Part 3 Adapting for Learning: Staten Island Tech Renovation - Updating a Historic School

With the project's program and technical framework established, the next challenge was to shape a contemporary Environmental Science Lab within the historic character of Staten Island Technical High School. Because the school is eligible for listing with the State Historic Preservation Office, the renovation could not approach the existing classroom as a blank slate. Instead, we began by closely evaluating its materials and spatial qualities, identifying what should remain in place, what could be reused, and what would need to change to support the new program.

Working with Existing Texture

The classroom contains a material palette typical of historic school buildings in the area. Structural glazed tile forms the corridor wainscotting, while exposed brick below the windows, wood flooring, painted trim, and fixed wood casework bring warmth and connect the room to the larger building. Each element was considered according to its condition, character, and ability to support the future lab.

In some cases, preservation was both the most respectful and practical response. The existing brick, for example, can be repointed and resealed rather than removed and recreated. Other materials offered value but no longer worked in their original location. The fixed wood casework contributes warmth, but conflicts with the revised room layout, prompting us to consider how its material character could be retained and reapplied elsewhere. The existing wood flooring, by contrast, is not well suited to the maintenance, durability, and activities required of a working science lab. Together, these decisions balance preservation and creative reuse with the practical needs of the new program.

Working with Existing Spatial Qualities 

The room’s spatial characteristics were equally important. Tall ceilings and large exterior windows create an openness that is unusual in many contemporary classrooms and allow daylight to reach deep into the space. The existing interior windows and door locations also contribute to the established rhythm of the corridor and the historic organization of the school.

Preserving these qualities required careful coordination as the new layout and building systems were developed. The room is organized to avoid unnecessary changes to the existing door and interior window locations. New infrastructure will be integrated selectively through soffits, chase walls, and in-floor routing, allowing the lab to gain the systems it needs while retaining its height, daylight, and relationship to the corridor.

Adding New Layers

The new program also calls for materials that respond to the demands of an active science lab. Felt will improve acoustic performance and introduce a softer texture, while a poured epoxy floor will replace the existing wood with a surface better suited to maintenance, durability, and the activities planned for the room. New equipment and casework will add further material and visual layers, making it important that the existing and new elements read as part of a cohesive whole.

In the restroom, the existing floor must be replaced to support the revised layout. Rather than treating this only as a functional requirement, the renovation sees it as an opportunity to introduce a custom mosaic floor that brings color and energy into the smaller space. 

By evaluating the existing room alongside the needs of the new lab, we established the materials, spatial qualities, and program requirements that would guide the design. In the next installment, we will explore how these elements come together as a cohesive concept, shaping the lab’s identity, atmosphere, and sensory experience.