Manhattan, NY Mc Gowan has completed construction at The Nightingale-Bamford School, a private, K-12 school. Founded in 1920, The Nightingale-Bamford School is located on the Upper East Side at 20 East 92nd St.
Mc Gowan served as general contractor for the project, modernizing the existing 75,000 s/f, and integrating 25,000 s/f from two adjacent townhouses into the main building.
Renovations to the existing school included the reconfiguration of spaces to a more user-friendly design; expansion of the existing library for middle and upper schools; addition of new modern teaching technology in classrooms; an upgrade of cafeteria spaces; replacement of all floors, ceilings, and millwork; an upgrade of the existing analog fire alarm system with a new digital system; and replacement of all existing light fixtures with new energy-efficient fixtures.
The school’s new addition incorporates additional classrooms, science rooms, an art studio with all new modern teaching technology, a greenhouse, a black box theatre, maker space, a newly imagined lower school library, additional faculty work rooms, conference and meeting rooms, and a new fitness room.
“Renovating an active private school facility requires that all work be performed during the 10-week summer session, so as to not disrupt school operations,” Mc Gowan CEO Patrick Mc Gowan stated. “Our project team was able to successfully execute two consecutive summer periods of renovations to the school’s main building, and completed this challenging project on time and within budget.”
This Nightingale-Bamford School is located within the Carnegie Hill Historic District of Manhattan. The two townhouses’ facades were deemed landmarked, and the project was therefore subject to review and approval by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Mc Gowan was selected for the project, given the firm’s previous experience with theconstruction of educational and community facilities in New York City, along with the firm’s ability to adhere to imperative, closely phased project schedules.
“Mc Gowan’s professionalism and consistent level of communication contributed greatly to the firm’s successful completion of our project,” said Susie Heller, director of facilities at Nightingale-Bamford school.
The project scope included complete demolition and new construction of the 25,000 square feet of space within the two townhouses adjacent to the school’s main building. Given the age of the townhouses, the Mc Gowan team removed the floors while preserving the landmarked buildings’ facades. The Mc Gowan team erected complex shoring and under pinning to maintain the stability of the two facades and the adjacent buildings. Mc Gowan replaced these townhouse areas with new internal structures, adding floor framing consistent with the main building in elevation, and installed all new interior areas in the buildings, in addition to full façade replacement in accordance with LPC guidelines and approvals.
“The seamless transition from the existing building to the new building is a notable point that both the design team and construction team strived to achieve,” said Darren O’Reilly, project manager at Mc Gowan. “Another key feature of this project was the green roofs that were incorporated on the first floor and fifth floor terraces. These spaces give a sense of tranquility and show how more green space can be incorporated into New York City buildings.”
Mc Gowan’s other recent educational construction projects include the renovation of a landmarked school on Governors Island, a Marymount School on the Upper East Side, and an Innovate Charter School.
“Given our firm’s demonstrated project expertise performing construction with landmarked buildings, The Nightingale-Bamford School was an ideal project for our firm,” Mc Gowan President Martin Mc Gowan stated. “We look forward to continuing our project activity with upcoming expansion and modernization projects in Manhattan’s private school sector.”
The Nightingale-Bamford school’s goal is to attain LEED certification. Under the design direction of BRB Architects, the building utilizes many environmentally-conscious materials, including green rooftops, energy-efficient mechanical systems, energy-efficient lighting, and locally-sourced materials.
Mc Gowan worked closely on the project with Levien & Company, which served as the owner’s representative.
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