NYCHA, City Tech Program Brings Urban Design Case Study to Washington Houses

Nurturing their passion for the fields of architecture and urban design, a group of young NYCHA residents looked to the campus of Manhattan’s Washington Houses for some inspiration.  

The young adults were part of the second cohort of ARCscholars, a seven-week virtual youth leadership program funded by the Fund for Public Housing. ARCscholars pairs NYCHA residents with architecture students from CUNY’s New York City College of Technology (City Tech) to research outdoor spaces at NYCHA developments and propose design ideas to enhance the built environment.  

The free program launched in Brooklyn in spring 2021 with a focus on Ingersoll and Whitman Houses. ARCscholars continued in fall 2021 with open enrollment for young adult residents across NYCHA. The fall cohort studied Manhattan’s Washington Houses and concluded in December with a presentation of the students’ design ideas.  

ARCscholars founder and architect Naomi Langer-Voss noted that the fall class received nearly 100 applications from the NYCHA community, a significant boost in applicants from the inaugural program.  

“For us it was very rewarding that there was more energy, and we’re hoping that we’re going to continue with that trajectory,” said Ms. Langer-Voss, adding that the fall class enrolled 15 NYCHA residents, six of whom completed the program with the support of five City Tech architecture students.  

By focusing on the Washington Houses development as the class case study, the NYCHA residents and City Tech students collaborated to propose specific planning interventions that enhance the overall quality and design of the site. Various design ideas included gardening areas, exercise zones, a food pantry, bicycle pathways, informational kiosks, temporary art installations, shaded seating areas, and fountains. 

The ARCscholars’ concepts were influenced by site visits to the Washington campus as well as an informative discussion with the development’s Resident Association President, Claudia Perez. As a longtime resident of Washington Houses, Ms. Perez shared her reflections of how the campus has changed over the years. 

“I think that presentation from her was really a pivotal point in their understanding of the site,” Ms. Langer-Voss said.  

As part of their research, some of the resident students incorporated personal anecdotes to help inform the design strategy.  

“The development process that we had as a team was wonderful,” Wagner Houses resident Erickson Diaz said. “I enjoyed our meetings and being able to bounce ideas off each other. Some of us even used personal experience to help influence certain design aspects.”    

NYCHA’s Director of Resident Engagement Tischelle George said the ARCscholars program enabled participating residents to learn about the built environment at a different NYCHA development than their own, and to apply that experience towards deepening their engagement within their own community. 

“They’re thinking more critically about where they live and the spaces on their campus, and how they interact with those spaces,” Ms. George said. 

Sheepshead Bay Houses resident Jordon Stennett, who also took part in the inaugural program, credited the ARCscholars classes with expanding his knowledge about architecture and inspiring him to pursue a career in civil engineering.   

“This has truly been a great experience for me,” he said. “To me, it wasn’t only about architecture, but I was around like-minded people that wanted to make NYCHA better for the community.”  

ARCscholars is currently seeking applicants for its spring semester, which begins March 3 and will feature a new mentoring component in which resident students will research and develop an independent project with NYCHA staff and professional architects.  

To apply for the spring program, submit this form. For more information, email resident.programs@nycha.nyc.gov.  

Photo caption: NYCHA and City Tech ARCscholars tour the Washington Houses campus in Manhattan.