Honorable Mention: WOVEN TIMBER CITY

Relying on timber’s flexural properties, a climbing, woven, laminated timber structural system wraps the residences, classrooms, and wellness spaces at 42-02 Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City, NY. The climbing woven structure is symbolic of the social co-reliance found in strong, resilient communities, where people check in on one another, support their neighbors, and contribute their own strengths to the greater whole. The project’s architecture emphasizes humanity’s co-destiny in the way that each structural connection relies on the next as it aggregates into a robust whole.

A required 40’ riverfront setback allows the site to link existing riverfront pedestrian and bike paths to the north and south. With expected pedestrian traffic from both the river and along Vernon Boulevard, a generous greenway and internal pedestrian street bisect the site, allowing community members to cross through the internal pocket park bounded by the site’s buildings. This internal street also increases the site’s total linear “streetfront” property while maximizing daylight access to the wellness center, residences, and classrooms.