We are thrilled to announce that Sendero Verde has been honored by AIA for demonstrating design excellence in affordable housing.

Situated in the heart of East Harlem, Sendero Verde is one of the most ambitious affordable housing developments in New York City’s recent history. As the largest Passive House residential building in the world, the project proves that large-scale affordable housing can be designed to meet the world’s most rigorous sustainability standards, all without sacrificing quality or comfort. The development offers subsidized housing that feels like market-rate living, delivering 709 units—from studios to three-bedrooms—at different income bands, including 89 units set aside for formerly homeless residents.

Sendero Verde is designed around the principle that providing a variety of opportunities and support services under one roof can help to break the cycle of poverty that disrupts so many people’s lives. This “Community of Opportunity” model is woven throughout the design and programming, and in this way, the project fully supports its residents as well as the surrounding community. Sendero Verde delivers expansive social services, recreational spaces, public gardens, a new school, and other community-serving facilities, fostering a sense of belonging and connection to the neighborhood.

Congratulations to our clients and partners, including Jonathan Rose Companies, L+M Development Partners, Acacia Network, AECOM, Mitchell Giurgola, Steven Winter Associates, Desimone Consulting Engineers, Cosentini Associates, SOCOTEC, TPD | Architecture, Langan Engineering, and L+M Builders Group.

Great work from the Handel project team of Blake Middleton, Deborah Moelis, Louis Koehl, Ryan Lobello, Alex Kim, Diana Erazo, Kentaro Tsuboi, Meari Kim, Richard Karsten and Benjamin Novacinski!