2009 urbanSHED International Design Competition

The urbanSHED International Design Competition challenges the global design community to re-think the current sidewalk shed standard and create a prototype worthy of today’s New York City.

We invite engineers, architects, designers and students from all related fields to compete. Competitors will generate innovative, compelling and environmentally friendly proposals to thoroughly re-imagine temporary sidewalk shed design while improving the pedestrian experience.

The New York City Buildings Department, American Institute of Architects New York Chapter, the Alliance for Downtown New York, the New York Building Congress, the Illuminating Engineering Society New York Chapter, and the ABNY Foundation (Association for a Better New York) with additional support from the Structural Engineers Association of New York, the New York City Department of Planning and the New York City Department of Transportation have partnered to create this open competition.

Design Challenge

urbanSHED International Design Competition challenges designers to conceptualize a cutting-edge sidewalk shed to protect pedestrians, improve the pedestrian experience– and make New York City even more attractive for generations to come.

More than 6,000 sidewalk sheds flank New York City’s buildings and construction sites. They span more than 1,000,000 linear feet and typically remain in place for nearly a year. While these sheds protect pedestrians from construction debris and support other construction structures, they undermine the beauty of New York City’s architecture.

We’re seeking a fresh, new sidewalk shed design that’s sustainable, economical, meets or exceeds current safety requirements and City regulations, improves technical and structural performance – and creates a better environment for the people who live in, work in and visit New York City.

http://www.urbanshed.org/