The Hillside: Senior Affordable Passive House Community | 2024

The Hillside is a 164-unit, 100% affordable senior housing development in Inwood, Manhattan, designed to passive house standards. Built on the site of the former Rocky Mount Baptist Church, it provides deeply affordable homes for older adults, with 30 percent of the apartments reserved for formerly homeless individuals and couples. The project also delivers a new home for the congregation, placing faith and community service at the heart of the development.

The design responds to its steep, rocky site adjacent to Fort Tryon Park. The building terraces into the slope; its concrete retaining walls become textured enclosures for communal courtyards and gardens. A standing-seam copper façade fronts Hillside Avenue, aging gracefully as a metaphor for the dignity of the senior community, while playful striped EIFS wraps the sides and rear, animating the courtyards with color and rhythm.

Inside, the building encourages daily connection. Shared spaces include a lobby that doubles as a lending library, a café with a teaching kitchen, multipurpose rooms for classes, lounges, and laundry rooms on every floor. Two landscaped courtyards and an upper-floor recreation suite host programs ranging from yoga and mahjong to community meals, gardening, and celebrations. Colorful corridors aid wayfinding and provide “front porches” for residents to personalize, reinforcing identity and belonging.

The project meets the rigorous Passive House standard, using nearly 60 percent less energy than typical construction. It is all-electric, with high-performance ventilation and efficient heating and cooling. These strategies support resilience while ensuring healthy indoor air and low utility costs.

The Hillside is more than a building: it is an anchor for its neighborhood, blending affordability, sustainability, and community life. It demonstrates how design can uplift vulnerable populations while honoring history, ecology, and culture in one integrated place.

Category:Affordable, Social, and Community Living HousingYear:2024Location:New York, New York, USAArchitects:Architecture in Formation Lead Architect: Matthew Bremer AIAAssociate Architects:Gloria Glas AIAArchitects of Record: SLCE ArchitectsLandscape Architects:RAFTDesign Team: Matthew Donham, Angel Rama and Samantha WeinrybInterior Design:Matt DonhamGeneral Contractor:Mega Contracting GroupClient: Coconut Properties Florida Real Estate, Inc.Photographer: Chris Cooper, Matt Dutile, and Nicholas Doyle