Bridge Rockaway: Advancing the Impact of Intersectional Architecture

Often overshadowed by the demands of everyday life, the integration of individual identities into architectural design may become lost or unseen. Although utilized by a multitude of complex, multifaceted individuals, our built environment may not accurately reflect those who inhabit it.

As Kimberlé Crenshaw's concept of intersectionality argues, individuals contain overlapping social identities, including, but not limited to, race, gender, and class. With this, these social identities can intersect or interlock to cause experiences of discrimination and disadvantage.

Despite efforts to challenge the universal approach to architectural design, where design initiatives extend beyond the one-size-fits-all framework to incorporate principles of equality and diversity, a greater emphasis must be given to inclusive architecture.

Bridge Rockaway: Where Light Industry Meets Affordable Living

In support of providing affordable housing and local entrepreneurship in New York City, Think! Architecture & Design has completed the city's first hybrid industrial-residential development. Located in Brownsville, Brooklyn, this 180,000-square-foot development is described as a mixed-use complex of essential functionalities. 

Featured in The Architect's Newspaper, Nina Rappaport highlights how Bridge Rockaway diverges from traditional New York City architecture by achieving an intersectional design that serves marginalized populations in the urban core.

Operated by social service organization The Bridge and local manufacturer the Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center (GMDC), this hybrid industrial-residential project delivers "light manufacturing in its podium and supportive housing for low-income residents in the building above."

The Intersection of Industry, Housing, and Social Services

Designed to provide a balanced blend of light manufacturing with urban living, Bridge Rockaway draws inspiration from a social framework to achieve its inclusive layout. As Think! Architecture & Design explains, "beyond the necessary technical safeguards for the residents, we began our design approach from a place of humanism, taking delight in the diversity of the program and resident populations and in the implicit opportunities to bring everyone into a common shared community." 

To achieve this unique configuration, Think! Architecture & Design describes the building as having distinct but interconnected sections. The light industry section is situated on the lower level of the complex, which is operated by the Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center (GMDC).

According to Rappaport, "GMDC operates the 39,000-square-foot rental industrial space with 12 workshops between 1,200 and 6,000 square feet in size, reserved for local start-ups, including furniture, cabinet, and plaster companies that could employ local residents…"

Additionally, the non-profit organizations and residential units are situated on the upper level of the complex. The residential spaces include 174 apartments, 87 of which are affordable housing units, specifically reserved for low-income residents, families, and homeless veterans.

Regarding the social services, Rappaport further notes, "the nonprofits, which each own a section in a condo organization, include The Bridge, a 70-year-old supportive housing organization that owns and operates 27 buildings in the city, which house over 1,600 people with mental and/or substance-abuse issues…" Residents are encouraged to receive social service support from the non-profit organization, which strives to address systemic challenges among vulnerable populations in the city. 

Why Hybrid Spaces Matter

From an intersectional lens, it is evident that Bridge Rockaway is making conscious strides to integrate light, clean, quiet, and affordable manufacturing into the fabric of city life. Although Bridge Rockaway is a rare and uncommon development in New York City, the complex offers valuable insights into the versatility of hybrid spaces, addressing overlapping forms of socioeconomic disadvantage.

By promoting the cohesive coexistence of otherwise marginalized groups, this industrial-residential project fosters local innovation, business collaborations, and residential living in a unified community. Rather than addressing these issues in isolation, Bridge Rockaway reveals the important interconnection between social, economic, and housing needs.

Overall, Bridge Rockaway demonstrates the potential to move beyond a universal lens of architectural design by addressing the interconnected social and economic realities that shape urban life. In turn, light industry and affordable living can become a central component of the urban economy, creating a more inclusive model for urban development.