David West, Hill West Architects

You’ve practiced architecture for almost four decades, dedicating most of that experience to new housing development in New York City. In what fundamental ways, from your perspective, has the overall landscape changed most in that time?

Hill West co-founder David West is on speed dial for many a New York City developer, known for his mastery of zoning matters and proven ability to conceptualize structures consistently lauded by builders, marketers, and the residents who call them home.

You’ve got two Brooklyn projects in the works right now, 2230 Cropsey in Bath Beach and 1100 Myrtle on the Bushwick/Bed-Stuy border. Tell us a little bit about those.

2230 Cropsey was designed to be the “it” building of South Brooklyn. It overlooks the shoreline, but you wouldn’t have known from the way we first found it, screened from the shoreline by a dense stand of trees. Verticality was the key: The building needed to rise high above its surroundings to take full advantage of its location and views while also being architecturally exciting. Its brick base and curtain wall cladding sets it apart yet ties back to its environs. Beautiful interiors and lavish rooftop amenities will provide a comprehensive lifestyle for residents, with units oriented to take maximal advantage of the views. 1100 Myrtle was a complex design project on a through-block site surrounded by stunning historic architecture, with over 300 feet of frontage on bustling Myrtle Avenue and another 150 on Vernon Avenue. The new building replaces an existing supermarket with a state-of-the-art Food Bazaar and 238 apartments. A unique challenge was accommodating the different structural requirements for the residential floors above the supermarket. We worked with the structural engineer to provide a transfer slab on the second floor. At nearly three feet thick, the reinforced cast-in-place concrete slab acts like a beam, allowing us to have different column locations in the supermarket vs. the residential floors. A two-sided lobby separates the vibrant retail storefront on Myrtle from the quaint residential vibes of Vernon, with entrances from either. The Vernon side is accessed via a private garden that continues the feel of a tree-lined street, while the Myrtle entrance offers convenient and secure access proximate to the subway. A self-park garage serves residents and shoppers both.

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Some architects drop in, draw their plans, and leave, but it seems you typically jump in the trenches at the initial planning stage forward, starting with site selection. Walk us through a typical project timeline at Hill West and how your more involved approach manifests in the final design outcome.

“We don’t design for our portfolio; we design for our clients.”

Located at the border of Bushwick and Bedford-Stuyvesant, 1100 Myrtle replaces an existing supermarket with a brand new, state-of-the-art Food Bazaar and 238 apartments in combination with an unparalleled amenity package. Hill West worked with the structural engineer to accommodate the differing structural requirements for the two, allowing for differing column locations between the retail space and residences.

One Archer in Jamaica, Queens, brought 315 rental apartments to a "shovel ready" site, centrally located in the borough with easy transit access provided by nearby Jamaica Station. Hill West utilized the building's second and third floors, which sit adjacent to elevated railroad tracks, for on site parking and amenities like an elevated dog park and fitness center.

Ah — the Mayans. I’m probably not a fan of the Mayan lifestyle, but I do appreciate the architecture. A visit to any Mayan settlement shows they were true urban planners. Cities were laid out with distinct civic, religious, and residential zones, interconnected by beautiful, elaborate road networks that extend to other cities. Furthermore, the aesthetic sensibilities were masterful. Use of horizontally stepped and corbelled structures enriched with highly stylized motifs provide a richness and cohesiveness of architectural expression that rivals all the great civilizations in world history. The steps, battered walls, and horizontal accents applied to strongly vertical forms provide a wealth of inspiration to the generally vertical buildings we design today.

We hear you’re a big fan of the Mayans. What’s the biggest lesson today’s designers can learn from their ancient counterparts?

Since my early years designing housing in NYC, I’ve been heavily involved in zoning matters, site analysis, and entitlements. For this reason, my firm is often “on call” for developers to assist during site selection and acquisition. When this process leads to a project, we enter design, documentation, and ultimately construction administration. A typical timeline is 3-4 years from acquisition to completion, though many factors can impact this timeline, usually extending it. Building design is highly complex. There are many potential unforeseen circumstances and pitfalls that can delay or even derail a project, or otherwise lead it to be less than fully successful. Our approach is holistic. We understand and anticipate potential problems. We also keep, as our highest priority, our clients’ needs, profitability, and success. We don’t design for our portfolio; we design for our clients. Finally, our business model relies on repeat business and word of mouth. For this reason, we prioritize a successful construction and close out process. We always want to leave our clients fully satisfied so they’ll give us the next project.

I’ll start by saying that there’s a continuum between the building typology that was invented during the postwar era, particularly the 1950s to 1970s, and the buildings we design today. Fundamental aspects of those buildings — the reinforced concrete flat plate structure, for example — have evolved, but not changed dramatically. That said, today’s buildings are vastly more sophisticated in a whole host of ways, they’re much more energy efficient, and have better mechanical systems. More importantly, buildings today are more holistically designed in terms of offering a lifestyle and a place for living, recreating, and even working than their forebears. Covid only amplified these trends. Another big difference is the quality of the architecture. Over the last 20 years or so, there has been a flowering of architectural, interior, and landscape design that has imparted a wealth of architectural sophistication to the housing of today. Whether designed by local practitioners or international starchitects, there is an appreciation today that good design sells. The entire city has benefited.

Like at One Archer (left), 2230 Cropsey (right), in Bath Beach, needed to rise above its surroundings — in this case a dense stand of trees — to fully capitalize on its views. A brick base and curtain wall cladding elevate the building to meet sweeping skyline and shoreline views, which are enjoyed from the pool deck upwards.

New York City has the most elaborate and sophisticated zoning resolution in the country — and perhaps in the world. The beauty of NYC development is that it can proceed “as-of-right” without the individual design reviews typical in most other jurisdictions. This has been the most significant factor impacting NYC’s leading role in high-rise development. Zoning is highly layered and complex, with many alternate paths that exist within it. A sophisticated grasp of the rules is essential. Furthermore, the impact of disregarding or misunderstanding the rules can be catastrophic. These buildings are complex and expensive. False steps can lead to unfortunate outcomes, which we’re very good at avoiding. Our creative process involves first understanding constraints and opportunities. I relish in “cutting the clay” and shaping, molding the building form. This is, at its essence, what a mastery of the zoning permits.

Zoning matters are a particular focus of your practice, and we’re told you’re the fount of knowledge when it comes to Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). How does that background influence your creative process? What are some common bureaucratic hurdles it helps you overcome?

The client, Shorewood Group, came to us with a “shovel ready” site, which meant our design, documentation, and permitting efforts were the critical path. This particular area of Downtown Jamaica is a designated “Opportunity Zone,” which along with its excellent transit access made it an attractive development location. In early planning for all projects, we prepare view studies and assign grades to the various exposures. One Archer has spectacular views in nearly every direction, so we wanted to capitalize on those, particularly Jamaica Bay to the south and Midtown to the west. We had some extra room in the zoning envelope with respect to height limit, so we added height in the lower floors to “push” the residential floors above the adjacent railroad tracks, with parking, mechanicals, and residential amenities on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Working closely with Shorewood and Corcoran New Development, we came up with a design to suit our client’s taste that also met the program guidance from Corcoran. The building’s location necessitated creating a “machine for living,” with self-sufficient amenities, parking, and ample outdoor space. We set out to create an exciting architectural concept with an efficient, highly functional layout. Whitehall was critical to achieving these goals: Their spaces inside were inspired by the adjacent railways and draws on both local and cosmopolitan influences. Our close collaboration enabled a seamless design, interior to exterior.

At 23 stories, One Archer quite literally took Jamaica, Queens to new heights. What sorts of steps were involved in getting the first tower to sprout here? What was your high-level vision for the building, and how did your collaboration with Whitehall Interiors bring them to fruition?

How do you want people to feel about the buildings you and your team create?

One Archer's Penthouse Amenity Club and adjacent roof terrace capitalizes on the unobstructed views that come with being the tallest building in the area. The tower rises 23 stories from downtown Jamaica's bustling city center.

I have a deep appreciation for the architectural heritage of NYC. Indeed, my first reaction to arriving in the city in 1981 from Southern California was that this was the only true urban metropolis in the US, and I wanted to remain here to contribute. The beauty of NYC is its multilayered tapestry of architecture from different eras and styles — there's no one correct approach. Variety and utility are paramount. We don’t design buildings with a preconceived style. We listen to our clients and the marketers, like the team at Corcoran. We study and absorb the environs and history of a place, then attempt to channel these varied factors and render a design that enhances, always looks forward, and tries to contribute some new element of richness. I want people to feel the same way about my buildings as I felt upon my arrival to NYC, walking around SoHo, the Avenue of the Americas, or looking at the steps and gargoyles on the rooftops of the Upper West Side: excited, satisfied, yearning for more.