Project Description
Capital Hall is a 10-story supportive housing residency located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. This 1914-era building initially housed families in four apartments per floor. The large units were transformed into single room occupancies consisting of 202 units which house men and women vulnerable to homelessness because of their age, income, or disability. The recent upgrades give each tenant a private kitchenette and bathroom. The project also restored the building’s beautiful marble lobby, and added community space for social and educational activities.
CLIENT
Goddard Riverside Community Center
LOCATION
New York, NY
SERVICES
Structural Engineering
COMPLETION
2014
COST
$14 million
Near-Total Gutting Yields New Layout, Substantial Improvements
DRPILLA performed a forensic structural assessment of the existing ten-story building to re-analyze the lateral loads and understand how an addition of two floors would be possible while maintaining the existing masonry shell. Utilizing infrared technology, we were able to confirm the size and location of interim steel columns throughout the building. After the building was gutted, new floor framing at every level constructed. The additional two stories were added atop the building’s structure.
Renovation Upgrades Support Housing for New York City’s Vulnerable
The renovation also included new spaces for community activities and service delivery. An internal courtyard, for years used primarily to store trash, was converted into a skylighted community room. The renovation added two fully outfitted communal kitchens and a meeting/dining room in the basement, where meals are served regularly and residents can prepare their own meals. A laundry room and library were added. The historic marble lobby was restored, and the building’s exterior was cleaned to reveal its original details.
