Via Verde is a subsidized housing development going up in a gentrifying part of the South Bronx, combining towers with townhouses and a contemporary design.
Michael Kimmelman writes that Via Verde "...makes as good an argument as any new building in the city for the cultural and civic value of architecture."
The project was a collaboration between two architectural firms, one with a reputation for high-end design but little experience with affordable housing. The other architect had a lot of affordable housing experience but isn't a design star.
"Unlike so many public-housing projects, Via Verde rethinks the mix of private and public spaces to encourage residents to spend time outside, in the fresh air. It breaks the mold of subsidized housing whereby clinics, low-income rentals and home ownership are all conceived, financed and regulated separately. Piecing them together, it takes the healthier, holistic tack."
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