The Alfred E. Smith Houses are having a moment in the spotlight. Their waterfront location in the Two Bridges neighborhood of Manhattan was hit particularly hard by storm surge during Hurricane Sandy and thus has become a site of study for those exploring how to adapt or fortify our coastal built environment. The housing complex’s potential for green infrastructure interventions was a central reason why the Smith Houses were selected for inclusion in Typecast, the ongoing Architectural League / Urban Omnibus investigation into architectural typologies including “towers-in-the-park.” The land surrounding the Smith Houses is also included in NYCHA’s controversial plan to develop market-rate housing on eight of its campuses to generate new revenue for much needed maintenance and repairs. A few weeks before NYCHA announced their plan, students in the M.Arch program at the School of Constructed Environments at Parsons The New School for Design had been prompted to consider the potential of the undeveloped vacant land surrounding the Smith Houses tower blocks in a design studio focusing on housing in New York City.....Continue Reading

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