The Planning of Rockaway Village
Reinvigorating the energy of a once bustling downtown.
Over three phases totaling 1.7 million SF of development, the design reimagines the old railyard as a series of new public spaces and streets, invigorating the center of downtown Far Rockaway. Across Mott Ave from the A-train, a new public plaza flanked by 100,000 SF of commercial space serves as the gateway to the project, leading to a total of eight buildings on six new blocks arranged along a tree-lined shared street.
Site Plan of typical floorplans. © Marvel
Rockaway Village brings 1,700 units of affordable housing to downtown Far Rockaway effectively creating a new neighborhood of what it was formerly a strip mall with an extensive parking lot. It provides opens spaces for the public and commercial spaces to support the vibrancy of the neighborhood.
Aerial rendering of the completed Rockaway Village development. © Marvel
The project benefits the wider community by weaving together the urban fabric that had been severed by the suburban shopping plaza that occupied the site. The retail of the shopping plaza is recreated, but now fronts the street and plaza with the parking below, rather than hiding behind a 400-car parking lot.
Neighborhood Uses Diagram. © Marvel
Downtown Far Rockaway Analysis. © Marvel
Residents cross through the ample courtyards filled with native plants every day, catching glimpses of the city beyond.
A privately owned public space is the main attraction to the new neighborhood. It is surrounded by commercial spaces at the base of the Phase 1 buildings.
The private verdant building courtyards open up to the green spine, Village Lane, of the development. This spine begins at the large Plaza, shared with the wider neighborhood.
Future view of the completed development, Rockaway Village. © Marvel
The dune-inspired planters of the Plaza, flanked by groundfloor retail, and overseen by 12-stories of residential units.
©David Sundberg/Esto
©David Sundberg/Esto
A breezeway ties together courtyard, street and lobby. All the building's residents pass through this space and the courtyard beyond to get to their elevator core.
The development benefits from a large site controlled by the same developer, meaning project nodes could be placed strategically: the retail is focused around the plaza along Mott Ave by the subway and library, which serves as a gateway to the development.
Each building participates in a carefully curated approach to the scale and character of the neighborhood, developed through an interactive process with the client and the Department of City Planning.
Reinvigorating the energy of a once bustling downtown.
Over three phases totaling 1.7 million SF of development, the design reimagines the old railyard as a series of new public spaces and streets, invigorating the center of downtown Far Rockaway. Across Mott Ave from the A-train, a new public plaza flanked by 100,000 SF of commercial space serves as the gateway to the project, leading to a total of eight buildings on six new blocks arranged along a tree-lined shared street.
Rockaway Village brings 1,700 units of affordable housing to downtown Far Rockaway effectively creating a new neighborhood of what it was formerly a strip mall with an extensive parking lot. It provides opens spaces for the public and commercial spaces to support the vibrancy of the neighborhood.
The project benefits the wider community by weaving together the urban fabric that had been severed by the suburban shopping plaza that occupied the site. The retail of the shopping plaza is recreated, but now fronts the street and plaza with the parking below, rather than hiding behind a 400-car parking lot.
Residents cross through the ample courtyards filled with native plants every day, catching glimpses of the city beyond.
A privately owned public space is the main attraction to the new neighborhood. It is surrounded by commercial spaces at the base of the Phase 1 buildings.
The private verdant building courtyards open up to the green spine, Village Lane, of the development. This spine begins at the large Plaza, shared with the wider neighborhood.
Each building participates in a carefully curated approach to the scale and character of the neighborhood, developed through an interactive process with the client and the Department of City Planning.
Landscape Architecture
Interior Design
The Planning of Rockaway Village
Reinvigorating the energy of a once bustling downtown.
Over three phases totaling 1.7 million SF of development, the design reimagines the old railyard as a series of new public spaces and streets, invigorating the center of downtown Far Rockaway. Across Mott Ave from the A-train, a new public plaza flanked by 100,000 SF of commercial space serves as the gateway to the project, leading to a total of eight buildings on six new blocks arranged along a tree-lined shared street.
Site Plan of typical floorplans. © Marvel
Rockaway Village brings 1,700 units of affordable housing to downtown Far Rockaway effectively creating a new neighborhood of what it was formerly a strip mall with an extensive parking lot. It provides opens spaces for the public and commercial spaces to support the vibrancy of the neighborhood.
Aerial rendering of the completed Rockaway Village development. © Marvel
The project benefits the wider community by weaving together the urban fabric that had been severed by the suburban shopping plaza that occupied the site. The retail of the shopping plaza is recreated, but now fronts the street and plaza with the parking below, rather than hiding behind a 400-car parking lot.
Neighborhood Uses Diagram. © Marvel
Downtown Far Rockaway Analysis. © Marvel
Residents cross through the ample courtyards filled with native plants every day, catching glimpses of the city beyond.
A privately owned public space is the main attraction to the new neighborhood. It is surrounded by commercial spaces at the base of the Phase 1 buildings.
The private verdant building courtyards open up to the green spine, Village Lane, of the development. This spine begins at the large Plaza, shared with the wider neighborhood.
Future view of the completed development, Rockaway Village. © Marvel
The dune-inspired planters of the Plaza, flanked by groundfloor retail, and overseen by 12-stories of residential units.
©David Sundberg/Esto
©David Sundberg/Esto
A breezeway ties together courtyard, street and lobby. All the building's residents pass through this space and the courtyard beyond to get to their elevator core.
The development benefits from a large site controlled by the same developer, meaning project nodes could be placed strategically: the retail is focused around the plaza along Mott Ave by the subway and library, which serves as a gateway to the development.
Each building participates in a carefully curated approach to the scale and character of the neighborhood, developed through an interactive process with the client and the Department of City Planning.
Reinvigorating the energy of a once bustling downtown.
Over three phases totaling 1.7 million SF of development, the design reimagines the old railyard as a series of new public spaces and streets, invigorating the center of downtown Far Rockaway. Across Mott Ave from the A-train, a new public plaza flanked by 100,000 SF of commercial space serves as the gateway to the project, leading to a total of eight buildings on six new blocks arranged along a tree-lined shared street.
Rockaway Village brings 1,700 units of affordable housing to downtown Far Rockaway effectively creating a new neighborhood of what it was formerly a strip mall with an extensive parking lot. It provides opens spaces for the public and commercial spaces to support the vibrancy of the neighborhood.
The project benefits the wider community by weaving together the urban fabric that had been severed by the suburban shopping plaza that occupied the site. The retail of the shopping plaza is recreated, but now fronts the street and plaza with the parking below, rather than hiding behind a 400-car parking lot.
Residents cross through the ample courtyards filled with native plants every day, catching glimpses of the city beyond.
A privately owned public space is the main attraction to the new neighborhood. It is surrounded by commercial spaces at the base of the Phase 1 buildings.
The private verdant building courtyards open up to the green spine, Village Lane, of the development. This spine begins at the large Plaza, shared with the wider neighborhood.
Each building participates in a carefully curated approach to the scale and character of the neighborhood, developed through an interactive process with the client and the Department of City Planning.
Landscape Architecture
Interior Design
The Planning of Rockaway Village
Reinvigorating the energy of a once bustling downtown.
Over three phases totaling 1.7 million SF of development, the design reimagines the old railyard as a series of new public spaces and streets, invigorating the center of downtown Far Rockaway. Across Mott Ave from the A-train, a new public plaza flanked by 100,000 SF of commercial space serves as the gateway to the project, leading to a total of eight buildings on six new blocks arranged along a tree-lined shared street.
Site Plan of typical floorplans. © Marvel
Rockaway Village brings 1,700 units of affordable housing to downtown Far Rockaway effectively creating a new neighborhood of what it was formerly a strip mall with an extensive parking lot. It provides opens spaces for the public and commercial spaces to support the vibrancy of the neighborhood.
Aerial rendering of the completed Rockaway Village development. © Marvel
The project benefits the wider community by weaving together the urban fabric that had been severed by the suburban shopping plaza that occupied the site. The retail of the shopping plaza is recreated, but now fronts the street and plaza with the parking below, rather than hiding behind a 400-car parking lot.
Neighborhood Uses Diagram. © Marvel
Downtown Far Rockaway Analysis. © Marvel
Residents cross through the ample courtyards filled with native plants every day, catching glimpses of the city beyond.
A privately owned public space is the main attraction to the new neighborhood. It is surrounded by commercial spaces at the base of the Phase 1 buildings.
The private verdant building courtyards open up to the green spine, Village Lane, of the development. This spine begins at the large Plaza, shared with the wider neighborhood.
Future view of the completed development, Rockaway Village. © Marvel
The dune-inspired planters of the Plaza, flanked by groundfloor retail, and overseen by 12-stories of residential units.
©David Sundberg/Esto
©David Sundberg/Esto
A breezeway ties together courtyard, street and lobby. All the building's residents pass through this space and the courtyard beyond to get to their elevator core.
The development benefits from a large site controlled by the same developer, meaning project nodes could be placed strategically: the retail is focused around the plaza along Mott Ave by the subway and library, which serves as a gateway to the development.
Each building participates in a carefully curated approach to the scale and character of the neighborhood, developed through an interactive process with the client and the Department of City Planning.
Reinvigorating the energy of a once bustling downtown.
Over three phases totaling 1.7 million SF of development, the design reimagines the old railyard as a series of new public spaces and streets, invigorating the center of downtown Far Rockaway. Across Mott Ave from the A-train, a new public plaza flanked by 100,000 SF of commercial space serves as the gateway to the project, leading to a total of eight buildings on six new blocks arranged along a tree-lined shared street.
Rockaway Village brings 1,700 units of affordable housing to downtown Far Rockaway effectively creating a new neighborhood of what it was formerly a strip mall with an extensive parking lot. It provides opens spaces for the public and commercial spaces to support the vibrancy of the neighborhood.
The project benefits the wider community by weaving together the urban fabric that had been severed by the suburban shopping plaza that occupied the site. The retail of the shopping plaza is recreated, but now fronts the street and plaza with the parking below, rather than hiding behind a 400-car parking lot.
Residents cross through the ample courtyards filled with native plants every day, catching glimpses of the city beyond.
A privately owned public space is the main attraction to the new neighborhood. It is surrounded by commercial spaces at the base of the Phase 1 buildings.
The private verdant building courtyards open up to the green spine, Village Lane, of the development. This spine begins at the large Plaza, shared with the wider neighborhood.
Each building participates in a carefully curated approach to the scale and character of the neighborhood, developed through an interactive process with the client and the Department of City Planning.
Location
Queens, NY
Client
Phipps Houses
Typology
Size
1.7M SF
Design Team
Guido Hartray, Annya Ramirez, Magnus Westergren, Josh Shecter, Ernesto Vasquez, Juan Ramirez, Enrique Ramón
Awards
ULI New York Finalist: Excellence in Repositioning or Redevelopment
Consultants
DeSimone (Structural), Dagher (MEP & Sustainability), W Architecture & Landscape (Landscape), Jim Conti (Lighting), JM Zoning (Code/Life Safety/Expediting), Langan Engineering (Civil), Socotec (Envelope), Lettire Construction (Construction Manager), Steven Winter Associates (Accessibility)