Timber House, 670 Union Street, #3A (Compass)
Brooklyn has emerged as a leader in mass timber construction, a growing movement in architecture and development. Some projects use mass timber as structural elements in new, ground-up construction, while others highlight salvaged wood beams from century-old loft buildings as selling points in adaptive reuse conversions. Notable ground-up examples include 320 and 360 Wythe Avenues, Frame 283, Frame 122, and Timber House.
While adoption has been gradual across New York, the trend is picking up momentum despite FDNY concerns about using mass timber in taller structures. Developers continue to embrace it for its environmental benefits, efficiency, and design appeal. Staten Island is preparing to host the city’s largest mass timber project, and even the High Line’s newest extension employs a pre-assembled timber bridge to connect into the Manhattan West complex. Together, these projects point to a shift in how the city may build in the future.
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L: 360 Wythe Avenue rendering via Flank Architecture + Development, R: 2018 construction photo courtesy of Field Condition
Mass timber refers to engineered wood products such as cross-laminated timber (CLT), nail-laminated timber (NLT), and glue-laminated beams (glulam), made by layering, bonding, and compressing pieces of wood into strong structural components. Unlike traditional wood framing, mass timber can replace concrete and steel in major building systems while offering high strength and fire resistance. Because timber is renewable and its production generates fewer emissions, it dramatically reduces a project’s embodied carbon. Construction timelines can also be shorter, and interiors often feel warmer and more tactile compared to traditional materials.
In North Williamsburg, just south of McCarren Park, KSK Construction Group is developing a new 23-unit condominium at 179 North 10th Street. The project builds atop a former two-story commercial structure, expanding it into a four-story residential building designed by Tahir Demircioglu, founder of BUILTD (the firm behind 570 Broome Street). According to renderings and site visits, the building incorporates mass timber beams and columns alongside a concrete superstructure.
The development will span 44,000 square feet and include 23 condo residences, 17 on-site parking spaces, and extensive private outdoor areas. Several homes will feature large, covered terraces framed in timber, and some units will be duplexes with dramatic double-height spaces. The building topped out earlier this year, remains under construction behind netting, and is expected to finish in 2026. Earlier this year, Castellan Real Estate Partners provided KSK with $25 million in financing. This is the developer’s second project on the block, following the 2024 completion of 172 North 10th Street.
The city’s most ambitious mass timber project is moving forward on Staten Island’s Stapleton waterfront. In May, Mayor Eric Adams and the NYC Economic Development Corporation announced that Artimus and Phoenix Realty Group will develop two vacant parcels into a 500-unit mixed-income residential complex designed by GF55 Architects. With a quarter of the apartments set aside for affordable housing, this will be New York City’s largest mass timber residential project and among the largest of its kind nationwide.
Staten Island Stapleton waterfront (GF55 Architects via NYCEDC)
The development forms part of the broader New Stapleton Waterfront, a 32-acre transformation of a former U.S. naval base into a mixed-use, mixed-income waterfront neighborhood. Importantly, it marks the first publicly awarded project in the city to utilize mass timber. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, positioning the development as a milestone for sustainable building in New York.
Active listings with timber elements
159 Carlton Avenue, #1D (Compass)
The Spears Building, #5D (Corcoran Group)
333 West 21st Street, #4RW (Bond New York Properties LLC)
The Riviera, #4C (Compass)
750 Park Avenue, #16D (Coldwell Banker Warburg)
177 Thompson Street, #3 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
100 West 15th Street, #2A (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
56 Jane Street, #4B (Corcoran Group)
Umbrella Factory, #5H (Corcoran Group)
708 Greenwich Street, #2F (The Agency Brokerage)
The Orson, #3 (Serhant)
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Ansonia Court, #N3R (Corcoran Group)
Timber House, #3A (Compass)
124 West 24th Street, #PHD (CHARNEY REAL ESTATE LLC)
20 Henry Street, #5D/S (Compass)
24 West 90th Street, #A
$2,420,000 (-3%)
Central Park West | Cooperative | 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 1,800 ft2
24 West 90th Street, #A (William Raveis New York City LLC)
472 Greenwich Street, #6 (Coldwell Banker Warburg)
The Smith Grey, #PH6D (Compass)
477 Broome Street, #53 (Corcoran Group)
520 LaGuardia Place, #6N (Compass)
The Greenwich Street Project, #2C
$2,998,000 (-6%)
SoHo | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 1,661 ft2
The Greenwich Street Project, #2C (Compass)
428 East 10th Street, #2B (Corcoran Group)
74 Reade Street, #1E (Compass)
240 West 75th Street, #PH (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
31 Washington Street, #11 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
466 Washington Street, #4E (Serhant)
176 Duane Street, #4 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
185 Plymouth Street, #2S (Compass)
17 White Street, #3B (Compass)
14 Wooster Street, #2 (Compass)
85 Worth Street, #5 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
165 Charles Street, #1 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
141 West 95th Street, #TH
$12,500,000
Broadway Corridor | Townhouse | 5 Bedrooms, 5.5 Baths | 6,000 ft2
141 West 95th Street, # (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
78 Morton Street, # (Sothebys International Realty)
443 Greenwich Street, #PHG (Corcoran Group)
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Just complete the info below.
Or call us at (212) 755-5544
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
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