Projects
Drive-Thru
A reconfigurable outdoor theater, Drive-Thru by Soft-Firm features videos and performances by Brooklyn artists, filmmakers, and cultural organizations.
BrooklynFlatiron Public Plaza Design Competition 2021
Inspired by New York's tapestry of cultures and people, Interwoven by Atelier Cho Thompson celebrates the joys of reconnecting in public space.
ManhattanNeighborhood Design Fellowship: Gowanus
Gowanus residents work toward the future they imagine for their community.
BrooklynBreathing Pavilion
Breathing Pavilion by Ekene Ijeoma created a public space of reprieve during this time of intense hardship and loss.
BrooklynFlatiron Public Plaza Design Installation 2020
Who we are as a city is defined by how we interact in our public spaces. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the value of our public spaces and their role in creating connected, healthy, and resilient communities.
Since its inception in 2014, the Flatiron Public Plaza Design Installation has been a platform for the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership and Van Alen Institute to bring people together and support inventive visions for an iconic urban plaza. This year’s installation, Point of Action by Studio Cooke John, offers the neighborhood continuity as we consider how public space can develop bonds and networks that help our city heal and thrive.
ManhattanNeighborhoods Now: Cooper Square Committee
An office retrofit to reduce the risk of COVID-19 for staff and clients.
ManhattanNeighborhoods Now: Banana Kelly Community Improvement Association
Reactivation of community gardens in the South Bronx.
BronxNeighborhoods Now: University Neighborhood Housing Program
An office update in accordance with COVID-19 safety protocols.
BronxReimagining Brooklyn Bridge
Van Alen Institute launched Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge, an international design competition that aims to spark a new public conversation about New York City’s infrastructure.
BrooklynBetterBin Litter Basket Design Competition
Together with the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY), the Industrial Designers Society of America (ISDA), and the American Institute of Architects New York (AIANY), we invited interdisciplinary industrial design teams to reimagine the iconic New York City litter basket.