Design and Construction Report staff writer
The New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) has launched a new search for top architecture and engineering firms to design the city’s next generation of libraries, firehouses, police precincts, and other civic buildings. The effort is part of DDC’s Design and Construction Excellence Program, which enters its 21st year as a cornerstone of high-quality public building design in New York City.
The announcement follows a Notice of Intent (NOI) issued April 16, signaling the summer release of three Requests For Qualifications (RFQs) for architectural, technical, and engineering design services. These contracts will offer new opportunities for firms across the industry — particularly Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) — to partner with the City on projects that serve New Yorkers in all five boroughs.
“This is a remarkable opportunity for design firms to shape the landscape of New York City,” said Commissioner Foley. “With a $34 billion portfolio of public works, DDC’s projects offer unmatched opportunities for designers, engineers, and others to literally build the city.”
The DDC’s Design and Construction Excellence Program has included some of the city’s most lauded civic architecture. Among recent highlights:
The Far Rockaway Library, opened in July 2024 and designed by international firm Snøhetta, was named “Best New Building” by the Municipal Art Society of New York last September.
The 40th Precinct in the Bronx, designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and opened in November 2024, received the SARA Special Award for Innovation in Civic Design.
In the lead-up to this next program phase, DDC hosted a series of public engagements. On April 21, Commissioner Foley and DDC staff discussed the program’s evolution at the Center for Architecture, and on April 28, met with members of nycoba | NOMA at Tonab Architecture PLLC. These sessions, held in partnership with AIANY and nycoba | NOMA, addressed industry feedback and previewed program improvements to make the procurement process more accessible and efficient.
“Since the last round of solicitations in 2020, we’ve collaborated closely with industry partners,” Foley said. “We’ve made changes to reduce delays, ease payment requirements, streamline solicitations, and implement alternate delivery methods to make partnering with us more rewarding.”
The initiative is drawing praise from across the design and construction industry.
“AIA New York applauds DDC for their commitment to meaningful industry engagement,” said Jesse Lazar, Executive Director of the American Institute of Architects New York. “We look forward to seeing what the next 20 years of the program will bring for New York’s built environment.”
“Public-private partnerships like this are key to reimagining our civic infrastructure,” added John T. Evers, President and CEO of the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York. “Commissioner Foley and the DDC team are leading by example in showing how design excellence and economic opportunity can go hand in hand.”
Firms interested in submitting qualifications should monitor the DDC website for RFQ release dates this summer.
For each contract opportunity, DDC will use a two-step, quality-based selection process that prioritizes design, quality, qualifications and experience:
- In July, DDC will release a Request for Qualifications (RFQ);
- Firms are encouraged to respond to the agency’s RFQs with a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ). SOQs will be due by mid-August for the Architectural Design Requirements Contract, September for the Technical Design Requirements Contract and October for the Engineering Design Requirements Contracts. To access the RFQs, firms must register in advance through The Mayor’s Office of Contract Services, Procurement and Sourcing Solutions Portal (PASSport);
- Following evaluation, short-listed firms will move onto the next stage of the process by responding to a Request for Proposal (RFP). RFPs will be delivered to short-listed proposers by the end of 2025;
- Firms receiving contracts will receive project assignments on a non-competitive, rotational basis except for projects deemed complex.
