As the summer begins to heat up around the city, visitors of The Bronx River Greenway River House will find solace from the weather. Architect Gregory Kiss and Landscape Architect Starr Whitehouse designed the River House as multifunctional site that bridges community and environment. The building serves as a workspace for the Bronx River Alliance and as a programmatic space, integrating environment performance goals, public elements, and a desire to foster a favorable microclimate. To read more about this unique building, head to the Archtober Guide on Bloomberg Connects and hear an exclusive audio clip from Gregory Kiss about designing the building!

The Bronx River Greenway River House stands at the upstream limit of the navigable part of the Bronx River. Downstream lies an industrial riverbank, while upstream unveils a naturalistic riverscape adorned with gardens stretching through the Bronx Zoo and Bronx Botanical Gardens and into Westchester. The Bronx River Alliance boat launch is located facing downstream, while the programmatic spaces face upstream the river. Industry, nature, and environment are blended together through the building’s positioning.

The screen wall wrapping around the outer façade draws inspiration from the surrounding Starlight Park and the benefits of local mature forests that cool the air and improve air quality. The screen is made up of two layers: an outer metal mesh security fence decorated with seasonal vines, and an inner layer of cement poured rain screen, where moss thrives. A 10,000 gallon tank of collected rainwater irrigates these natural air purifiers, maintaining a local and symbiotic environment at a micro scale.  

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Beyond its environmental features, the building serves as a vital link between east and west communities previously divided by physical barriers like the Sheridan Expressway, the river, and Amtrak lines. It functions not only as a community center and working facility but also as a symbolic connection, allowing the site to create unity and collaboration in the South Bronx.

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The Bronx River Greenway River House empowers the Bronx River Alliance to engage with the community and the natural world, while allowing the environment to live freely around the building. Learn more about The Bronx River Greenway River House’s sustainability achievements and the people involved in the project on the Archtober Guide on Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app, and make sure to check out other green spaces around the city as you’re building your summer itinerary!