Mona El Khafif Pilots "Hyper REAL" Initiative: Bridging Architecture and Commerce
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The University of Virginia School of Architecture proudly announces the launch of Hyper REAL, an innovative pilot project developed by Assoc. Prof. of Architecture and Urban + Environmental Planning Mona El Khafif, and generously funded by a $22,500 grant from the White Ruffin Byron Center for Real Estate at UVA (CRE). This novel initiative brings together students and faculty from UVA’s School of Architecture and the McIntire School of Commerce to explore new pedagogical models and foster interdisciplinary collaboration. With the combined efforts of faculty members and industry professionals, Hyper REAL aims to bridge the worlds of design and real estate, providing a unique platform for students to engage with real-life challenges and contribute to the creation of vibrant, sustainable urban spaces.
We intentionally titled the project "Hyper REAL." The goal of this collaboration is to understand real world concerns but to also challenge designers to push the boundaries. What are the tools that we can bring to the table to allow non-experts to understand the impact of design?
—Mona El Khafif, co-editor, Next New York
Hyper REAL is both a new advanced research studio and unprecedented cross-disciplinary collaboration geared for graduate students in the School of Architecture’s Urban Design programs, undergraduate students in the McIntire School of Commerce’s Real Estate Minor, and students generally interested in urban design strategies.
Hyper REAL Team
El Khafif, PI of the CRE grant, is working with a team of educators and practitioners, including Assist. Prof. of Commerce and co-PI Sanket Korgaonkar; Assist. Prof. of Architecture Jess Vanecek; Colin Curley, senior associate at Field Operations; and Nicole Emmons, AIA, LEED AP, a partner at Hart Howerton. By teaching together, the team aims to dissolve the traditional silos between design and real estate, fostering a deeper understanding of how financial and design strategies can synergize to create successful cities. The project will also feature a series of workshops and on-site engagements in New York, providing students with invaluable hands-on experience and professional insights.
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Looking ahead to the fall semester, the Hyper REAL team is excited about the opportunities this well-timed project will offer. The unique setting of Red Hook, Brooklyn—currently undergoing significant transformation—provides an ideal environment for students to engage with the wicked problems faced by members of this resilient urban community. Just a few months ago, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a $95 million revitalization project for Red Hook's waterfront, after the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey swapped 100 acres of the Brooklyn shoreline for property on Staten Island, thus releasing Red Hook's port to be redeveloped.
Designing for Red Hook's Future
Once a bustling maritime hub, Red Hook’s port declined with the rise of New Jersey's container terminals, and its piers and warehouses fell into disrepair. IKEA's establishment of a store on a 22-acre site in 2004 marked the beginning of corporate infiltration, followed by facilities from global firms like FedEx, Amazon, and Tesla, bringing both challenges and opportunities. Historically a Black and Hispanic neighborhood, Red Hook saw population decline from 1950 to 2000 but is now home to thriving small businesses, artists, and vulnerable communities, such as the Red Hook Houses, severely impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Recent infrastructural investments and paradigm shifts have elevated Red Hook to one of New York's most pressing development sites.
The teaching team will expose students to a deeper understanding of market forces, infrastructural investments, gentrification, and place making while developing design proposals for Red Hook’s future neighborhoods. The questions raised in the studio will address the rapidly changing waterfront development, coastal resilience and a proposed seawall, infrastructure investments for public transportation, and how to enhance the neighborhood’s sense of place. The collaborative model established by the team promises to enrich both academic and professional experiences, fostering a holistic understanding of the intricate relationship between design and real estate. The insights and case studies developed this fall will serve as valuable resources for a seminar next spring, further extending the project's impact.
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A Supported Collaboration
The Hyper REAL project has garnered significant support from both UVA’s Center for Real Estate and the architecture office Hart Howerton, which is sponsoring Nicole Emmons' participation through an in-kind sponsorship. This collective support is instrumental in ensuring the project's success and providing students with access to top-tier professional expertise. Special thanks are extended to David Howerton (Hart Howerton), Robert Byron (Blue Vista Capital Management), Keven Lindeman (Center for Real Estate), and Mike Gallmeyer (Center for Real Estate) for their unwavering support and trust in this initiative. Additionally, recent graduate Matthew Tepper (BS Arch '24) contributed significant findings on Red Hook through his fourth-year thesis project, Reshaping Red Hook, and a research assistantship to help develop the Hyper REAL studio, both under El Khafif's advisorship.
Building upon an established studio practice at the School of Architecture that tackles critical urban and architectural issues in New York City, Hyper REAL represents a bold new interdisciplinary approach that merges the fields of architecture and commerce to address the complexities of urban development. This project not only aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate the realities of the professional world but also to inspire innovative solutions for the future of urban spaces. With the support of a dedicated team and generous sponsors, Hyper REAL is poised to make a lasting contribution to both academic scholarship and the practice of urban design and real estate.
