World’s Tallest Hybrid Timber Tower Rises in Sydney

Conceptualized around the Habitat organization, the design of the 39-story tower breaks down into smaller, human-centric neighborhoods. The tower is divided into seven distinct habitats, each spanning four stories. Each habitat contains three mass-timber-framed office floors and one mega floor. This vertical strategy allows for flexible interiors and interconnected zones, fostering collaborative workspaces. The structure utilizes glued laminated timber (GLT) beams and columns, combined with cross-laminated timber (CLT) floor slabs, to create a warm, biophilic environment. Park spaces are integrated within each habitat system, allowing employees direct access to fresh air and planted gardens at every level. This layout utilizes an innovative operable facade, enabling large areas of each floor to function without mechanical cooling during suitable weather conditions.

Habitat is an LA Story to Watch in 2026

The latest large project next to La Cienega/Jefferson Station, Lendlease’s Habitat development, is wrapping up construction as we speak. The complex—the first L.A. project for SHoP Architects—includes a 12-story, 260-unit apartment tower, accompanied by a 243,000-square-foot office building and commercial space.

SHoP Delivers Elegant Academic Building for FIT

SHoP’s intervention makes the most of a difficult infill site, with an elegant, unpretentious composition and adroit programming. “One of the biggest challenges for the school was the lack of adaptable classrooms shared by all of the departments,” says SHoP founding principal William Sharples. “While there are lounge spaces throughout the campus, FIT lacked a dedicated commons for its students.”

SHoP Completes FIT Building with “Origami-like Folded Metal Panels”

US studio SHoP Architects has completed an academic building for the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City that contains a subterranean sewing lab viewable from the street and a backside atrium that links to a neighbouring building. At 10 storeys high, the Joyce F Brown Academic Building is named after the school’s acting president and contains 24 classrooms, an auditorium, a large knitting lab, a mezzanine common area and eventually, the president’s office on the top floor. “From the outset of the project, we wanted to highlight what was happening at FIT and make it visible for the first time to the broader fashion district,” said SHoP Architects founding principal Bill Sharples.

FIT Honors Dr. Joyce F. Brown With Its First New Academic Building in Nearly 50 Years

On Thursday, the Fashion Institute of Technology marked a defining moment with the opening of the Joyce F. Brown Academic Building, its first new academic facility in nearly 50 years. Named after FIT’s departing president and trailblazer, Dr. Joyce F. Brown, the structure stands as a testament to her influence on creative education.

FIT Names Academic Building for Joyce F. Brown

Pointing out how SHoP Architects is known for being current and innovative, Brown said: “We’ve all aged a little together over the years. But they certainly came to us with new ideas and were very committed to having a consistency in the architecture. They did an incredible job.”

Governor Hochul Celebrates Historic Opening at FIT

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the historic opening of the State University of New York (SUNY) Fashion Institute of Technology’s (FIT) new $188.5 million Joyce F. Brown Academic Building. FIT is part of SUNY and a global leader in creative education. The new building is located on West 28th Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues, and will be a destination to advance creativity, innovation, and opportunity while also providing students with the resources to excel in art and design, fashion, business, and technology.

“FIT’s new Joyce F. Brown Academic Building cements its place at the crossroads of creativity, innovation, and opportunity,” Governor Hochul said. “There’s no more fitting place for this milestone than the fashion capital of the world — New York City — where top-tier talent and the global fashion industry merge to set trends, spark ideas, and build the future. This space will inspire the next generation of designers, artists, and entrepreneurs shaping what’s next in fashion and design.”

Designers Share Updated Visuals for Met Park

Renderings show verdant green areas and pedestrian corridors paved with permeable precast concrete, lined with park furniture. In the heart of the campus will be Shea Lawn, a shared space that pays homage to Shea Stadium, where the Mets previously played ball. A main promenade will unite the mixed-use campus into a unified whole.

SHoP Architects Reintroduces Density, Commerce and Public Life

The building’s facade combines glass and terra-cotta, echoing the craftsmanship of early 20th-century department stores while asserting a distinctly contemporary presence on Woodward Avenue. Inside, SHoP carved out a 7-story atrium topped by a skylight inspired by the headlight cover of a 1954 Corvette, a nod to the city’s automotive heritage.

Detroit is Booming–Again

Downtown, Detroit’s evolution is obvious. General Motors’ new Downtown HQ is a clear indication of this evolution. Designed by SHoP Architects, the sleek tower, on the site of the former JL Hudson’s department store, rises high over the skyline, and at night, lights up like a beacon visible from all corners of the city.