NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development has announced the selection of the Norma, an 11-story, 100% affordable home ownership project designed by Leong Leong with Almat Urban and Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation.

The Norma (named in honor of Norma Merrick Sklarek, the first African American woman to pass her license exam to officially become an architect in both New York and California) will give rise to 44 homeownership opportunities through a mix of 1- to 3-bedroom condo-style coops for low- to moderate-income households with a broad range of affordability.

Under the plans, the Brownsville Multi Service Wellness and Health Center will operate a new urgent care facility on the ground floor, providing services for adult medicine, pediatrics, physical therapy, OB/GYN, mental health and dentistry among others. A community terrace on the second floor will create space for community building, resident organizing and activities. Additionally, the building is designed to comply with Passive House energy efficiency and sustainability standards with a fully electric mechanical heating and cooling systems.

Green Roof, Stormwater Retention, and Mechanical Systems

In order to reduce load on the CSO, gardens and green spaces adjacent to the Northern facade can use storm-water in a retention and irrigation effort. A 1,067 sf green roof above the eleventh floor penthouse will absorb heavy rains and provide an extra layer of insulation, which will increase the energy efficiency and lower carbon footprints. The pavement in the rear yard of the site will be permeable so that aquifers can be recharged. Proposed planters on the second floor and eleventh floor amenity spaces with small trees and foliage will provide shade and a nice visual touch, as well as storm-water retention in its own right.

The team proposes the use of a high-performance, high-efficiency HVAC system. Initial research centers on the feasibility of a variable refrigerant flow unit (VRF) mini-split with a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) unit, to provide (at least part of) the mechanical heating and cooling for the building.