Our feasibility study for the renovation of the Gladys Marcus Library at FIT is complete.
Located within the Shirley Goodman Resource Center, the Gladys Marcus Library is FIT’s main campus library, offering a variety of services, resources, and unique programming to both FIT’s physical campus and its global academic community. Over the past few months, we had the pleasure of meeting with students, faculty, and staff for tabling sessions, workshops, and meetings, and hearing their aspirations for their new library. The result of these efforts, coupled with a rigorous analysis of the library, is a comprehensive roadmap to strategically enhance the Gladys Marcus Library as it moves into the future. Thank you to the project team, faculty, students, and staff at FIT for your enthusiasm and thoughtful contributions to this project.
We recently completed a fast-moving workplace study for the General Services Administration and National Park Service. Building upon our previous work with the GSA and NPS, this project included a rigorous two-day charrette with the goal of identifying opportunities and strategies to incorporate an additional division of the National Park Service into an existing building. We visited the site and conducted various leadership sessions, visioning sessions, and focus groups to identify workplace activities and determine work styles for all of the teams within the building.
We are thrilled to announce that we have been selected to participate in the inaugural cohort for the New York City Mass Timber Studio through our work on the Brooklyn Public Library New Lots Branch in collaboration with Brooklyn Public Library, Mass Design Group, Envoie Projects, and Silman Structural Solutions.
The first of its kind in New York City, the Mass Timber Studio program prioritizes the decarbonization of the built environment by supporting mass timber projects in their early phases. Projects selected for the inaugural cohort include those that provide community space, residential development, and adaptive reuse.
The New Lots Library, located in East New York is one of the largest libraries in the BPL system, offering a diverse array of programs for all ages. We are now in Schematic Design, working closely with Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) and the community to explore opportunities to transform and expand the branch to better serve its present-day patrons as well as future generations. Read more.
Over the past few days, we had the pleasure of hosting Griffin, a local high school student, as part of the Center for Architecture’s Discover Architecture program. It was exciting to discuss our shared passion for architecture and introduce him to the profession. During his time at MFA, we toured local architecture, visited Greenpoint Library, and explored some of our latest projects using VR. We wish Griffin all the best as he continues to pursue his passion for architecture!
We recently visited Urban Dove Team Charter School in Brooklyn (UD). It was wonderful to be back at UD, and learn of all of the new and exciting activities and programs they have in place for the current school year. We toured the school and their facilities, including their newest addition, an outdoor vegetable garden.
We also visited the gym, a project we collaborated with UD on in 2020. Over the years, we’ve worked on a series of projects with UD, including the development of a strategic plan to expand the school across all NYC boroughs, as well as the design of their Brooklyn school as a renovation to an existing building, and the development of a graphic identity for the school among other design projects. We continue to be inspired by UD’s incredible work, and look forward to our next visit!