AIANY Design Award-NYC Parks Luis Lopez Playground Modular Public Restroom

AIANY Recognizes Luis Lopez Playground Modular Public Restroom with a Merit Award in Architecture

1100 is honored to share that the Luis Lopez Playground Modular Public Restroom, designed for NYC Parks, has been recognized with a 2026 Merit Award in Architecture by AIA New York. Selected as one of 24 winning projects from more than 200 submissions, the project was cited by the jury for its potential to be deployed at scale across New York City.

Conceived as a pilot project for NYC Parks, the public restroom explores modular construction as a means to deliver faster, more cost-effective civic infrastructure. The program aligns with NYC Parks’ Standard Public Restroom Design, accommodating two public restroom spaces and one maintenance and operations area, while rethinking delivery through prefabrication.

Informed by extensive research into modular construction practices and their critical design drivers, the project is composed of optimized module sizes intended to support efficient, citywide fabrication, transport, and installation. The modular system has been reviewed and approved by the NYC Public Design Commission for use at additional sites across all five boroughs. Exterior thin-brick cladding can be tailored in color to reflect the character of each neighborhood it serves.

As a scalable prototype, the project demonstrates a viable path to expanding New York City’s public restroom infrastructure quickly, affordably, and with architectural quality.