The future of urban emergency housing is here, and it looks nothing like a trailer park.
The city has begun testing temporary post-disaster housing units at 165 Cadman Plaza East in Downtown Brooklyn, asking city workers and their families to spend the night.
Over 40 employees have tested the units to date. So far, the reviews are positive.
“Almost everyone tells us these are nicer than their own apartments,” James McConnell, a city data manager, told the New York Times.
The three-story complex, made from five modular pods, costs $1.7 million. The structure, designed by Garrison Architects, is a pilot project demonstrating the design that won a post-Sandy city competition to determine the future of the city’s disaster housing efforts.
The units can stack as high as four stories. They comply with all city building codes and are designed according to “universal” standards, with space to accommodate wheelchair-bound residents.
The testing program will run through next November, at which time officials hope FEMA will move the facility to its own testings grounds in Maryland.
The Real Deal dove into the future of modular construction projects in the city in its September issue. [NYT] – Ariel Stulberg