Timber in the City Competition Challenges Young Architects to Design Mid-Rise, Mixed-Use Complex NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Wood has been used as a building material for thousands of years, but when it comes to urban construction, American cities are predominantly steel and concrete. A new design competition, organized by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), the Binational Softwood Lumber Council (BSLC), and Parsons The New School for Design seeks to change that mindset. Timber in the City: Urban Habitats challenges architecture students and young professionals, working individually or in teams, to design a mid-rise, mixed-use complex for a site in the Brooklyn waterfront neighborhood of Red Hook, an industrial and residential area that is currently in flux, with a population of public housing residents and working artists and designers, and a number of new residential and commercial developments such as Ikea. With a focus on regenerating the urban manufacturing sector and addressing New York's housing needs, entrants are being tasked with incorporating affordable housing units; a bike sharing and repair shop; as well as a vocational, manufacturing and distribution center for the innovative use of wood technology. Entrants will be challenged to propose construction systems that draw optimally on the performance characteristics of a variety of wood technologies, and incorporate the creative and innovative use of wood in its design. A distinguished panel of judges will award the winning teams with cash prizes totaling $30,000, and the projects will be publicly exhibited at the 2014 ACSA Annual Meeting in Miami and the American Institute of Architects 2014 Convention in Chicago. Entrants must register by March 6, 2013 and submit their project by May 22, 2013. The design jury will meet July 2013 to select winning projects and honorable mentions. For full details on the competition visit the ACSA website.
