PROJECT TIMBER TIER

PROJECT SITE Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA

PROJECT CATEGORY  AIA Potomac Valley Student Design Awards

Entrant: Xuan Vo

Team Members:
School: University of Maryland, College Park
Professor: Peter Noonan

Project Type:

Date of Completion: 5/15/2026
 

Studio Prompt: The primary objective of the project is to focus on attainable housing and present a clear strategy for increasing residential density within urban contexts. This can be achieved through a site-specific design intervention or a prototype housing typology that can be applied across multiple urban settings. The design must address the constraints and opportunities inherent in city living, such as limited space, mixed-use zoning, and community integration.

As part of the requirements, the design should establish a meaningful relationship between the proposed dwelling units and the existing urban fabric, responding thoughtfully to the surrounding scale, massing, infrastructure, and neighborhood character. It should create strong connections between indoor and outdoor spaces within the unit or housing complex, with careful consideration given to the relationship between uses, views, and circulation. Daylight should play a significant role in shaping both the organization and experience of space. Material selection should address health, durability, and sustainability considerations, with particular attention to the use of wood for its environmental benefits as well as its aesthetic, tactile, and spatial qualities.
 

Project Summary: The design challenge was to increase residential density within an existing urban context. In order to achieve a proposed design solution, a site needed to be identified. After researching various sites, the property for the Sachs on 5th Ave department store located on Wisconsin Avenue in Chevy Chase, Maryland was selected. Researching master plans of Montgomery County, Maryland revealed that in 1942, the site was zoned as R-60 (Residential-60) which designates areas for moderate-density residential use, primarily single-family detached homes. However, in 1987, a portion of the site was rezoned to commercial/residential where the department store was built. The remaining area surrounding the rezoned lot became surface parking.
A challenge for this project was the size of the property and how a design solution would be able to utilize contextual elements to strengthen the community of potential users. This led to a development for a proposed master plan that places streets as connecting arteries from the neighborhood to commercial areas and building footprints that encase public parks.
To address material health and sustainability, focusing specifically on innovative wood construction, a structural system of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) is incorporated into the design. Each CLT panel is fabricated to include the correct location for any openings and connections in addition to the exact dimension that is specified in the manufacturer shop drawings. This system was determined based on the materials strength and stability along with the faster construction opportunity that CLT panel to panel connections offer.
TIMBER TIER was designed to be the first step to increase density within the Chevy Chase area in Maryland. This project is envisioned to be a Missing Middle Housing Project to transition the surrounding single-family residential neighborhood to the high-rise mixed-use commercial developments.

Jury Comments (if applicable): 

The jury praised the project’s thoughtful approach to attainable housing, strong contextual response, and well-executed stepped massing that successfully mediates between the surrounding single-family neighborhood and larger commercial development. The design strikes an effective balance between architectural quality, density, and practical housing needs, with terraces and sectional strategies reinforcing its connection to the neighborhood. The attractive presentation and apparent feasibility were also commended.

MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD

Project PDF

Project Narrative (AIAPV)
Design Panel Project PDF (AIAPV)