Dattner Architects’ PS 186 school to housing conversion and Partner Daniel Heuberger were featured in the Wall Street Journal article A New Wellspring for Apartment Conversions: Century-Old Schoolhouses.
The article, written by Nicholas G Miller, speaks on the trend of developers converting vacant school buildings into apartments. Dattner Architects completed a school-to-apartment conversion: The Residences at PS 186. The crumbling, former public school, dating from 1903, had sat empty for decades; over time the roof had partially collapsed, and trees were growing through the windows.
Through the dedication of the development team of Alembic Community Development, Monadnock Development, and Boys & Girls Club of Harlem, and the creativity of Dattner Architects – the building was restored. Once again serving as a community resource, the transformed building provides both affordable housing and a new Boys & Girls Club. The design team’s concepts highlight historic features of the original building and weave in modern elements that embody the culture of the neighborhood.
Nicholas notes that a major benefit to these conversions are the school’s expansive windows, tall ceilings, wide hallways and staircases. Daniel is quoted in the article saying, “you would not get the same thing in a modern apartment”.
Adaptive reuse is critically important to our firm because it sits at the intersection of three of the firm’s core values: sustainability, urban stewardship, and social impact.
Read the full article here: