WEST SIDE INSTITUTIONAL / NEW YORK
STUDIO ST ARCHITECTS
Synagogue Renovation // 2013 // INITIAL STAGES
The West Side Institutional is a prominent synagogue located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. This collaborative project entailed utilizing the unfinished 9000 square foot basement of the synagogue. The intended program was to design and build an elevator, youth center, multi-purpose room, offices, classrooms, and conference rooms using sustainable materials and economical construction. Given the challenges presented by the various heights, unfinished walls, floors, and ceilings, as well as the large number of pipes, ducts, and tubes presently filling the space, this project entailed working closely with construction and mechanical engineers. I was involved with this project from its inception including measuring and surveying the site, drafting the existing plan and developing alternative proposals for different programmatic options within their proposed potential budgets. In addition, I built a 3 D model of the space in Rhino and prepared detailed renders of the multi-purpose room and presentation materials for client meetings. The proposed design concept of the basement was a mixed of old and new. It preserves many elements of the existing construction and materials while adding new green design materials and functional spaces. The project is ongoing.