# 3 Northside Terrace Brooklyn, New York

WHEN AN INDUSTRIAL PROJECT WAS ABANDONED, A VOID WAS LEFT IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD FOR 20 YEARS. NEW ROWHOUSES HAVE FINALLY FILLED IT.

by Charles Linn, AIA

**Project:** Northside Terrace

Condominium
Brooklyn, New York

**Owner:** Northside Housing Corp.,
Developer, an affiliate of the Hudson
Companies

**Sponsoring agencies:** New York City
Housing Partnership; New York City
Department of Housing Preservation
and Development

**Community sponsor:** The People's
Firehouse, Inc.

**Architect:** James McCullar &
Associates—James McCullar, AIA,
principal-in-charge; Kenneth
Bamburak, project architect; Mihaela
Alessiu, Thomas Dean, team members

**Consultants:** Abraham Joselow
(mechanical/electrical); Pulaski &
Sirota (structural)

**General Contractor:** Monadnock
Construction

## Project Statistics

Total development cost: $7.02 million

Total construction cost: $5.01 million

Number of units: 57 in 19 three-story,
three-unit buildings

Total gross sq ft: 55,171 sq ft

Dwelling units per acre: 75

## Manufacturers' Sources

Face brick: Yankee Hill Brick Co.

Wood floor joists: Trus Joist MacMillan

Roof membrane: U.S. Intec

Aluminum siding: Alcan

Infiltration barrier: Dupont Tyvek

Lighting: Hadco, Genlyte, Timely

Plumbing fixtures: Crane, Kohler,

Northside Terrace's site is an odd, almost triangular slice of land in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn that was, until 1973, occupied by rowhouses. That year, against the wishes of residents, the land was acquired by the city and cleared for an industrial expansion. This never occurred, and for years the land was a vacant pocket of crime.

The New York City Housing Partnership chose an active community organization, The People's Firehouse (so called because of their success in saving a neighborhood firehouse from demolition), as their development partner for the site. The People's Firehouse, not forgetting that residents had left their homes unwillingly over two decades before, advocated that replacement housing be affordable for first-time homebuyers, priced at a level that would allow some of those who had been displaced to return if they wanted.

A site study showed that zon- ing variances would be required for construction. After these variances were obtained—along with financ- ing—design and construction were completed. Other projects previously put together by the Housing Partnership included flats that could be rented by owners to help offset the cost of mortgage payments. In this case, a condominium approach was used, and all 57 of the units were put up for sale.

The traditionally scaled row- houses, designed by architect James McCullar, AIA, are compact and spare, in keeping with the building program's affordability requirements, although front and side elevations have been faced with brick. The middle and upper units are entered from stoops, recalling one of the major elements of traditional rowhouse architecture. Ground-floor units have rear ter- races, are entered at grade, and are wheelchair-accessible.

McCullar, who has been involved in other housing projects, reveals that there were some sur- prises in store for him when the units went on the market. “I thought the ground-floor units would sell first, because they have terraces. Apparently people feel more vulner- able to break-in on the ground floor. Much to my surprise it was the units on the third-floor corners that sold first,” he continues, “because

Brick-clad rowhouses, designed to be afford- able for first-time homebuyers, recall the traditional scale and materials of this Williamsburg, Brooklyn, neighborhood.

they were bigger, had more win- dows and better views. The rest of the third floor sold and the second floor next, starting with the corners again—a preference for views and security versus a backyard. It's something to think about.” ■

PHOTOGRAPHY: © WADE ZIMMERMAN

Architectural Record 07.97