Project Update

Construction continues on our Dutchess County House and Artist Studio, with several key milestones now taking shape on site. Shou sugi ban wood siding, installed last Fall and scheduled thermally modified wood siding at the garage facade complements the board-formed retaining walls throughout the exterior of the site. Progress on the green roof is underway, marking a significant step in integrating the architecture with its forested hillside setting. 

Inside, the fireplace masonry has been completed with Basalt and Lake George Granite stone, creating a warm focal point for the home. Reclaimed heart pine wood flooring and terrazzo tile have been installed on the floors, while strategically placed skylights throughout the interior gallery ceilings bring warmth and natural light into the house. The geothermal system heats the house as construction carries through the fall and winter. 

These updates build on the momentum of the past several months, as board-formed concrete walls, stone walls, and wood continue to shape the house’s distinct connection to the landscape. We look forward to sharing further progress as the residence and artist studio continue to take form.

We’re pleased to share that our renovation and addition to Churchill House at Brown University received an Honorable Mention in the 2025 American Architecture Awards, presented by The Chicago Athenaeum and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. Now in its 31st year, the program recognizes design excellence across the United States and international work by U.S. architects. This year’s honorees were selected from a competitive shortlist of 500 projects.

Read the announcement here.

Learn more about the project here.

Marble Fairbanks Architects is collaborating with MASS Design Group on the Brooklyn Public Library’s New Lots Branch, a new 25,000-square-foot public library in East New York, Brooklyn. As the project advances, Timberlab (a subsidiary of Swinerton) and Island Facades are providing design-assist services for the mass-timber structure and the building envelope, respectively.

Through this process, the design team is working directly with the fabricators and construction partners to support early coordination and constructability as the design is refined. Design-assist efforts are focused on aligning architectural intent with fabrication and installation strategies for the mass-timber systems and the building envelope, which includes both the curtainwall assemblies and the architectural sunscreen, known as the “veil.”

Working directly with the envelope fabricator, the team is exploring multiple attachment strategies through an iterative process that brings design intent and construction realities together. To support this work, a 3D-printed model was developed, enabling the team to physically test proportions, spacing, and connection ideas, and to gain a better understanding of how the veil interacts with the curtainwall at key moments. Ultimately, the “veil” and curtainwall will be constructed off-site at Island’s Long Island facility and installed as fully finished mega panels.

The New Lots Branch reflects a collaborative approach to public architecture, bringing designers and fabricators into early dialogue to support clarity, continuity, and technical rigor as the project moves toward construction, which is anticipated to begin in the new year.

Advancing our work as a firm within the Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program, we recently travelled to Bentonville to present our finalized Master Plan and design concepts for Bentonville Public Schools. Commissioned in 2024, the Master Plan outlines a long-term vision for a new parent-choice model school serving more than 1,300 students in Kindergarten through 6th grade, along with an early childcare center for district teachers, reimagining education at the heart of downtown Bentonville. 

The plan transforms the 15.42-acre campus shared by R.E. Baker Elementary, Old High Middle School, and two district office buildings, preserving the historic Old High building while replacing the aging R.E. Baker facility with a new three-story school. Conceived as a true Downtown School, the design connects students, families, and the broader community through shared spaces for learning, play, and gathering.

Rooted in a philosophy of whole-child wellness, the school nurtures intellectual curiosity, physical health, emotional balance, and social connection. Emphasizing active, hands-on learning and strong connections to nature, indoor classrooms extend onto shared, protected outdoor classrooms for nature exploration, sensory play, and hands-on activities, enabling a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor learning. Main anchor spaces: The Commons, Learning Lab, Gymnasium, and the Old High Arts Pavilion support both daily school life and broader community use, reinforcing the campus as a lasting civic asset at the heart of downtown.

Developed through a rigorous pre-design and concept design process, the Master Plan is grounded in extensive stakeholder engagement with students, teachers, parents, school district leadership, and community members. Their input directly shaped the program, site strategies, and final design direction documented in the final report.

Read more about the project here.

Marble Fairbanks is providing advisory support for the Manhattan Plan, a major citywide initiative with the NYC Department of City Planning to add 100,000 new homes in Manhattan over the next ten years. The plan seeks to expand housing opportunities while guiding growth in ways that strengthen and reflect the city’s diverse communities. 

Led by Agency Landscape + Planning, the project team is hosting a series of conversations throughout each of the NYC boroughs throughout the Summer and into the Fall. These community engagement sessions will allow input directly from New Yorkers: residents, leaders, and experts, which, in concert with an infrastructure assessment, will inform priorities and strategies for the future of housing in Manhattan.

We are proud to collaborate with Agency, Hive Public Space, Karp Strategies, Partner & Partners, Buro Happold, and Sherwood Design Engineers on this effort to help shape a more equitable and accessible future for the borough.

Read More: The Manhattan Plan