TOOLBOX

An adaptive reuse of a dormant garage and adjacent two-story office space, Toolbox is a community center for residents of Sunset Park that centers resilience. Based on a simple ethos; to listen to that which already exists and those that are most familiar with the place, the program is derived from a need articulated by local community organization, UPROSE in their Green Resilient Industrial District (GRID) 2.0 plan. UPROSE identifies a need for a center which could be run by the organization allowing them to host a variety of community events, trainings for local businesses on best sustainability practices, research and knowledge sharing.

Toolbox, in line with GRID 2.0, defines resilience as the ability of a system to maintain critical functions in the face of change. What does a building look like that is equally responsive to climate and community resilience? In a project that acknowledges a longer timeline, how can design leave room for the inhabitants to make the place theirs over time? Can it be designed just enough to make the building itself – inviting, useful, and beautiful so that it can be cared for and adapted over time as the local climate changes and the community itself grows and adapts