Six-Year Project Continues at N.Y.’s Oldest Continuous K-12 School
Six-Year Project Continues at N.Y.’s Oldest Continuous K-12 School
NEW YORK — The first phase of a six-year multiphase renovation and expansion project at Friends Seminary, a 220-year-old Quaker school in Manhattan, is complete.
Approximately 27,000 square feet of space, spread over four of the school’s eight buildings, was renovated during the first phase, which included the conversion of a newly purchased townhouse into an academic facility and renovations to existing space.
Project management firm Levien & Company Inc. oversaw the conversion of the townhouse into classrooms and administrative offices and the renovation and expansion of the four existing buildings. Renovations included the addition of a new library and information services center, five new classrooms, a science lab, and new bathrooms.
A new vertical circulation core will serve as the heart of the campus, containing an elevator and dual stairways that will link the floors of the different buildings. The renovation is expected to improve circulation at the school, providing accessibility and making it easier for students and staff to navigate through all of the different properties, according to Denise Ferris, project manager with Levien.
“Because the school was founded in the 18th century, this assemblage of buildings presented many unique design challenges,” Levien says. “One example is an elevator that serves six floors in three separate buildings, making at least 17 stops. It connects the adjacent buildings and has three doors, each of which opens into a different building. Since each structure has a different floor height, some elevator stops are only six inches apart.”
Located in Manhattan’s Stuyvesant Square Historic District, the K-12 school is the oldest continuous co-ed institution in New York City. The eight interconnected buildings that comprise the school have long been in need of renovation and expansion to house growing academic programs, according to project officials.
The subsequent phases of the six-year project will consolidate program areas, update mechanical systems, provide ADA accessibility and add new program space for performing arts, visual arts and athletic facilities.
Plans for the next phase of construction are being developed by the project team, which includes Levien; architecture firm Helfand Tanner Hecht Architec-ture; structural engineer Robert Silman Associates; mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering firm Lilker Associates; and construction manager Lehr Construction Corp., all of New York.