Urbahn developed the master plan for a new 1,520 bed facility as part of the City’s program to humanize and decentralize its jails. Our plan and conceptual design establishes a new paradigm for short-term incarceration that normalizes environments while providing a positive civic edifice. We developed a unique design based on the idiosyncratic site, inmate supervision philosophy, and constructability considerations. The complex was shoehorned between a water pollution control plant, the Fulton Fish Market, and the East River. Its location within a flood zone called for the building to be raised above grade to accommodate the extensive staff parking, while the proximity to LaGuardia Airport limited the height to 156 feet. Urbahn minimized the building’s footprint to provide sightlines to the East River and to create a green corridor with public access along the shoreline. The façade integrates photovoltaic panels helping to support the project’s LEED Gold target.
