Add To Collection
Add to Collection
Common Corner
Common Corner
The Bronx, Bronx County, NY, United States
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
Other Projects by The Urban Conga
Common Corner
The Bronx, Bronx County, NY, United States
Firm
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2025
SIZE
0 sqft - 1000 sqft
BUDGET
$10K - 50K
The Common Corner is a community-led revitalization of an existing underutilized concrete bleacher at Morris Houses, a New York Public Housing Development, in Bronx, NY. Through initial community surveying, the Morris House residents identified the bleachers as a priority for redesign. Decades ago, this area was lively and active, but over time, due to over-policing in the 90s, it fell into disuse and began to age without upkeep. The community's goal for this project was to revitalize this once-active communal space and foster renewed activity and vibrancy through multigenerational, open-ended play and communal connection. The steps also serve as an entryway to the community, and the residents wanted this project to spark social change throughout the development's open spaces. The project serves as a model for NYCHA’s Connected Communities program, which focuses on transforming and modernizing open spaces through public-private partnerships. The program’s efforts are based on participatory planning and design, striving to enhance physical and social connections between residents and their communities.
The co-design process for Common Corner started through a variety of community-led workshops that used play methodologies to create a safe place for people to share and open up about their dreams, desires, and hopes for their community. These workshops ranged from passive gamified tabling at large community events to constructive and fantasy-play sessions with groups of resident stakeholders. From early conversations of the desires and hopes for the entire area, to the final design of the steps, the community gifted their stories, experiences, feedback, and more to shape every component of the Common Corner. The transformed Common Corner space now serves as a flexible gathering place where people can connect socially, exercise, rest, imagine, or even perform. The design is organized into three interconnected zones that draw from different play methodologies—social play, active play, and fantasy play. Play is our natural driver as humans to discover, explore, and empathize with others. Play is universal and was a critical part of this project to begin to break down social barriers and bring people together once again within this space. In the social play area, seating was reimagined with greater accessibility in mind, including added grab bars and adjusted heights to improve comfort and ease of use. The active play area encourages physical engagement by offering opportunities for climbing, jumping, balancing, and fitness. The fantasy play area introduces a stage-like platform that invites performance, storytelling, quiet reflection, or even a table for food distribution. A forced-perspective mural ties all of these zones together, moving seamlessly across surfaces and wrapping around the rear wall to signal that the space is part of a growing, evolving vision. Along the risers, affirmations chosen by residents—such as “We Are The Future,” “Dream Big,” and “Stronger Together”—add layers of pride, encouragement, and identity to the space. The Common Corner is fostering a renewed sense of communal connection, pride, and inspiration within Morris Houses, which has motivated more community-led work to begin to happen within the development.
The co-design process for Common Corner started through a variety of community-led workshops that used play methodologies to create a safe place for people to share and open up about their dreams, desires, and hopes for their community. These workshops ranged from passive gamified tabling at large community events to constructive and fantasy-play sessions with groups of resident stakeholders. From early conversations of the desires and hopes for the entire area, to the final design of the steps, the community gifted their stories, experiences, feedback, and more to shape every component of the Common Corner. The transformed Common Corner space now serves as a flexible gathering place where people can connect socially, exercise, rest, imagine, or even perform. The design is organized into three interconnected zones that draw from different play methodologies—social play, active play, and fantasy play. Play is our natural driver as humans to discover, explore, and empathize with others. Play is universal and was a critical part of this project to begin to break down social barriers and bring people together once again within this space. In the social play area, seating was reimagined with greater accessibility in mind, including added grab bars and adjusted heights to improve comfort and ease of use. The active play area encourages physical engagement by offering opportunities for climbing, jumping, balancing, and fitness. The fantasy play area introduces a stage-like platform that invites performance, storytelling, quiet reflection, or even a table for food distribution. A forced-perspective mural ties all of these zones together, moving seamlessly across surfaces and wrapping around the rear wall to signal that the space is part of a growing, evolving vision. Along the risers, affirmations chosen by residents—such as “We Are The Future,” “Dream Big,” and “Stronger Together”—add layers of pride, encouragement, and identity to the space. The Common Corner is fostering a renewed sense of communal connection, pride, and inspiration within Morris Houses, which has motivated more community-led work to begin to happen within the development.
Product Spec Sheet
Were your products used?
Join as a manufacturer to add your products.