The environments in which people live can have longstanding consequences for their health. This is especially true for people who have experienced chronic homelessness on the streets.

As New York’s largest provider of supportive housing, Breaking Ground has long believed in the connections between health and the design of the built environment. By partnering with the forward-thinking COOKFOX Architects, principles of active and biophilic design are employed to improve the health of formerly homeless and low-income residents ofBreaking Ground housing. The pair’s newest collaboration also embraces the Passive House standard. In this conversation, Breaking Ground and COOKFOX explore the importance of design with a social purpose through the lens of supportive housing.