Navy Yard Housing Development: Brooklyn, New York

In the Spring of 2009 WE Design reached out to Community Board 2 in Brooklyn, New York to inquire about pro bono housing and open space opportunities in their local community. The renovation of an aging and damaged courtyard for a lower income housing cooperative in Ft. Greene, Brooklyn was recommended. WE Design, working with the co-op Board President, Kesha Sheryl Morse, organized a series of resident meetings to develop a program and wish list of design elements. Signs were also posted in the elevator of the buildings to further solicit ideas from some of the younger residents, including teenagers. Three concepts were presented to the residents and their comments synthesized into a final schematic design. The next step is a develop a schematic-level cost estimate and to propose a capital campaign to acquire funding for construction of the project. WE Design is committed to staying involved through this next funding phase, through construction documents, and into final construction of the courtyard.