Architecture as adaptive density.
Block Within
Block Within reimagines the underutilized interior block of Manhattan’s Lower East Side as shared social space. Responding to rising housing demands and gentrification-driven displacement, the project proposes a symbiotic housing model that blends affordability with public benefit. By unlocking the backyard—previously fenced and privatized—into a communal center, the scheme creates a connective landscape of recreation, circulation, and services. Additions include new timber housing atop existing structures and a layered public program tailored to multigenerational residents, from students to seniors.
Location: Lower East Side, New York, NY
Team: Ruxuan Zheng
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side is roughly bounded by the Bowery to the west, East Houston Street to the north, the FDR Drive and East River to the east, and Canal Street to the south.
Each block is densely populated—especially residential ones—with a growing trend toward higher density.
The Lower East Side has a high demand for affordable housing, as local residents are primarily students, young professionals, and elderly people.
