Double height spaces create a visual connection between the different programs. The structural approach consists of concrete slabs and timber framing supporting a roof that is draping across the site in peaks and valleys. The landscape around the building provides two larger open entry plazas and a series of outdoor studios spilling out from inside, creating a gradient between softscape and hardscape around the site.

The landscape unites across the railway and is shaped by flow. The fast flow that takes the traveler directly to their destination, the slow flow that takes the visitor on a journey of discovery and a coffee break, the bicycle flow that swings slightly in the landscape, and a winding flow that provides accessibility for everyone. On top of this landscape an environment of commercial surfaces with street furniture and protected zones gives an organic and soft expression. Residents will be able to cross the railroad tracks and travel between the districts all year round and around the clock via the separated pedestrian and bicycle passage. Ground heating and lighting will be available for cold and dark periods.

The prefabricated elements are stacked in a way that allows every second module an extra meter of room height. By gently adjusting the modules, the living areas open more towards the courtyard while curving the linear block away from the street to expand the sidewalk into a public square. The resulting checkered pattern becomes the trademark of the building. Economical constraints often lead to scarcity — at Dortheavej, BIG managed to create added value for the individual as well as the community.

A continuous public path stretches from street level to the penthouses and allows people to bike all the way from the ground floor to the top, moving alongside townhouses with gardens, winding through the urban perimeter block. Two sloping green roofs totaling , m are strategically placed to reduce the urban heat island effect as well as providing the visual identity to the project and tying it back to the adjacent farmlands towards the south.

The . mile project area is located within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) -year floodplain and spans from Montgomery Street to East th Street. The ESCR project is designed to protect and improve the resiliency of the large and diverse residential community of more than , New Yorkers, including approximately , NYCHA residents. ESCR will also offer protection to critical infrastructure &#; including a major pump station and an electrical substation that powers much of Lower Manhattan &#; as well as numerous local schools and libraries.