The winners of the Construction Shed Design Competition have been announced. The contest was held by the New York Building Congress to create innovative and attractive alternatives to the drab sidewalk sheds, the temporary corridors erected during construction that shield pedestrians from debris. An estimated 200 miles of sidewalk sheds cover the five boroughs.
Of the 33 entrants, four winners were named: Side+Ways+Shed by Francis Cauffman; SCAFFOLDWING by Gannett Fleming Engineers and Architects; G-Shed by Gensler; and UrbanArbor by PBDW Architects and Anastos Engineering Associates.
Winning entries are simple to build, use readily-available materials, create a more efficient pedestrian walk flow, and are designed to be light and open. The sheds also meet New York City Department of Buildings requirements and can be used for construction in central business districts, residential, and commercial projects, as well as masonry repair work.
The sheds “best exemplified the goals of the competition of offering practical, cost-effective, off-the-shelf designs that are far more attractive than standard sheds,” said Frank J. Sciame, competition committee chairman and CEO of Sciame Construction, in a statement.
The four winners will share $10,000 awarded by the New York Building Foundation.
Side+Ways+Shed by Francis Cauffman. The structure has LED lights powered by PV panels. Structural columns are wrapped in fabric. Rendering: Francis Cauffman
SCAFFOLDWING by Gannett Fleming Engineers and Architects. The scaffold’s wing stretches out across the sidewalk, which directs sunlight to the street level and drains rainwater. The roof is made of translucent polycarbonate panels, which are light and airy. Rendering: Gannett Fleming Engineers and Architects
G-Shed by Gensler. The design has modular posts and reduced obstructions. Lighting can be integrated and retail signs can be affixed to it. Rendering: Gensler
UrbanArbor by PBDW Architects and Anastos Engineering Associates. The Y-shaped vertical posts and diagonal braces look like trees. LED lights and solar panels are also installed. Rendering: PBDW Architects and Anastos Engineering Associates
Related Stories
| Aug 25, 2014
Tall wood buildings: Surveying the early innovators
Timber has been largely abandoned as a structural solution in taller buildings during the last century, in favor of concrete and steel. Perkins+Will's Rebecca Holt writes about the firm's work in surveying the burgeoning tall wood buildings sector.
| Aug 25, 2014
'Vanity space' makes up large percentage of world's tallest buildings [infographic]
Large portions of some skyscrapers are useless space used to artificially enhance their height, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
| Aug 25, 2014
Photographer creates time-lapse video of 1 WTC using 30,000 photos
Choosing from 30,000 photos he took from the day construction began in 2006 to the day when construction was finished in 2012, Brooklyn-based photographer Benjamin Rosamund compressed 1,100 photos to create the two-minute video.
| Aug 25, 2014
Glazing plays key role in reinventing stairway design
Within the architectural community, a movement called "active design" seeks to convert barren and unappealing stairwells originally conceived as emergency contingencies into well-designed architectural focal points. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Aug 25, 2014
An easy trick for minimizing construction delays
About one out of every three construction projects is behind schedule or over budget, according to the Construction Industry Institute's Assessment of Owner Project Management Practices and Performance survey. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Aug 22, 2014
Before & After: Hospital upgrade shows shifting needs in healthcare construction
Community Hospice of Northeast Florida took an outdated 10-bed inpatient hospice unit and created a space that would meet the needs of patients receiving end of life care by creating a place that felt like home.
| Aug 22, 2014
Spireworks app lets users control a piece of the New York skyline
Mark Domino, the son-in-law of developer Douglas Durst, has developed an app, called Spireworks, that allows anyone with a smartphone to change the color of a building's lights.
| Aug 21, 2014
Ranked: Top science and technology sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
HDR, Affiliated Engineers, and Skanska top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest S+T sector design and construction firms.
| Aug 21, 2014
Ranked: Top convention center AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Gensler, AECOM, and Hunt Construction top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest convention center design and construction firms.
| Aug 21, 2014
Apartment construction hits 25-year high
The boost to apartment construction suggests that job gains are encouraging the creation of households.
