NXTHVN is a not-for-profit arts and community incubator founded by artists Titus Kaphar and Jonathan Brand in New Haven, Connecticut. Dedicated to providing affordable workspaces for artists, mentoring local youth, and contributing to the revitalization of New Haven's Dixwell neighborhood, NXTHVN occupies two former factory buildings and a luminous new addition. The 40,000-square-foot facility includes professional artist studios, studios for an artists' residency program, space for a curatorial program, rooms for a high school apprenticeship program, technical facilities, including a 3D printing fabrication lab, co-working spaces, a “great hall” for events and performances, gallery, and a café. The addition houses studios as well as apartments for artists-in-residence. The addition’s facade is composed of glass and staggered gray brick, creating a clear distinction between the existing buildings and the addition. Translucent glass at street-level brings natural light into below-grade studios, while transparent glass on the second and third levels opens to views of the neighborhood. A setback creates a rooftop terrace. Illuminated at night, the addition acts as a beacon for the center, and signals renewed investment in the neighborhood. The design celebrates the found conditions of the old buildings, which originally contained ice cream and laboratory equipment factories.
