Violations & compliance · 11/04/2026
New PAU Sidewalk Shed Prototypes Unveiled at 280 Broadway
Two prototype sidewalk sheds are now installed outside the NYC Department of Buildings headquarters at 280 Broadway in Civic Center, Manhattan. Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) designed them with LERA Consulting Structural Engineers. One is called the Baseline Shed. Full details were not available in the source material.
Reported by New York YIMBYRead the original ↗
What happened
Two prototype sidewalk sheds designed by Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) are now installed outside the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) headquarters at 280 Broadway in Civic Center, Lower Manhattan. New York YIMBY reported the installation on 11/04/2026, and 6sqft covered it on 11/03/2026. YIMBY says PAU developed the designs with structural partner LERA Consulting Structural Engineers.
The two designs are the Baseline Shed and the Speed Shed. According to 6sqft, this is the first time either has been put up on a city sidewalk. The Baseline Shed comes in heavy-duty and light-duty versions. It has see-through polycarbonate decking and an angled roof meant to let in light and keep ground-floor storefronts visible. The Speed Shed is for lighter-duty use. It has an angled roof of rockfall netting that catches debris, plus detachable wheels so it can be moved between locations. Both use a modular kit of adjustable aluminum framing meant to make installation, maintenance and reuse simpler.
6sqft reports that DOB selected PAU and Arup in 2024, under former Mayor Eric Adams, to redesign sidewalk sheds. The firms received a $3.5 million contract through the "Get Sheds Down" campaign. The two firms developed six prototypes in total. Arup's two designs, the Flex Shed and the Rigid Shed, were shown at 280 Broadway earlier for 30 days.
6sqft also reports that DOB is writing rules to allow the new designs to be used citywide. It says Mayor Zohran Mamdani has stated that the number of active sidewalk sheds fell by roughly 1,200 since the start of the year, about a 15 percent decline.
Key facts
- Location
- 280 Broadway, Civic Center, Manhattan (DOB headquarters)
- Designer
- Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU)
- Structural partner
- LERA Consulting Structural Engineers
- Agency
- NYC Department of Buildings (DOB)
- Designs shown
- Baseline Shed and Speed Shed
- Contract
- $3.5 million to PAU and Arup through the "Get Sheds Down" campaign, per 6sqft
- Shed count
- Active sheds down roughly 1,200, about 15 percent, since the start of the year, per the mayor as reported by 6sqft
- Date reported
- 11/03/2026 (6sqft) and 11/04/2026 (New York YIMBY)
What it means
Landlords
These designs are prototypes, and DOB is still writing the rules that would allow their use citywide. For now, owners who need a shed should keep following current DOB requirements.
Buyers and owners
The designs aim to lower the labor and disruption of putting up and taking down sheds. The material gives no cost figures, so any savings for owners are not yet known.
Tenants and voucher holders
If these designs are adopted, sheds outside residential buildings could let in more daylight and feel less closed in. Nothing changes for existing sheds right now.
The highlights
- The two prototypes stand outside the Department of Buildings headquarters in Civic Center.
- LERA Consulting Structural Engineers was the structural partner on the designs.
- One of the two designs is named the Baseline Shed.
Why it matters Landlords
Owners who must put up sidewalk sheds may see new design options as DOB tests these prototypes.
What to do: Follow DOB updates on sidewalk shed designs before planning facade or shed work.
Not known yet
- When DOB's rules allowing citywide use will be final
- What the new sheds cost compared with traditional sheds
- Whether owners will be required to use the new designs or may simply choose them
- How long the PAU prototypes will stay on display at 280 Broadway
Background
In New York City, building owners put up sidewalk sheds to protect pedestrians during construction, demolition or facade work. A common trigger is the city's facade inspection program, which requires periodic inspections of buildings taller than six stories. When an inspection finds unsafe conditions, owners must protect the public until repairs are done. DOB sets the rules for how sheds are built and permitted, and sheds can remain in place for long periods if repairs are delayed.
Also drawn from: NYC unveils latest sidewalk shed designs (6sqft)
Summary written by Bulwark from New York YIMBY’s reporting; the original article was not fully available, so check the source for details. The original story is at newyorkyimby.com. This is general information, not legal advice.
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Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0