Winning ideas of the latest Timber in the City: Urban Habitats student competition

In the 2018-2019 Timber in the City: Urban Habitats Competition, over 920 architecture students and faculty submitted their most creative design ideas for using wood as a building material. Students were challenged to design a mid-rise, mixed-use complex on a vacant waterfront site in Queens, New York that provides affordable housing, a large community wellness facility, and an early childhood education center that would all be interlaced with a new exterior public waterfront space. The proposals had to incorporate construction systems that draw from various wood technologies.

At the end of the competition, the jury picked three prize-winning teams, who received cash prizes totaling $40,000. Their projects will be on view at the 2020 ACSA Annual Meeting in San Diego and the American Institute of Architects 2020 Convention in Los Angeles. The jury also selected five honorable mentions.

Check out the top prize-winning submissions below!

First Place: Aperture
Students: Eric Bos & Trevor Wood, University of Maryland
Faculty Sponsor: Peter Noonan, University of Maryland

Juror comments: “Aperture, demonstrates an intelligent selection of wood materials which creates an impeccable building. The orientation of the buildings creates a protective plaza linking the buildings to the community with a clear understanding of the urban context. The students have thoughtfully used timber construction with a variety of techniques throughout the project. The submission boards are clear, well designed and show a comprehensive understanding of the entire project proposal.”