The Andrews Hotel

Acquired by Common Ground, this six-story cubicle hotel built on Manhattan’s Bowery circa 1900 was extended to nine stories to accommodate 146 short-term living units, including 138 units of Safe Haven transitional housing. Upon our evaluation, the existing foundation was found to be comprised of large boulders which formed a “mat” foundation. We determined this system to be inadequate to support the addition of four new floors. To overcome this challenge, we devised a strategy that allowed for additional imposed loads without comprising the structural integrity of the building. The existing building was analyzed as a three-sided masonry tube for lateral loads. The front façade was completely removed and rebuilt. Existing cast iron columns were left in place a bolstered. The new floors were constructed of cold-formed metal framing to decrease weight.