Brooklyn Design Awards

The latest Frame Home apartment building transforms a former parking garage into a model of sustainable, community-driven living in Brooklyn. Apartments line the site’s perimeter and embrace a shared courtyard, where dual staircases and open-air walkways encourage chance encounters and connection. Each unit enjoys three solar exposures, maximizing daylight and access to outdoor space.

The building is New York City’s first approved mass timber project under the 2022 Building Code, employing cross-laminated timber (CLT) for floors and roofs. Chosen for its sustainability, warmth, and efficiency as a prefabricated system, CLT reduced construction impact while establishing a strong material identity. Interiors highlight the exposed timber structure, creating a biophilic and tactile living environment.

Meeting Passive House standards, the project achieved rigorous blower-door testing across all 15 units. High-performance assemblies, meticulous air sealing, and energy recovery ventilators ensure excellent indoor air quality, low energy use, and acoustic comfort meeting or exceeding NC-25.

The architecture delivers both technically and socially. Residents gather monthly in the courtyard, share resources, and celebrate together. Accessible bike parking supports car-free living. The project demonstrates how urban housing can unite sustainability, comfort, and community in one resilient model.

Photography: Christopher Sturman

(Drawings & Drone Photo by Brent Buck Architects)