by: Bria Donahue
Last week, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) announced the teams selected for the inaugural NYC Mass Timber Studio. The Studio is a climate innovation program organized by NYCEDC and the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice with support from the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Softwood Lumber Board, WoodWorks, NYC Department of Buildings (DOB), and AIA New York. Each team was awarded a $29,000 grant and receives technical assistance from WoodWorks and advisory feedback from NYC DOB. The projects are located across the five boroughs and include diverse building typologies, with six of the seven sites located in environmental justice communities. The project teams include:
- Brooklyn Public Library New Lots Branch – East New York, Brooklyn
This public project to replace the existing New Lots branch with a new library intends to use mass timber construction. The facility will include an educational and communal program to host classes, gatherings, and events. The project team includes Brooklyn Public Library, MASS Design Group, Marble Fairbanks Architects, Envoie Projects, and TYLin | Silman Structural Solutions.
- Hillside Avenue – Jamaica, Queens
This proposed 100% mixed-income affordable housing project features approximately 136 apartment units and ground-floor retail, and studies mass timber’s integration with the development, design, and construction of high-quality affordable housing. The project team includes Curtis + Ginsberg Architects, MURAL Real Estate Partners, Buro Happold, and Rodney D. Gibble Consulting Engineers.
- Hoek Place – Red Hook, Brooklyn
This five-story, multi-family, mixed-used building will feature community programming on the ground level. Located in a flood zone, the project will help inform how mass timber project delivery can be conducive to flood-proofing requirements. The project team includes Urban Terrains Lab, BLDGWorks, TYLin | Silman Structural Solutions, Element5, and Veneklasen Associates.
- Mass Timber in Harlem – Harlem, Manhattan
This project evaluates the viability of converting an existing design of a six- or seven-story residential building from a concrete superstructure to a lower carbon mass timber superstructure. The project team includes atelierjones, Magna & York, Sage and Coombe, Swinerton, Timberlab, and DCI Engineers.
- 1160 Flushing Avenue – Bushwick, Brooklyn
This mixed-use industrial development will function as a space for companies, entrepreneurs, and artisans to ideate, make, and showcase, and will help to preserve the manufacturing fabric of the local community. The project team includes DenCity Works Architecture and Totem.
- The Grafted Home – Crown Heights, Brooklyn
This redevelopment of a three-story, multi-family, residential building evaluates adaptive reuse versus ground-up development using mass timber. The project team includes Algoma and Neighbor.
- Walter Gladwin Recreation Center – Tremont, Bronx
This public project to construct a new mass timber facility brings inclusive and universally accessible fitness amenities and programming for all ages to the Tremont community. The project team includes Marvel, TYLin | Silman Structural Solutions, NYC Department of Design and Construction (NYC DDC), and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation (NYC Parks).
To learn more about the NYC Mass Timber Studio, stay tuned for more information about the public mid- and final-review events NYCEDC will be hosting this year at the Center for Architecture. The mid-review event, during which teams will present their projects, will be held on April 29.