Courtyard as Threshold
“One of the real first concepts of this project was to walk through a wood entry gate and feel the wood structure,” says architect Brent Buck. “We’re trying to bring nature to New York and give people a more organic living experience.”
Rather than treating circulation as a purely functional necessity, Frame 122 organizes daily movement around a shared exterior courtyard. Apartments line the perimeter of the site, enclosing an open-air communal space that residents pass through before reaching their units. Dual curving staircases rise from the courtyard to open walkways, creating moments of pause and encounter along the way.
“We have these incredibly noisy and complex city lives, and the courtyard became this moment of pause,” Buck explains. “These sculptural staircases became a joyful way to move through the building—and a place where people run into each other in unscripted ways.”
Each apartment benefits from three solar exposures, maximizing daylight and reinforcing visual connections between the courtyard and the interiors throughout the day.
Mass timber was selected as the building’s primary structural system for its environmental, experiential, and logistical benefits. CLT panels support the floor and roof assemblies, while glulam beams define interior spaces, leaving the structure exposed throughout the apartments. The result is a warm, biophilic interior environment that contrasts sharply with conventional multifamily construction.
Living with Timber
“Because we have an exterior lobby space, it allowed us to create these wood entry gates that hint to occupants and passersby that this is a mass timber structure.”
Prefabrication reduced on-site assembly time and construction impacts on the surrounding neighborhood. As Buck notes, the site remained unusually quiet during installation, with the scent of spruce, pine, and fir lingering after rainfall.
For developer Joanne Wilson, sustainability was the project’s central driver rather than a secondary ambition. Frame 122 meets passive housing standards, with blower door testing conducted on every apartment and Energy Recovery Ventilators delivering continuous fresh air. Triple-glazed windows enhance both thermal performance and acoustic comfort.
“It all came down to doing the right thing for the environment,” Wilson says. “As we continue to grow housing, it’s our responsibility as citizens to do better—and cross laminated timber was where we chose to start.”
