Live in Queens

Three residential blocks are arranged around a courtyard in which a swimming pool acts as a pleasant focal point. It is a simple gesture that creates a sense of place within the anonymity of the city. It hollows out a space that can be inhabited comfortably. Of the three blocks one is effectively tucked back, forming a fairly neutral backdrop against which the other two volumes can sit comfortably. These take on a far more complex and intricate language, with noteworthy balconies protruding into the void confidently, held in place through the almost fragile canopy that crowns the event. It is a bold architectural language, with the vaguely brutal forms of the balconies breaking out of a smooth curtain wall façade, celebrating the movement from the luxurious interiors to the external environment. These heavy, cantilevered volumes are attached to the main building through the structure of the roof canopy, which reaches down and latches on to various elements in a manner that binds them back to the critical mass of the actual design. These gestures serve to envelope and support a series of interior spaces that are carefully finished. They are contemporary spaces, not cluttered but strongly enhanced by the recurring views to the exterior realm. A realm which is itself defined by the subtle nature of the design, where the detail constantly shifts from the human scale to that of the edifice.