Gaining Urban Space: Solving New York’s Affordable Housing Shortage

The Metals in Construction magazine 2021 Design Challenge will award a $15,000 Grand Prize to the entry deemed best at creating an environment for affordable housing by overbuilding NYC’s Sunnyside Yard—a complex of critical railroad infrastructure whose development potential is the subject of the Sunnyside Yard Master Plan Handbook. The Challenge is to submit your idea for a viable, efficient solution for constructing Phase 1 of the master plan, envisioning the decking, rental housing and community services it entails.

Decking over an active rail yard to gain urban space adds costs that test near-term financial feasibility. As a plan centered on human needs and public good, initial return on investment is not a primary concern. But finding funding for even a portion of the project under the current economic conditions means optimizing the cost of both platform and superstructures without compromising design integrity, all while enabling ongoing rail yard operations.

Submissions are due February 23, 2021. The $15,000 Grand Prize will be awarded to one of six finalists selected by a multidisciplinary jury of recognized, experienced architects and engineers who possess the knowledge and insight to evaluate the submitted entries. Registration is open now.

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