A Blueprint for Resiliency in East New York: Alafia

Dattner Architects’ work on Alafia was recently featured in Passive House Accelerator’s article “A Blueprint for Resiliency in East New York,” which highlights the development as a model for neighborhood-scale resiliency, high-performance design, affordable housing, and community health.

Located on a 25-acre site in East New York, Alafia is transforming a formerly disconnected institutional campus into a mixed-use, wellness-oriented community. At full buildout, the development will bring approximately 2,400 affordable homes to Central Brooklyn, alongside open space, healthcare, retail, urban agriculture, renewable energy systems, and sustainable infrastructure.

The master plan was created by Dattner Architects and SCAPE Landscape Architecture in partnership with Apex Building Group, L+M Development Partners, RiseBoro Community Partnership, and Services for the UnderServed. Dattner Architects designed Phase 1 and is currently designing Phase 3, a One Brooklyn Health outpatient clinic, and a new facility for The Campaign Against Hunger.

Recently completed Phase 1 includes 576 affordable and supportive homes across three residential buildings, retail space, site improvements, and a Maintenance Hub designed to support waste management at a neighborhood scale. The project undergoing Passive House Institute certification and integrates flood resiliency, stormwater retention, geothermal systems, wastewater heat recovery, photovoltaic arrays, and high-performance envelope strategies.

The article features insight from Dattner Architects Associate Principal and Project Manager Jen Switala, who discusses the community visioning, site planning, Passive House, and resiliency strategies that shaped the project. Together, these approaches position Alafia as a long-term framework for healthy, connected, and resilient affordable housing in New York City.

Read the full Passive House Accelerator article here.