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Friends Seminary School

New York, NY

Silman’s work at this private K-12 school spans over two decades. Most recently, Silman completed a major renovation and reconstruction of Hunter Hall and the adjacent townhouses along East 16th Street. The project added two floors and a spring-isolated-slab play roof to Hunter Hall. By using full-story trusses that span the 60-foot width of the building, Silman ensured that the new levels would only need to be supported at the north- and south-most perimeter columns, eliminating the need to reinforce interior columns and allowing use of the lower floors during construction.

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Historic Townhouses

The gut renovation of the three combined historic townhouses involved demolishing all interior and rear walls to create open and flexible floor plan that is no longer restricted by party walls.

A new steel-framed building was constructed within the original footprint and connected to the preserved historic facades with a series of vertical trusses. Sloped skylights bring daylight into the five-story interstitial space between old and new. The roof level now features a greenhouse.

Historic Townhouses

The gut renovation of the three combined historic townhouses involved demolishing all interior and rear walls to create open and flexible floor plan that is no longer restricted by party walls.

A new steel-framed building was constructed within the original footprint and connected to the preserved historic facades with a series of vertical trusses. Sloped skylights bring daylight into the five-story interstitial space between old and new. The roof level now features a greenhouse.

Extensive phasing and coordination efforts between design and construction teams allowed the project to be executed in a carefully sequenced order with minimal impact to school operations.

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Backyard Extension

A new multi-purpose, column-free performing arts space, known as the Great Room, has an operable glass wall that opens onto an interior courtyard. With the help of exposed trusses, the space’s roof supports a 2,000 sf occupiable garden terrace.

Backyard Extension

A new multi-purpose, column-free performing arts space, known as the Great Room, has an operable glass wall that opens onto an interior courtyard. With the help of exposed trusses, the space’s roof supports a 2,000 sf occupiable garden terrace.

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