Design-Assist Process Shapes Mass-Timber and Envelope Systems at New Lots Library

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.