Project Description
The Montclare Children’s School is a private pre-school, located in a landmark building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The 20,000-square-foot school was built on a new multi-level structure in the vaulted banking hall of the Beaux Arts building. The interior structural system is supported entirely on four central columns. The mezzanine level was created by cantilevering the floor slab from the perimeter columns.
CLIENT
MetSchools
LOCATION
OCV Architects
LOCATION
New York, NY
SERVICES
Structural Engineering
COMPLETION
2003
Interfacing with the Existing Facility
Our scope of work in designing a new intermediate level required that we address several challenges inherent in the existing conditions. Because the building is an historic landmark located in an historic district, any change to the existing roofline had to gain approval of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. The entire floor plate of the building vertically bisects the existing 2nd floor level and utilizes four central columns which the entire floor was originally framed from. The new level cantilevers more than 20 feet in all four directions from the centrally located columns. The entire system, including the existing footings, is independent from the exterior walls of the building. Our scope also included the signature entry stairs to the new level.
