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Prairie

 

Stage II Finalist: urbanSHED International Design Competition

Design Merit Award: American Institute of Architects New York Chapter

Faculty Design Award: Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture

 

 

In New York City, more than 6,000 sidewalk sheds flank buildings and construction sites at any given time, obstructing more than 1 million linear feat of sidewalk. Most remain in place for a year or more, these supposedly temporary structures have become permanent features of the urban streetscape. 

While intended to protect pedestrians from overhead construction debris, they undermine the aesthetic and social qualities of one of the most important and dynamic forms of public space - the sidewalk. 

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Current NYC building codes prohibit their surfaces from being covered with posters, painting or anything visually stimulating, perpetuating them as fixed, utilitarian eyesores. For something that occupies the equivalent area of half of Central Park shouldn’t some attention be paid to quality of design and experience?

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While intended to protect pedestrians from overhead construction debris, they undermine the aesthetic and social qualities of one of the most important and dynamic forms of public space - the sidewalk.

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 While intended to protect pedestrians from overhead construction debris, they undermine the aesthetic and social qualities of one of the most important and dynamic forms of public space - the sidewalk. 

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While intended to protect pedestrians from overhead construction debris, they undermine the aesthetic and social qualities of one of the most important and dynamic forms of public space - the sidewalk.

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Project Team:

KNE studio: 
Kevin Erickson, Montana Crady, Johann Rischau, Mathew Strack, Dorin Baul, Benjamin Rubenstein, Katie Min