Education

The Richard Gilder Graduate School at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) represents the first PhD degree-granting program for any museum in the Western hemisphere. The comparative biology program offers students unparalleled access to the resources of the Museum, including its world-renowned collections, exceptional history library of 40,000 scientific volumes, and over forty distinguished faculty members.

The Richard Gilder Graduate School facility is located in the top floor of the Museum’s 1891 building. The project includes a 25-person teaching lab, a student lounge, study spaces, 50-person lecture hall and administrative offices. Crucial to the success of the project was the coordination and integration of the new space within the existing historic building.

A graduate research institute in New York City, the Bard Graduate Center’s programs and facilities focus on exploring new ways of thinking about the decorative arts, design history and material culture.

To accommodate its growth and programmatic needs, Bard embarked on several major capital projects:

• Complete renovation of administrative facilities and gallery spaces at its principal building at 18 West 86th Street
• Renovation of newly acquired brownstones providing academic facilities, including a new library, classrooms and lecture hall
• Building acquisition and renovation to provide housing for students, faculty and visiting scholars

Founded in 1907, Riverdale Country School (RCS) is a nationally-recognized, coeducational K-12 institution with two campuses in the Bronx. To improve the functionality of its campuses and support long term planning efforts, RCS embarked on an overall planning process to evaluate how its existing facilities were performing against their current pedagogic goals. As a result of this study, several priority projects were identified to move forward.

The projects in development on the Hill Campus, which houses the academic and extra-curricular facilities for the Middle and Upper Schools (Grade Six to Twelve), include:

• A New Natatorium to replace the existing swim facility which will include a six-lane competition swimming pool with the associated locker rooms, support spaces and seating areas
• Renovation of the Zambetti Athletic Center to upgrade the varsity gymnasium, including sport and assembly uses, conversion of the existing pool into a junior varsity training gym, and the renovation of other fitness and administrative spaces
• The Mow Energy Conversion Project centralizes natural gas energy distribution on the campus, is optimized through an automated control system, and reduces the school’s carbon footprint

The site has a dramatic topography and is located within a Special Natural Area District (SNAD). The design required coordination to improve the physical connectivity of the campus while maintaining views of the beautiful natural surroundings. The projects faced a series of complex phasing and logistical challenges and required careful planning to allow the school to maintain its day-to-day operations. The Hill Campus projects received unanimous Community Board approval.

Founded in 1892, The Spence School is a private, all-girls K-12 institution on Manhattan’s Upper East Side with a reputation for academic excellence and a highly rigorous liberal arts program.

An opportunity developed when Spence acquired a townhouse to expand its core middle and upper school facilities. The project entailed the implementation of a three-year, phased renovation to create an overall campus environment. The final scope of work involved the development of a two-story glass connector from the existing building to the new townhouse. Located in a historic district, the project faced a series of complex approvals and logistical challenges and required careful planning and coordination to allow the school to maintain its day-to-day operations along with ongoing renovation and construction.

Founded in 1907, Riverdale Country School (RCS) is a nationally-recognized, coeducational K-12 institution with two campuses in the Bronx. To improve the physical functionality of its campuses and support long term planning efforts, RCS embarked on an overall planning process to evaluate how its existing facilities were performing against their current pedagogic goals. As a result of this study, several priority projects were identified to move forward.

The projects in development on the River Campus, which houses the Lower School (Pre-Kindergarten through Grade Five) facilities, include:

• New Perkins Education Center to provide academic classrooms, the campus’s main library, a multi-purpose theater, student center and cafeteria, administrative offices and other flexible meeting spaces
• New Central Plant to serve the new building, as well as the other existing buildings on campus
• Renovation of Existing K-3 Building to provide upgrades to the Pre-K classroom and introduce an early childhood development library

The site has generous views of the Hudson River and is located within a Special Natural Area District (SNAD).  The design required careful coordination to improve the physical connectivity of the campus while maintaining the beautiful natural surroundings. The projects faced a series of complex phasing and logistical challenges and required planning to allow the school to maintain its day-to-day operations.  The River Campus projects received unanimous Community Board approval.