PBDW Architects

Read about Designing Flexible Communal Space for Elementary Schools by PBDW associate Rena Mande, published in School Construction News this month. The article uses our recently completed Hillside Elementary School Cafetorium addition as a case study for the impact of combined programming in well designed and considered multi-purpose rooms.

On May 18, PBDW Architects will be presented with the Open City Award at Open House New York’s Open City Benefit for our role in transforming Powerhouse Arts on the Gowanus Canal from a 117-year-old power plant into a contemporary art center and fabrication space.

We are honored to receive this award as part of the design and development team led by Powerhouse Arts, Gemini Arts Initiative, Herzog & de Meuron, PBDW Architects, Urban Atelier Group, Buro Happold Engineering, and Silman.

Powerhouse Arts is a meticulously designed and thoughtfully preserved historic structure and addition whose transformation restores a long-neglected building and brownfield site. The project provides vital resources and support for artists and local residents—demonstrating an exemplary commitment to serve the region’s creative economy.

The Open City Benefit is a celebration of the power of place and new possibilities for our city and makes OHNY’s work to promote broad, unparalleled access to the city possible.

Save the date — you do not want to miss this celebration!

To learn more about the OHNY Open CIty Benefit, award and Powerhouse Arts, visit:
https://ohny.org/2023-open-city-benefit/
https://ohny.org/2023-open-city-benefit/open-city-award-powerhouse-team/
https://www.powerhousearts.org/
https://www.pbdw.com/powerhousearts

Photography courtesy of Powerhouse Arts, Albert Vecerka/Esto and PBDW Architects

2023 Open City Benefit - Open House New York The Open City Benefit is a celebration of the power of place and new possibilities for our city. On May 18, the Open City Benefit will bring together hundreds of New Yorkers for a festive evening at Powerhouse Arts—a 117-year-old power plant that has been transformed into a contemporary art center...

PBDW Partner Anne Holford-Smith is featured today on the KBE-NY social channels for her recent interview in honor of Women in Construction week. In the interview she discusses her experience as a woman in architecture along with what trends she has seen over her years of practice, and how as a partner at her firm and a leader in her field hopes to continue to improve opportunities for women to rise and succeed.

Women in Construction : Interview with Anne Holford-Smith - KBE-NY Anne Holford-Smith, FAIA Partner PBDW Architects Anne Holford-Smith is a partner at PBDW Architects with 35 years of professional experience. She also serves as a Commissioner on the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Through a broad range of building types, the common theme of her wor...

Tickets for the OHNY tour of PBDW’s recently completed Cooke School are available Today starting at Noon for the next 24 hours. Don't miss your chance to see this amazing project!

To get your free ticket, please visit: https://ohny.org/place/cooke-school-institute/

Led by PBDW Senior Associate Erica Gaswirth AIA, you will learn the behind-the-scenes stories about the design inspirations for this K-12 school.

Come tour PBDW’s recently completed Cooke School. Led by PBDW Senior Associate Erica Gaswirth, you will learn the behind-the-scenes stories about the design inspirations for this K-12 school.

The Cooke School & Institute is a private school that serves children with disabilities from all five boroughs of New York. This newly built facility brings together their lower, middle, and upper schools, along with the administration team, in a single building, while maintaining the separate identities of each school. The purposeful design provides a dignified place of learning for Cooke’s unique student population while addressing the client’s complex program requirements.

Lottery tickets will be available on the OHNY website on October 13th at noon for 24 hours.

For more information, please visit, https://ohny.org/place/cooke-school-institute/

We’re opening our doors for the 20th Annual Open House New York Weekend! Visit us on October 22nd 12-4pm for a full-access tour of our studio in Midtown. No reservation required. Details below.

Get an inside tour of PBDW Architects, the award-winning design firm responsible for the ongoing restoration of the New-York Historical Society, Park Avenue Armory, and new designs such as the Moise Safra Center and Cooke School & Institute. Current projects include the lift and restoration of the historic Palace Theatre and Powerhouse Arts in Gowanus, Brooklyn.

Much of our work explores the interplay between new and old. We specialize in creating new designs in historic contexts, and we have a special reputation for the design of contemporary additions to historic buildings, and their adaptive reuse. Our vision is complemented by our extensive understanding of older methods of construction, preservation standards, and our technical expertise. We see ourselves as part of the historic process, preserving the salient aspects of historic buildings and places while adding new layers to keep them relevant and vibrant for contemporary needs.

The office tour will highlight our current and ongoing projects and offer insights into the design process behind each project.

For more information, please visit: https://ohny.org/place/pbdw-architects-office-and-studio/

Excited to announce PBDW-designed projects, the Moise Safra Center and the Cooke School and Institute have been shortlisted for THE PLAN Award 2022 in the Public Space and Education categories.

Voting is now open to determine the winner of the Community Wish List Special Prize.

Please take a moment to vote for our projects: https://www.theplan.it/eng/award?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the-plan-award-2022

You can vote once a day until October 16th! Thank you for your support!

Last Wednesday Hillside Elementary School held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the PBDW designed addition. It was great to see the students and community excitedly tour through the new cafetorium (flexible cafeteria and auditorium space) and classrooms. It is the first major architectural construction project for the Hastings-on-Hudson school district since the 1960s!

The PBDW-designed Cooke School & Institute in New York City has received a Special Mention by the jury for the 2022 Architizer A+Awards in the Architecture + Color category.

The use of color factors prominently in the school’s design. On the exterior, it playfully articulates each classroom and enlivens the front and back facades, while on the interior it aids in room identification and helps the students establish a sense of ownership of their classrooms.

2022 Architecture + Color A+ Award Winners:
https://winners.architizerawards.com/2022/Plus/concepts-12/architecture-color-7/

To learn more about Cooke:
https://www.pbdw.com/cooke-school-institute

PBDW has been restoring the 1890 house at 1 West 123rd Street for over 10 years, a process that benefitted from an extraordinary collection of archival photographs commissioned by the original owners. A recent article in The New York Times, “A Story of Love and Obsession” looks at the project through the eyes of our clients, James Fenton and Darryl Pinckney, while a separate link to the real estate site includes more pictures.

Click here to read the article: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/29/style/a-story-of-love-and-obsession.html?smid=em-share

Click here to see more pictures of whole rooms from the real estate website: https://www.compass.com/listing/1-west-123rd-street-manhattan-ny-10027/845536624451030433

Images 1-4: Jonathan Wallen
Images 5-6: Archival; James Fenton and Darryl Pinckney

PBDW-designed Moise Safra Center on Manhattan’s Upper East Side was recently awarded a distinguished 2021 American Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum International Museum and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. Learn more about the vision and precision that went into actualizing this award-winning community hub featured this month in Global Design News Magazine:

https://globaldesignnews.com/pbdw-architects-create-a-gleaming-religious-tower-changing-the-landscape-of-the-upper-east-side/

Photography by James Ewing

Excited to see PBDW on the Architizer A+ Watchlist for the top 161 architecture and design firms worldwide. Click on the link below to learn more about PBDW and all the exciting firms on the list.

https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/industry/architecture-and-design-firms-to-watch-in-2022/

Image 2: Fellows Hall at Williams College, 2021 Architizer A+ Popular Choice winner in the Architecture + Sustainability category.

📸: Francis Dzikowski Photography

The A+List: 161 Architecture and Design Firms to Watch Architizer presents the third edition of the A+List, our definitive directory of high quality architecture and design firms.

We are excited to announce that Fellows Hall at Williams College has been selected for the Institutional Award of Honor in the 2021 CTGBC Green Building Awards. Special thanks to Fellows Hall’s MEP Engineer, Kohler Ronan, LLC Consulting Engineers, for submitting the project! To see all the winners of this year’s CTGBC Green Building Awards, please click the link below:

https://ctgbc.org/2021_Awards

📸: Francis Dzikowski Photography

PBDW is honored that the Moise Safra Center was awarded the 2021 American Architecture Awards in the Religious Buildings category, one of only two in this category worldwide. Thank you to The Chicago Athenaeum International Museum for selecting our project, and to the entire project team for their invaluable work in making this building a success.

Click the link below to learn more about this amazing project:
https://www.americanarchitectureawards.com/award-category.html?cat=10

Photo Credits: James Ewing

PBDW Partner James Seger recently published an article in Building Design+Construction about ways building owners can own their construction projects. Click on the link below to read how owners can ensure project success:

https://www.bdcnetwork.com/6-ways-building-owners-can-own-their-construction-projects

A one-to-one scale partial model of the chandelier for a Broadway theatre project is suspended in one of PBDW’s conference rooms. Creating and living with these physical models help us understand the form and scale of our design in space, and we love having interchangeable parts in the model to test out different design ideas.
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Photography courtesy of PBDW Architects
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Featured on the cover of I+S Design, the current issue highlights the Cooke School & Institute. The big idea behind PBDW’s design was to create a dignified place of learning where the students would feel a sense of ownership and pride in their school. While the academic programming at Cooke is cutting edge, its former facilities were antiquated, and the students’ experiences were often compromised due to physical and environmental constraints. With dedicated breakout rooms, specialized classrooms, and therapy and counseling spaces throughout, PBDW’s design for their new facility enables the school to teach children with severe special needs without having to adapt programming due to building limitations. Learn more about our design approach in Learning Spaces Revisited + Reimagined.

https://digital.interiorsandsources.com/interiorsandsources/july_august_2021/MobilePagedReplica.action?pm=2&folio=AD

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The Cooke School & Institute was recently featured in The Architect's Newspaper’s Facades+ series. For PBDW, the design of the exterior was equally as important as the interior. Community engagement is a core element of Cooke’s educational programming, and the school’s architecture supports this mission by bringing thoughtful and elegant design to the neighborhood at a relatable building scale. With abundant glazing and colored glass, the school is a little gem glowing along Madison Avenue and is a bright and vibrant addition to the neighborhood.

https://www.archpaper.com/2021/07/facades-pbdw-architects-bulbous-east-harlem-cooke-school-sails/

Photos: Francis Dzikowski Photography

Please join us this upcoming Thursday, July 29th, 8:00AM EST/noon UTC, for the round-table discussion "Recommendations for Heritage Sites Listing Process: The Role of Civil Society", organized and moderated by PBDW Associate Debora Barros and Luna Rajab. This session, featuring Alissandra Cummins , Dr. Hossam Mahdy, Dennis Rodwell, Lina Abu Saleem and Evrim Ulusan, will explore how the heritage listing/inscription process could become more participatory and sustainable by fostering stronger engagement of 'civil society'. We would love to hear your thoughts on this relevant topic!

Registration:
https://lnkd.in/dTFQMUW

Organized on behalf of OWH Sustainability Team of , a partner of

“Learning outdoors enhances student well-being in the most holistic sense of the word.”

- Serena Losonczy, LEED AP

The pandemic has exacerbated the mental health crisis in schools across the country. In this Oculus Op-Ed, PBDW Architects Associate Partner Serena Losonczy offers a simple strategy to help improve student wellness.

Click to read the full article: https://lnkd.in/eeAHp_7

We are thrilled to announce that Fellows Hall at Williams College is the 2021 Architizer A+ Awards Popular Choice Winner in the Architecture +Sustainability category. Thank you all for voting for our project!

To learn more about Fellows Hall and our other noteworthy education projects, please click below.

https://www.pbdw.com/williams-college
https://www.pbdw.com/cooke-school-institute
https://www.pbdw.com/saint-davids-school
https://www.pbdw.com/riverdale-country-school

Photo: Francis Dzikowski Photography

PBDW Associate Debora Barros will speak tomorrow, 4PM (EST) at the 27th World Congress of Architects, UIA2021RIO. She will present “Putting People First in Porto Maravilha”, a collaborative work which resulted from a 4-day workshop in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2019. Facilitated by the Center for Communities by Design of the American Institute of Architects (R/UDAT), the workshop benefited from the support of Rio’s Municipality, Brazilian Architecture institutions, the US Consulate General in Brazil, participation from local professionals and universities, Brazilian and American students, and members of the local community. The presentation will explore key concepts and design strategies that could enhance Rio’s heritage rich historic port area towards an equitable, resilient, sustainable and prosperous community.

To register for this event, please follow this link, https://lnkd.in/eUjuB9r

Photo courtesy of AIA R/UDAT and Debora Barros

In recognition of their mission, PBDW is making an Advocate level donation to Build Out Alliance. Build Out Alliance promotes and advocates for the LGBTQ community within the building design and construction industry, moving the needle towards more inclusive workplaces where LGBTQ professionals are valued and respected.

If you would like to support their cause, please visit the link below:
https://buildoutalliance.org/get-involved

PBDW’s Associate Debora Barros is a co-organizer of the panel discussion on “Heritage as a Development Strategy,” where she will be representing Pratt HP’s faculty in the Sustainability Team of OurWorldHeritage. This session will explore culture-led, place-based and people-centered approaches to Heritage management, conducive to sustainable development.

The event will be on Friday, July 2nd at 𝟗:𝟎𝟎 𝐀𝐌 (𝐄𝐒𝐓)/13:00 (UTC). You can register with the QR code or in the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lP68gZcGQ8mvcj71H7_Rcw?fbclid=IwAR3w6PKfnLv8vSuiugY4Lb2Eo2vxBo9N8ClOckUiU2PCxXiY_6RmCjHjd2w

Debora Barros is an architect and preservationist with experience in New York, the United Kingdom, and Brazil. She holds a MSc. in Historic Preservation from Columbia University in the City of New York and a Certificate in Conservation of Archaeological Sites from the Università degli Studi di Firenze. She is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Pratt Institute's Historic Preservation Program and Associate here at PBDW Architects where she manages prominent adaptive reuse and conservation projects. While in the UK, she worked as a heritage consultant in Manchester and London for complex public and private projects. She leads educational tours for the study of Modern architecture in Brazil and is interested in Sustainable Heritage as a catalyst for local community development and capacity building for the preservation of traditional building techniques.

For more information, visit the links below:
https://www.ourworldheritage.org/sustainability_s02/
https://www.ourworldheritage.org/sustainability/

LAST DAY TO VOTE!

Last chance to vote for Fellows Hall, Williams College in the Architecture + Sustainability category, and Moise Safra Center in the Architecture + Stone category for the Popular Choice Award.

Click on the link below to vote. Voting closes today, June 25th, at midnight!

https://www.architizerawards.com/a/page/vote-now

Voting Instructions:
1) Create an account or log in to Architizer
2) Once you click “Vote Now”, click on “All” at the top right corner.
3) Search “sustainability” & “Architecture +Sustainability” should come up.
4) Click “View Category”.
5) Click “Vote” under Fellows Hall, and then confirm your vote.
6) Once confirmed, click on “All” again. Search “Stone” & “Architecture +Stone” should come up.
7) Click “Vote” under Moise Safra Center, and then confirm your vote.

Thank you so much for your support!

Williams College 📷: Francis Dzikowski Photography
Moise Safra Center 📷: James Ewing

Today we’re celebrating the work of our Junior Architect, Gwendolyn Stegall. Beyond her contributions at PBDW, Gwendolyn worked on two wonderful projects that we’re highlighting today in celebration of Pride Month.

As President of Q***r Students of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (QSAPP), Stegall edited and co-authored the book, Safe Space: Housing LGBTQ Youth Experiencing Homelessness, which examines best practices from existing LGBTQ homeless shelters in New York City and how the design field can aid in creating more of these essential spaces.

Her Columbia GSAPP Historic Preservation Master's Thesis, A Spatial History of Le***an Bars in NYC, documented le***an nightlife sites from the early 20th century through today and examined how they can be protected and commemorated. Through her previous work at the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project, Stegall’s research is available to a wide audience on their interactive web map.

Image Descriptions and Credits:
1: Cover of book, Safe Space: Housing LGBTQ Youth Experiencing Homelessness – QSAPP
2: Shelter Type: Drop-In Center, Safe Space: Housing LGBTQ Youth Experiencing Homelessness – QSAPP
3: Sylvia’s Place drawing, Safe Space: Housing LGBTQ Youth Experiencing Homelessness – QSAPP
4: The Howdy Club wait staff or football club, c. 1940 - Le***an Herstory Archives
5: The Howdy Club souvenir, c. 1940
6: A Night-Club Map of Harlem featuring “Gladys’ Clam House,” 1932 - The Library of Congress
7: Entertainer Gladys Bentley in full drag, c. 1945 - Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
8: The Sea Colony bar, Photo by John Barrington Bayley, 1964 - NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission
9: Approximate Sea Colony floor plan from oral history interviews - Gwendolyn Stegall
10: Protest outside Kooky’s bar, Photo by Bettye Lane, August 30, 1971 - Le***an Herstory Archives

***r ***rHomelessYouth ***anBar

PBDW Partner Anne Holford-Smith is part of a panel discussion titled The Art of Transformation on Tuesday, June 29th at 12-1pm. The panel will explore design strategies to shape interactions, redefine spatial boundaries, and functional programs. Hosted by THE PLAN magazine, the panel discussion is part of Forum Perspective Virtual, which will stream live in the UK, the EU, and North America.

Panel includes:
Anne Holford-Smith, Partner at PBDW Architects
Merritt Bucholz and Karen McEvoy, Co-Founders & Directors of Bucholz McEvoy Architects
Leni Popovici, the Founding Director & Partner of KAP Studios
And Chair Enrica Oliva, Partner and COO of Werner Sobek

Each day will feature two Panel Discussions with leading Architects and Interior Designers from the UK and North America.
Enjoy this continuing education opportunity for free!

Register now in the link below:
https://www.theplan.it/eng/whats_on/perspective-virtual-2021-the-uk-and-north-america-at-the-heart-of-the-third-edition-event

We are thrilled that PBDW Architects is an Architizer A+ Awards Finalist this year! Williams College was one of five projects worldwide selected for the Architecture + Sustainability category.

Fellows Hall is the first Net-Zero energy residence hall at Williams College. It serves the Center for Development Economics (CDE) program, an accelerated graduate course for mid-career professionals from developing countries. The building shares a prominent site at the campus entrance with historic Saint Anthony Hall, academic home of the CDE. The carbon neutral design centers around student well-being, with an emphasis on natural light, connection to nature and balancing privacy with a sense of community.

You can help us become the Popular Choice Award winner in this category by voting for us! Click on the link below to vote. Voting closes June 25th at midnight!

https://www.architizerawards.com/a/page/vote-now

Voting Instructions:
1) Create an account or log in to Architizer
2) Once you click “Vote Now”, click on “All” at the top right corner.
3) Search “sustainability” & “Architecture +Sustainability” should come up.
4) Click “View Category”.
5) Click “Vote” under Fellows Hall, and then confirm your vote.
6) Once confirmed, click on “All” again. Search “Stone” & “Architecture +Stone” should come up.
7) Click “Vote” under Moise Safra Center, and then confirm your vote.

📷: Francis Dzikowski Photography

PBDW recently volunteered with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation Stewardship Program to help clean up the Inwood Hill Park. Our office spent the afternoon removing the invasive plant, goutweed, that has been detrimental to the park's ecosystem and native plant species. While we push ahead with our AIA 2030 sustainability goals in our design projects, we're eager to find more opportunities like this to promote our green values within our own communities.

We are thrilled that PBDW Architects is an Architizer A+ Awards Finalist this year! Moise Safra Center was one of five projects worldwide selected for the Architecture + Stone category.

The Moise Safra Center was envisioned as a second home for its young Jewish community. Harkening back to its spiritual roots, the client requested that Jerusalem limestone be used prominently. Monumental limestone-clad fins at the exterior allow a glimpse of the contemporary interpretation of stained glass. The Synagogue lobby is faced with limestone on three sides, extending up the stairs. Opposite is a backlit wall of veined white marble. Limestone frames the synagogue entry doors, and leads down the center aisle to the ark. The doors are set in a field of white onyx, and surrounded by limestone as the culmination of the formal design language.

You can help us become the Popular Choice Award winner in this category by voting for us! Voting closes June 25th at midnight! Visit the link below to vote:

https://www.architizerawards.com/a/page/vote-now

Voting Instructions:
1) Create an account or log in to Architizer
2) Once you click “Vote Now”, click on “All” at the top right corner.
3) Search “sustainability” & “Architecture +Sustainability” should come up.
4) Click “View Category”.
5) Click “Vote” under Fellows Hall, and then confirm your vote.
6) Once confirmed, click on “All” again. Search “Stone” & “Architecture +Stone” should come up.
7) Click “Vote” under Moise Safra Center, and then confirm your vote.

📷: James Ewing