This conversion project took a 1905 New York City elementary school building, which had been abandoned since the 1970s, and restored it for use as a condominium. The original building was one of more than 400 designed by C.B.J. Snyder, New York’s chief architect for more than 30 years.
Old Structures was responsible for design of the restoration of the brick, terra cotta, and granite facades. Because the building has an “H” plan with deep courtyards facing 147th and 148th Streets, the length of exposed facade is nearly twice the length of the street frontages.
Our work included a survey of all of the facades, including the streets, courtyards, and lot-line walls; specification of cleaning and repairs for the first-floor granite veneer and the upper-floor brick with terra-cotta trim; removal and reconstruction of the leaning parapets using the original terra cotta blocks; and aiding in the design of details for connecting the new penthouse construction to the existing masonry walls.
Even though the building is not a designated landmark, its visual prominence in a neighborhood of low-rise apartment houses and brownstones and its high-profile conversion from abandonment to residential use made emphasize the importance of its appearance. The facade was repaired using details and specifications similar to those used in formal historic preservation.
For more information: the developers, an article, the architects, and the award.
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