Magnolia Villas is a 40 unit high density (over 116 units per acre) 100% affordable senior housing project that acts as a transitional building bridging the 4 story mixed use context of Broadway and the 1 and 2 story existing residential context on 10th street.  The goal was to create a profile that is 4 stories along Broadway and steps down to 1 story along 10th Street.

The design approach was to break down the scale of the building and create a series of terraced cubes along 10th Street.  Because the units are only 450 sf, they were designed so that an interior center wall divided the living room and bedroom into 2 equal modules.  This allowed the units to be flipped from floor to floor creating a series of undulating cubes separated by recessed balconies.  2 units were removed from the 4th floor and 1 unit was removed from the 3rd floor, creating terraced outdoor decks at both the 4th floor and the 3rd floor.  The profile of the cubes is duplicated at the ground floor creating bays bringing light into the fitness room, administration, and resident community room.  One of the cubes at the ground floor has been removed and replaced with a wall of storefront glass that steps back creating a visual connection to the courtyard while providing transparency into the community room and a covered outdoor seating area.

The building was certified GreenPoint rated Gold 6.7.22.