Before

STUYVESANT HEIGHTS LEARNING
CENTER - Brooklyn

This was an existing burned out hulk formerly used as a church sanctuary.
The challenges faced in this development were taking a fire gutted structure,
increasing its floor space and changing its use within very tight budge constraints. The former church sanctuary had been open to weathering for years due to a devastating fire which burned through the roof but did not significantly damage the structural system including the tie rods.In order to increase the usable floor space we designed a multilevel structure that was independent of the structure.


The solution utilized the existing structure as a spatial enclosure. Interior walls were virtually eliminated by placing classrooms on distinctly different levels. The interior structure was
constructed with concrete, concrete block and other fireproof materials.

  
A conscious effort was made to introduce as much natural light as possible into the space via skylights and reopening rose' windows on the front and rear facades. A reading pit with stadium seating was incorporated for story telling and mini-performances.

This design was awarded an AlA Citation and was published in Japan
Architect, Domus, Baumeister and Architectural Record magazines.

After