NYC Solicits Designs for Small Apartments

In response to changing demographics and a housing shortage in New York City, the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development is inviting developers to submit proposals for a new construction project on city-owned land in Kips Bay, Manhattan. The so-called "micro units" of between 275 and 300 square feet would comprise 75% of the units in the building.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced the RFP (Request for Proposals) at the Center for Architecture, where a full-size mock apartment was laid out on the floor, similar to the image at left. The Mayor's announcement comes eight months after New York Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman wrote about the evolution of households in New York and the need for codes and design to follow. Proposals are due September 14.  jh