Sendero Verde
Sendero Verde offers 709 affordable units in the world's largest Passive House building.
Located in East Harlem in New York City, Sendero Verde is a mixed-use multi-building project awarded through the City’s SustaiNYC program, which seeks to create affordable housing for New Yorkers without compromising design quality.
Sendero Verde contains 709 designated affordable units as well as extensive community space, retail space, and outdoor gardens. A school also operates in the space, as well as supportive programming operated by Union Settlement, which is one of the oldest settlement houses in New York City. Ground floor retail will wrap the site.
In taking a cue from an historical trail that once crossed through the site, the project is arranged around a central meandering landscaped path, which weaves through the project from Park Avenue to the western end of 111th Street and Madison Avenue. The massing is broken down into three separate volumes which frame this path, creating a central courtyard. This courtyard spills out onto different levels, creating opportunities for individual community gardens.
Sendero Verde is Passive House certified, making it the largest Passive House residential building in the world.
Community of Opportunity
The concept behind Sendero Verde is that by providing a variety of opportunities and support services under one roof, we can work to break the cycle of poverty that disrupts so many people’s lives. This "Community of Opportunity" is woven throughout the project and is reflected in both the types of spaces that are offered, and in how those spaces are arranged. Each intrinsic program element retains its own individuality, but because of their juxtaposition and linking, yields something greater.