New York City Mass Timber Studio Helps Accelerate Seven NYC Timber Projects

The New York City Mass Timber Studio, a nine-month technical assistance accelerator for seven timber projects in preliminary planning and design, wrapped up last week with a number of participants praising its approach, Daily Commercial News reported (10-4-24).

The studio was launched by the New York City Economic Development Commission and partners “to catalyze innovation and collaboration across the design and construction industry,” says Gizem Karagoz, senior project manager, NYCEDC Innovation Industries.

“It is a game-changer in making mass timber seem like a realistic way to move forward more smoothly” through design, procurement, and construction, says Martha Bush, director with Marvel Designs, the architect for the 36,000-square-foot Walter Gladwin Recreational Center in the Bronx.

Bush says key to the program’s success is that New York City’s Department of Buildings (DOB) published a technical bulletin clarifying regulatory concerns around mass timber—“things that were unclear in the code.” The bulletin also clarifies regulatory concerns for other prime consultants such as structural engineers on mass timber projects, including details for joints/connections between mass timber, other materials, and fire-protection criteria.

Another studio participant, Algoma, is working on a four-story, 10,000-square-foot housing complex called the Prospect at Crown Heights in Brooklyn. Company COO Seyfihan Usarer says the program assisted Algoma through “regular check-ins” with the DOB to accelerate the design process.

“If it wasn’t for the studio, the design process could be prolonged by months, which would increase the cost for the real estate developer,” Usarer said.