About the Company
Our Story
“Urban Umbrella is a perfect combination of design elegance and construction safety.”
– Robert LiMandri, Former Commissioner, NY DOB
In 2009, Urban Umbrella beat out over 260 contestants to win urbanSHED, an international design competition organized and led by the New York City Department of Buildings. The competition, the only one of its kind to date, was aimed at creating a safer, more attractive, pedestrian-conscious alternative to traditional sidewalk scaffolding.
With the win, Urban Umbrella became the first new sidewalk scaffolding design on the market in over 50 years and was bestowed the exclusive right to produce sidewalk scaffolding that differs from the traditional “hunter green” New York City Building Code-mandated standard.
Today, Urban Umbrella remains the only alternative to traditional sidewalk scaffolding on the market.
Our Story
Safety and Aesthetics
Since urbanSHED, we have advanced our brand through a commitment to innovation and high-touch service. Urban Umbrella’s innovative design is now protected by several U.S. Design and Utility Patents.
Urban Umbrella is the only alternative to traditional scaffolding approved for usage in New York City by the Department of Buildings. Only Urban Umbrellas can be white in color, feature transparent roofing, and utilize stylized arch-like bracing.
Copycats are subject to municipal violations, fines, and patent infringement. Chapter 33 of the NYC Building Code, linked below, was officially updated on November 7th, 2022 to reflect this.
Our History
It's not scaffolding, it's urban design
“...[only] sidewalk sheds that are of a model whose prototype won a design competition recognized by the city may be white in color.”
§ 3307.6.4.11
“Where the sidewalk shed installed at the site is of a model whose prototype won a design competition recognized by the city, the fence may be painted the same color as the shed.”
§ 3307.7.9
