MASS TIMBER IN HARLEM

15-21 West 124th Street is a 7-story apartment building located in the heart of Harlem. on a 10,000 square foot south-facing site overlooking Marcus Garvey Park. The project is approximately 50,000 GSF and includes 35 two- and three-bedroom units with ample amenity space. The site is directly adjacent to the Harlem branch of the New York Public Library to the east. The site is well-served with transit less than a 5-minute walk from multiple subway lines and adjacent to the 125th Street commercial core.

Early design emphasis was placed on ample green space, maximum light penetration, and healthful interiors. However, the owner’s Swiss heritage and strong desire to create a meaningful, lower-carbon project pushed him to transition away from a concrete design and seek out a new AEC team to embrace and execute a legacy Mass Timber building that will shape Harlem innovatively, sequestering carbon for generations.

Demolition and clearing of the site is complete and the project is in Design Development and the project has received a parking waiver from the NY Planning Commission. The MTS grant tested the integration of the Mass Timber superstructure to the previous concrete design and found an estimated potential cost reduction of roughly $4.7million.