SARA National Design Awards-NYC Parks Lopez Playground Modular Restroom

We are honored that Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) has recognized the Luis Lopez Playground Modular Comfort Station as the category winner for Urban Design for 2025.

This restroom building was designed for NYC Parks as a pilot project using modular construction. This initiative marked the first time NYC Parks pursued a project of this kind to create a replicable delivery system for future facilities. With New York offering only 12 public restrooms per 100,000 residents—far fewer than other major American cities—new solutions are urgently needed. This modular model provides a viable path forward to expanding the supply quickly and affordably.

The building’s design is comprised of three modules: two restrooms and one parks maintenance space. Drawing from Parks’ standard restroom building design, the project is modified to meet modular construction standards. Structure, finishes, and systems were fabricated in the factory using Building Information Modeling in the process. Limited on-sitework to foundations and utilities shortened the on-site construction and installation period to under three months. For the local community, the abbreviated schedule proved to benothing short of amazing.

Clad in colorful glazed thin brick, the pavilion ties seamlessly into the newly renovated playground. Inside, a bright, daylit interior feels warm and welcoming. In warmer months, the entrance doors open fully, and simple, easy-to-use hardware reinforces a sense of safety. A sedum roof tops the building, and all stormwater is managed on site.

The design leverages the efficiencies of modular construction, using a light steel frame and thin brick cladding. Each module is approximately 75 percent lighter than a comparable site-built masonry restroom building. A high-performance envelope with continuous insulation and careful detailing eliminates cold bridges. Together with an all-electric systems approach, these measures cut operational energy use and reduce embodied carbon.