Independent Project 1 |
Mera Habashi
Supplementary Site Analysis
Temperature & Weather ChangeClimate analysis helped position entrances and public zones to maximize comfort throughout seasonal changes.
Noise Pollution
Noise mapping guided the placement of quieter residential zones
and buffered retail activity along high-traffic edges.
Dining Areas
Study of nearby dining activity informed the scale and
location of food-related programs within the tower base.
Retail Permissions
Zoning allowances for retail defined opportunities for ground-level activation and guided which activities were feasible on-site
These contextual studies clarified patterns of noise, climate, dining, and retail conditions around the site. While supplementary to the overall tower design, they played a key role in shaping the base arrangement by informing retail placement and determining which activities could be supported on-site.
Process Studies
Historic Facade Documentation
Comparison of the historic facade and its present condition, highlighting changes in use and ground-level activation.
Preservation Iterations
Different strategies tested for preserving the facade, ranging from partial openings to full frame retention.
Iterative Design Studies
Expanded set of preservation iterations exploring scale, proportion, and the visibility of the Jersey Journal sign.
Precedent Reference: The President’s House Site, Philadelphia
Example of preserving historical traces through partial walls and frames. This precedent informs both the facade preservation strategy and the experiential character of the plaza at the tower’s base.
Precedent Documentation: The President’s House Site
Closer study of spatial strategies — layering fragments, framing views, and embedding storytelling into the visitor’s experience. These ideas translate into the design of the ground-level plaza, where preserved facade elements create memory, identity, and public engagement.
Massing + Facade Strategy
Early massing iterations illustrating the tower’s stepped geometry and potential facade articulation, emphasizing rhythm and vertical continuity.
Program Distribution
Programmatic breakdown of the tower, showing how residential, amenities, and retail stack vertically to define both skyline presence and ground-level activation.
Ground Floor Plan + Circulation
Ground-level layout integrating lobby, retail, and plaza functions. Red circulation lines highlight key pedestrian flows and connections to surrounding streets.
Site Massing Footprint
Diagram of tower footprint within its block, showing mass placement and setback relationships to adjacent buildings.
Unit Arrangement Plan
Typical residential floor layout with unit mix. Color-coding highlights variation in one- and two-bedroom apartments, optimized around corner conditions.
View Orientation Diagram
Diagram mapping view corridors from the tower, emphasizing iconic orientations toward Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, and surrounding skylines.
Work-in-progress highlighting critical decisions that shaped the final proposal — translating insights from noise, climate, dining, and retail conditions into the evolving form and base strategy of the tower.
Final Design Proposal
Ground Floor PlanThe ground level integrates retail, lobby, and public plaza functions into a zigzagging layout shaped by the irregular geometry of the site. Circulation connects three surrounding streets, anchoring the tower as both an urban landmark and civic space.
Typical Residential Floor Plan A (11TH-40TH & 44TH)
Typical residential layout emphasizing corner-oriented units to maximize daylight, ventilation, and panoramic views. Mix of studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units create diversity in housing options.
Typical Residential Floor Plan B (62ND-75TH)
Typical residential floor plan with corner-oriented units. To achieve the minimum 2% requirement for three-bedroom apartments, two adjacent one-bedroom units are combined into one three-bedroom unit, maintaining the tower’s overall unit mix while preserving dual-orientation views for all apartments.
Typical 0 Bedroom Unit - 550 SF30 % of the Units
Typical 2 Bedroom Unit - 950 SF25 % of the Units
Typical 1 Bedroom Unit - 950 SF40 % of the Units
Typical 0 Bedroom Unit + Den - 770 SF10 % of the Units
Typical 1 Bedroom Unit - 955 SF40 % of the Units
Typical 1 Bedroom Unit - 770 SF40 % of the Units
Typical 3 Bedroom Unit - 1,710 SF2 % of the Units
Architectural Visualizations
This proposal reimagines 30 Journal Square as a residential skyscraper that blends light, geometry, heritage, and culture into a cohesive urban landmark. Rising as a vertical community, the tower is composed of corner-oriented units, ensuring every home benefits from abundant daylight, natural ventilation, and panoramic views of Jersey City, Manhattan, and beyond. At its base, a zigzagging public plaza emerges from the site’s irregular geometry, aligning with the tower’s massing while stitching together three surrounding streets. More than circulation, the plaza serves as a civic stage—an active exhibition space for local artists and community gatherings, conceptually inspired by the Site House in Philadelphia. The design preserves the historic façade and original “Journal Square” sign, honoring the memory of the site while projecting its legacy forward. By integrating residential life with cultural expression and public space, the project positions the tower as both a home in the sky and a civic anchor on the ground.