Northeast Bronx YMCA | 2021

Bronx, New York, USA

Architects: MARVEL
Design Team: Jonathan Marvel, Lissa So, Martha Bush, JS Yong, Justine Ala, Yadiel Rivera-Díaz
General Contractor: Gilbane
Client: YMCA of Greater New York
Photographers: Scott Frances

In this underserved part of the Bronx, there are only 3.1 acres of parks and playgrounds per 1,000 children, far below the citywide average of 13.3 acres.

The new 52,000 sf Northeast Bronx YMCA addresses the critical need for recreational space, fulfilling a 30-year dream of the community for a multigenerational community center and hub. It provides access to the wide array of educational, social, and health programs that the Y offers to New Yorkers of all ages.

Developed in partnership with a broad coalition of community leaders and elected officials, it is a powerful reminder of the good that can come when our leaders, institutions, and community work together.

Set on what was a wooded 3-acre site, the building program is organized into three separate pavilions placed gently on the site, preserving existing mature trees, and respecting the natural sloped topography. Their open arrangement is a gesture of openness and transparency as if the building was welcoming you in a warm embrace.

The pavilions are linked by a glass corridor, with windows placed to augment lines of sight, knitting the building to the neighborhood beyond, and offering a connection to the outside wherever you are in the building.

A holistic approach to sustainability was key to the design. The project was designed from the onset to achieve LEED v4 Gold certification, and this was the foundation the team used to balance decision-making. Given the extended opening hours and heating demands of the pool, reducing energy use and optimizing building mechanicals was a top priority.

A whole building energy simulation was performed at the concept stage to track energy targets and updated at later design stages.

It was used directly to make balanced design decisions, such as retaining passive thermal envelope features like fiberglass composite girts and pinpointing the optimal thickness of roof insulation. A cogeneration plant produces electricity on-site and recycles waste heat for the swimming pool.

The result is a building that is expected to reduce annual site energy consumption by 33% and utility costs by 61% compared to the ASHRAE 90.1-2010 baseline, achieving 18 out of 18 points of the LEED Energy Optimization (EAc4) Credit.

The NE Bronx YMCA is a powerful symbol of the importance of making lasting investments into the health, wealth, education, and well-being of overlooked communities, and will serve and strengthen this community for decades to come.