La Central is a phased affordable housing development in the South Bronx, NYC featuring a courtyard open to the neighborhood, rooftop amenity terraces for residents, and enhanced streetscapes. At the ground level, the courtyard offers enhanced pedestrian routes woven into the circulation of the city. The design incorporates space for temporary markets and festivals, outdoor seating areas, a natural playground, and a lawn for lounging. On the residential rooftops, a variety of amenity terraces similarly provide active and passive recreation spaces. They feature outdoor play and outdoor exercise areas, planted mounds, and dining areas. One of the terraces will be programmed by GrowNYC as an urban farm.
The project aims to achieve best practice water management goals through rainwater harvesting on the rooftops for terrace and courtyard irrigation, and bio-retention swales in the courtyard. A native and adaptive planting plate is utilized throughout the project – from the courtyard to the rooftop amenity spaces.