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8751800 
Meetings & Symposia 
NHNY via Verde - A new design standard for affordable housing 
Pendleton, I 
2019 
International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE) 
271-276 
English 
NHNY Via Verde is a global model of sustainable housing development. Located in a Bronx brownfield, the 294,000 SF structure contains 222 residential units with 40,000 SF of green roofs and open space. Cascading buildings surrounding a central courtyard consists of a 21 story tower, 16- to 7-story midrise and 5 to 3-story low-rise. Interconnected, accessible green roofs provide continuous access from the courtyard to 12th level roof: the “via verde” or “green way”. Primary structure consists of cast-in-place concrete at the tower and concrete masonry bearing walls with precast concrete plank at mid- and low-rises. These conventional materials are arranged in unconventional ways to maximize efficiency, generating the architectural unit layout from optimal plank spans and eliminating façade bearing walls for prefabricated façades with sunshades and balconies. Secondary structural steel framing supports low rise storefronts, extensive roof PV panel arrays and a rainwater catchment system. Fly ash replacement was maximized in all concrete, and the time effect on strength gain was managed in construction. The large building volume required internal building separations with three independent structures engineered for drift compatibility. Foundation pile capacities vary to optimize efficiency to wide-ranging building heights. © 20th Congress of IABSE, New York City 2019: The Evolving Metropolis - Report. All rights reserved. 
Affordable housing; CMU construction; Housing developments; Precast concrete plank; Sustainable design