Independent Project Residency

The Independent Project Residency, inaugurated in 2022, invites design practitioners to bring their own interests and projects to the Block House on Governors Island.
Fellows are among the first to stay overnight on the Island since the Coast Guard’s exit in 1996 and are immersed in the culture of various arts organizations occupying the Island’s historic structures. Fellows present the progress of their work to the public at Open [Block] House events and participate in Dinner Parties and other cohort activities. The Residency concludes with an exhibit and public presentation of the Fellows’ Work.
Interested in becoming a Fellow? Learn more here.
Fellows are among the first to stay overnight on the Island since the Coast Guard’s exit in 1996 and are immersed in the culture of various arts organizations occupying the Island’s historic structures. Fellows present the progress of their work to the public at Open [Block] House events and participate in Dinner Parties and other cohort activities. The Residency concludes with an exhibit and public presentation of the Fellows’ Work.
Interested in becoming a Fellow? Learn more here.
Past Residencies

2025 Spring Residency:
Independent Projects
Meet the 2025 Spring Fellows and explore their research across a variety of topics including choreography, participatory design, depoyable structures, sculpture, and infastructural hacking.
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2024 Fall Residency:
Independent Projects
The 2024 Fall Residency brings six fellows to the Block House, focusing their research on critical topics in contemporary design including sound, ecology, urbanism, fabrication, storytelling, and more..
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2024 Summer Residency:
Independent Projects
The 2024 Summer Residency program represents the fifth edition of the Independent Project Residency at the Block House, and included five Fellows across a range of disciplines including architecture, communications design, sculpture, writing and industrial design.
︎︎︎ Learn More