New York, New York, USA
Designed by WXY architecture + urban design, this multipurpose 6,000-square-foot structure serves as a welcome center, administrative hub, and event space, seamlessly integrating with a 35-acre nature preserve and urban farm.
Named Arverne East Multi-Purpose Building, the development is a community-centric facility located in the Rockaway Peninsula of Queens, New York.
In 2024, the Arverne East Multi-Purpose Building received an American Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies, highlighting its excellence in design and contribution to sustainable architecture.
Elevated above ground level to mitigate flood risks, the building showcases a commitment to sustainability.
It incorporates a closed-loop geothermal system and a prominent rooftop solar array, designed to generate more energy than the building consumes.
The structure is clad in untreated FSC-certified hardwood, sourced locally, which is intended to gracefully weather over time in the coastal environment.
The building offers gender-neutral public restrooms, administrative offices for the New York City Parks Department, and a flexible community room that opens onto a spacious, sheltered porch.
This design encourages interaction with the surrounding landscape and provides a venue for community events and educational programs.
The Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity (RISE) and The Campaign Against Hunger (TCAH) utilize the facility to operate free public programs, including managing the adjacent urban farm.
Arverne East Multi-Purpose Building
Architects: WXY architecture + urban design
Lead Architect: Claire Weissz
Client: L+M Development Partners Inc., the Bluestone Organization, Triangle Equities, Mega Contracting Group, Urbane
Photographers: Albert Vecerka/Esto
