structure will be adaptively reused, preserving its historic façade while introducing flexible spaces for recreation, education, wellness, and community gathering. A central open courtyard physically and programmatically connects both sites, encouraging accessibility, visibility, and interaction between residents and visitors. Together, the development balances preservation with growth while reinforcing Gowanus’ evolving identity as an inclusive, walkable, intergenerational neighborhood.
