Teachers Village: New Jersey’s Innovative Development With Buildings By Architect Richard Meier

In Newark, New Jersey, the first phase of construction on an innovative new mixed-use development called Teachers Village has been completed. With school and residential buildings designed by award-winning architect Richard Meier, this education-centered development is meant to provide teachers with a safe, affordable, and healthy housing environment that is also close to their workplaces.

The Teachers Village development currently consists of three apartment buildings in different styles, all designed by Meier, and three charter schools, two of which are of Meier's design. The apartment buildings contain a total of 123 units, and 20 percent are studios designated as affordable housing, which will be offered at a reduced rate. Non-educators will be allowed to live in the buildings, but teachers will be given first priority when renting out the apartment units, Dezeen reported.

Urban parking lots were razed to make room for the new development, which, aside from boasting architecture by Meier, also boasts eco-friendly and sustainable features that meet the strictest guidelines set by the US Green Building Council. These include green courtyards, high-performance glazing, and white roofing. Teachers Village is one of several new developments in New Jersey, and is meant to help revitalize the economically-challenged area of downtown Newark.

Newark is the birth city of the 82-year-old Meier. His respect for his native city may be the reason that he accepted the somewhat unusual commission to design buildings for this innovative affordable-housing development.

His architectural designs for the buildings in Teachers Village show both the all-white aesthetic for which he is best known, and a startling departure from his usual style with the use of brick. Another of his recent projects is a hotel in South Korea constructed in preparation for the 2018 Winter Olympics, and he is working on a black tower planned for the Manhattan waterfront.

One of Meier'S most acclaimed pieces is the Douglas House on Lake Michigan, which was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places, Architectural Digest reported. Watch Richard Meier (architect) on 'What is good design?' here: