BDP eyes US expansion with New York studio

BDP has opened a studio in the United States as it targets a wave of North American expansion on the back of its development and social-value track record.

The practice has a base in Toronto but its New York office represents a first in Canada’s geographically smaller but more populous southern neighbour.

Rosalind Tsang is director of BDP’s New York studio, which is at 101 Greenwich Street in Manhattan’s Financial District.

BDP has recently produced an urban health study in response to New York mayor Eric Adam’s Blueprint for New York City’s Economic Recovery and the Ten Year Capital Strategy, which aims to deliver a more socially equitable city.

The report seeks to improve social value by encouraging “meanwhile” or temporary uses for existing and new buildings as a catalyst for creating better-connected and healthier communities.

It identifies areas where more considered use of development sites could bring added social value in the East New York neighbourhood, situated along the planned Interborough Express, which will connect many underserved communities in the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn.

BDP chief executive Nick Fairham said the practice’s expertise in delivering low-carbon, socially-progressive places with high financial yields for stakeholders had a ready market in New York and the wider United States.

“As a continuous collective of socially conscious designers, we are building on our legacy of people-centred, multidisciplinary design and we are excited to bring our practice to New York City, where we can merge development opportunities, world-class building design and real social value,” he said.

“Our unique ability to adapt and problem solve means we are perfectly placed to bring this kind of unique and important thinking to the city. We want to help design places that bring a better, healthier quality of life for people who live in America’s diverse, active and beautiful cities.”