20/10/2026
Not long ago, much of this 10.5 acre site in East New York, Brooklyn was surface parking for one of the largest houses of worship in New York City.
Innovative Urban Village is transforming the Christian Cultural Center’s 10.5-acre campus into a 10-building community with nearly 2,000 affordable homes. PAU calls it a model for reimagining surplus church land as equitable housing, an idea gaining ground across New York and beyond. When complete, the campus will add a grocery store, neighborhood retail, a daycare, a playground and underground parking, all laid out at a human scale: walkable interior streets lined with small shops, and two-story townhomes at street level.
The facade follows a systematized grid that controls cost while giving each building its own character. Teak Brown battens wrap the building corners, line the entry soffits, shade the street-level windows and screen the balconies. Against the brick, the warm wood look softens the street, with no painting or staining to maintain.
These photos are from Phase 1A. Battens for Phase 1B are on the way, for two more buildings with 453 homes targeted for 2027. Phase 2 follows with three more buildings and nearly 600 affordable homes, including senior housing. The full campus is planned for completion in 2031.
With construction spread across years, keeping the facade consistent from one building to the next takes planning. The same batten profile and color specified for Phase 1A carries through each phase that follows. If you’re planning a phased project, reach out to our team. We can help with samples, lead times and the details you need to get started.
Project: Innovative Urban Village, Phase 1A, East New York, Brooklyn, NY
Featured: Knotwood USA 2x2 Battens, Color Teak Brown
Design Architect: PAU Practice for Architecture and Urbanism
Knotwood Representative: John Rocco Sales Next Generation
