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The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has announced the launch of applications for the second round of the NYC Mass Timber Studio, a technical assistance program to support active mass timber development projects in the city.
According to a release, the second iteration will be operated jointly by NYCEDC and Newlab, a global venture platform based in Brooklyn, in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice.
The first cohort of New York City’s mass timber studio featured seven design and development teams with projects across four boroughs. The Walter Gladwin Recreation Center in the Tremont neighborhood of the Bronx has received building permits and is advancing towards construction. Image: Marvel
WoodWorks will provide technical assistance, and the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB), Fire Department of the City of New York, and the American Institute of Architects New York will provide advisory support.
The project is a new mass timber facility that brings inclusive and universally accessible fitness amenities and programming for all ages. Image: Marvel
“When we made changes to the Building Code in 2022, we opened the door to safe, sustainable timber construction projects in neighborhoods across the city. Working with our partners at NYCEDC through the NYC Mass Timber Studio we are now helping usher projects through that door,” said department of buildings commissioner Jimmy Oddo in a statement. “By providing technical guidance for these new building projects, we are advancing our dual mission of supporting compliant development and promoting public safety in our built environment.”
The first cohort of the mass timber studio featured seven design and development teams with projects across four boroughs. There were community centers and public libraries, multi-family residential, and industrial adaptive reuse developments.
The seven participating design teams met monthly with the NYCEDC, DOB, and WoodWorks to receive technical assistance on project delivery and advance their project designs and plans.
The NYCEDC, with support from mass timber studio partners, held two public industry events. Over 300 attendees tuned in remotely and in person at each, the release explains.
Some highlights from the first cohort include:
- The Walter Gladwin Recreation Center in the Tremont neighborhood of the Bronx. It has received building permits and is advancing towards construction.
- The Brooklyn Public Library New Lots branch will replace an existing library building with a new mass timber facility that will house educational and community programming. The project has successfully received its PDC approval and is working towards permit application submission.
- Algoma, a technology startup that participated in the Mass Timber Studio, raised a successful seed round. “The Prospect” is a prototype that aims to provide a repeatable, easily deployable and scalable solution for the Brooklyn housing market.
- The DOB published its first Technical Bulletin on mass timber—clarifying specific requirements of Section BC 602.4 of the NYC Building Code regarding mass timber construction.
Studio programming and events are anticipated to begin in May and run for eight months. Applications for the second cohort are open through April 4. Selected teams will be announced, and programming will commence in May. Apply here.
The NYCEDC will also be launching the next round of the Resilient Energy Studio, also in partnership with Newlab. This studio is designed to accelerate the deployment of energy storage system projects across New York City through entrepreneur-led pilot projects.
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