As part of the City’s decarbonization efforts, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is launching the New York City Mass Timber Studio (the NYC Mass Timber Studio), a technical assistance program to support active mass timber development projects in the early phases of project planning and design.
Donor Name: New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)
State: New York
City: New York City
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/01/2023
Size of the Grant: $25,000
Grant Duration: 9 months
Details:
The NYC Mass Timber Studio is funded in part by the USDA Forest Service Wood Innovations Program with contributions by NYCEDC and the Softwood Lumber Board.
The NYC Mass Timber Studio activities are anticipated to begin in 2024 and run for a duration of approximately nine (9) months, during which design teams will regularly meet with Woodworks and the Department of Buildings for technical assistance and advisory feedback. Awarded design teams will commit to participating in the NYC Mass Timber Studio mid- and final reviews, during which the teams will publicly share progress and lessons learned. NYC Mass Timber Studio deliverables include:
- Preliminary building designs and plans integrating mass timber materials
- Life cycle assessment of embodied carbon comparing conventional and mass timber construction materials and practices
- Preliminary cost benefit assessment for mass timber (time, material, and labor)
- Brief project summary report with analysis and findings on opportunities for mass timber adoption
- Operational plan on next steps to integrate timber into the final design.
Goals of the NYC Mass Timber Studio
The NYC Mass Timber Studio will broaden awareness, identify new opportunities, and accelerate the use of mass timber practices in New York City, with the following goals:
- Raise public awareness of the carbon and economic benefits and beauty of mass timber construction
- Connect design teams and City actors interested in advancing use of mass timber
- Introduce more practitioners to the details and feasibility of mass timber construction
- Identify development opportunities resulting in new building and infrastructure projects in New York City constructed with mass timber
- Identify the potential for new business and job creation through the expansion of mass timber construction.
Funding Information
Grants of approximately $25,000 will be awarded to selected teams to support project-specific mass timber analysis and design work.
Eligible Projects
- To be eligible to enter, the applicant must be an architecture, engineering, or development organization registered in the United States and authorized to do business in New York State, with an active commissioned project that meets grant application requirements.
- An eligible project must be one of the following building typologies:
- Commercial development
- Institutional development (cultural, educational, recreational)
- Residential development (multifamily affordable and market rate housing)
- Infrastructure development
- Industrial development
Selection Criteria
To assess and accelerate practice and market adoption, NYC Mass Timber Studio grants will be awarded on a competitive basis with a goal of selecting new development projects representing a range of building uses, affordability, scales, and heights and based on the potential for successful integration of low carbon mass timber building materials and practices into the proposed project.
- Planning and Permitting Status
- Applicant projects should be in the early stages of design and development with the capacity and sufficient project planning time to actively participate in the NYC Mass Timber Studio program, fulfill NYC Mass Timber Studio program requirements (including fully assessing mass timber building solutions), and have the potential to implement mass timber building practices. Preference will be given to projects nearing or within the early stage of permitting, and/or demonstrate potential to accelerate broader adoption of mass timber in new innovative applications.
- Priority Building Uses, Typologies, and Heights
- Commercial – large office
- Institutional – including but not limited to, community spaces, education centers, libraries
- Science / Technology (including labs)
- Residential – large multifamily affordable and market rate housing
- Residential – medium multifamily affordable and market rate housing
- Six to seven stories (no podium / non-high rise building code)
- Infrastructure – bridges & public walkways
- Industrial – warehouses & distribution centers
- Sustainability and Resiliency
- Mass timber construction is a critical emerging practice for reducing building construction material carbon emissions. Applicant projects should have an overarching commitment and approach to sustainable development and to reducing carbon emissions.
- Commitment to Equity
- Applicants should demonstrate commitment to diversity and equity and the development of a mass timber project that benefits underserved New Yorkers.
- Implementation of Mass Timber Practices
- Applicant projects should have strong potential for implementing mass timber construction practices.
For more information, visit NYCEDC.
