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Kitchen and dining area of a typical unit.

All photos courtesy of Shinberg.Levinas Architects The building before renovation.

The transformation is striking. The existing building’s by a red metal canopy with a glass roof, while the expansive
exterior of bland brick, meager windows, and rusting metal windows on the upper two levels are shaded by red metal fins
balconies has given way to a colorful composition of gray and that extend beyond the roofline to suggest a modern version of
off-white fiber-cement panels, dotted with an irregular array of the crenelations on a medieval castle. The building has a large
windows in alternating white and red frames. The placement of green roof area to help manage stormwater runoff.
the windows, which varies not just in the horizontal dimension The project contains 36 living units, which are varied in
but also in height from the floor, was carefully worked out so plan and décor. Bright colors figure prominently, such as in the
as to enliven both the façades and the interior spaces without tile backsplashes in the kitchens. A ground-floor common room,
compromising functionality. Although the effect is unusual, the which includes a kitchenette, bathrooms, and a shower, opens
components are all quite ordinary—the operable windows, for directly to an outdoor playground.
instance, are simple casements or awnings that are familiar to The architects’ primary goal for the project was to create
residents and easy to use. a living environment that promotes a sense of dignity for
The main entrance and support spaces of the building residents while preparing their families to re-enter society fully.
occupy a glassy zone at the center. The entrance is marked

LIVING TOGETHER 53