This NYC SCA project was awarded to the joint venture of Michael Graves & Associates and Massa Multimedia Architecture, PC (MGA/MMA). The Peck Slip School (PS343M) is a new 121,364 sq. ft. primary school located in the Financial District section of Manhattan, New York, and within the boundaries of South Street Seaport Historical District.

The challenge of this project was to convert an existing U.S. Postal Service Station located within Manhattan’s South Street Seaport Historic District into a new public school serving the projected needs of the surrounding community. Located on Peck Slip between Pearl Street and Water Street, the new facility accommodates a capacity of 712 students in grades Pre-K through 5. The project, drawn in Revit, encompasses approximately 97,000 SF in 7 floors above grade.

The project scope included a 69,300 SF renovation and adaptive reuse of the four existing floors of the building and a 27,700 SF vertical addition of three new floors. The school included dedicated science classrooms, a library, a kitchen and dining complex, and a flexible all purpose “gymatorium.” Full on-site construction administration presence by the architect was integral to this school opening on time.

We worked closely with NY State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) on this school to design a new massing and exterior facade that respected its surrounding historical context. Taking visual cues from adjacent site features such as the neighboring buildings, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the existing building on site, we created, with SHPO participation, an exciting exterior design suiting a new school building with no adverse impact on the historic district.