Residency offered by the The Institute for Public Architecture (IPA)

The Institute for Public Architecture (IPA) welcomes applications for the Independent Projects Residency based at the historic Block House on Governors Island.

Emerging and mid-career architects, urbanists, landscape architects, designers, and those committed to the public realm in all disciplines are invited to apply. Applicants will bring their own interests and projects to the program and will receive opportunities to present their work to the public over the course of the Residency. Fellows receive invaluable project support through access to subject matter experts and resources relevant to their project.

IPA Fellows are among the first civilian residents to live on the Island since the Coast Guard’s exit in 1996. Fellows will enjoy unparalleled historic, natural, and urban resources with direct access to downtown Manhattan and waterfront Brooklyn neighborhoods via ferry. The IPA is one of more than twenty arts, cultural, educational, and environmental nonprofit organizations-in-residence on the Island, forming a unique community that connects with a diverse and growing audience of nearly one million annual visitors.

Who Should Apply: The Residency program is open to applicants from diverse backgrounds, educations, experiences, and aspirations. Applicants may be architects, urbanists, landscape architects, designers, working in theoretical or practical disciplines, with an emphasis on the public realm. The program is best suited to applicants with a clearly developed focus and/or approach who need time and space to work independently.

Program Goals: This program is designed to support Fellows with research and design projects at any stage of development who would benefit from sharing their work in the collective, interdisciplinary context of the Residency. To that end, time will be set aside throughout the Summer for Fellows to present and discuss their work with the cohort, IPA staff, guests, and members of the public.

During the Residency, Fellows’ work can be presented in any format: academic papers, articles, and/or book chapters, film, installations, drawings, models, macquettes, among others. The program will culminate in an exhibition of work at the Block House, and eventually, a publication.

Program Structure: This program offers Fellows the opportunity to bring their own interests and projects to New York City, with its vast network of expertise and leadership in the fields of architecture, urbanism, and design. Fellows will be asked to present the progress of their work to the public in a series of Open [Block] House events on Governors Island. Each Fellow will also receive invaluable project support through the IPA’s network of subject matter experts and resources. 

Programming includes:

  • Open [Block] House: A series of public events at the Block House invites visitors to engage in conversation with Fellows about their work.
  • Weekend Open Library: The Block House design library and gallery is open to the public on weekends. Fellows are invited to interact with visitors and share the progress of their work.
  • Dinner Parties: A series of curated evenings are held throughout the Summer with guests and former fellows invited to dine with the cohort.
  • Cohort Activities: Fellows are invited to join scheduled walking tours, field trips, museum and archive visits, and events on Governors Island and around New York City.

The Institute for Public Architecture, based in the historic Block House on Governors Island, uses design to address social and physical inequities in the city through our signature selected topic Fellowship and independent project Residency programs, and related public lectures, exhibits and publications.

The IPA believes in a future in which design is used as a tool for facilitating social justice and the public has a voice in all decisions that shape our built environment.