270 East 2nd Street

270 East 2nd Street is a 12-story,  65,000-square-foot, mixed-use building with 74 housing units in Manhattan’s East Village on the border of Lower East Side near the East River. It was developed by Barrier Free Living (BFL), an NYC agency with a mission focused on supporting “individuals with disabilities to live dignified lives.”

BFL engaged JCJ Architecture to design this facility to serve their programs, to create a sense of belonging for the residents, and to have a unique architectural presence in a neighborhood undergoing much change.

The new building replaces the four story turn-of-the-19th Century timber frame school house that was in use by BFL. It includes a state-of-the-art transitional and supportive housing complex, administration offices, support spaces, garden, and a 9th floor patio.

With this facility BFL seeks to change the perception and mindset of what a supportive living facility ought to look and feel like, so the design reaches beyond the typical typology associated with ‘shelters’ by redefining the aesthetics.

Accurise Consulting provided the baseline schedule and monthly updates for this project.