The New York City Mass Timber Studio, a nine-month technical assistance accelerator for seven timber projects in preliminary planning and design, wrapped up last week with a number of participants praising its approach. “It is a game-changer in making mass timber seem like a realistic way to move forward more smoothly” through design, procurement and construction, says Martha Bush, director with Marvel Designs, the architect for the 36,000-square-foot Walter Gladwin Recreational Center in the Bronx. The studio was launched by the New York City Economic Development Commission and partners “to catalyze innovation and collaboration across the design and construction industry,” says Gizem Karagoz, senior project manager, NYCEDC Innovation Industries. …New York City aims to reduce the embodied carbon footprint of its capital construction projects 50 per cent by 2030. “Mass timber will very quickly become part of the conversation,” says Bush.