This $13.1-million modernization of a building that previously was one of the nation’s first YWCA locations required teamwork to manage two phases of construction in a building that was also occupied by some permanent residents.

This adaptive reuse project ran into many unforeseen situations that required the team to solve problems while maintaining schedule. For example, when they discovered the drain piping under the basement had seriously corroded, they removed the slab and replaced all piping without losing time.

The greatest challenge was coordinating the large team, which included architects, furniture fabricators, installers and artists, the team says. And since the number of permanent residents had grown, organizational efforts multiplied twenty-fold.

Since many rooms were of different sizes, the team was not able to use a universal method for the furniture fabrication. Many of the units were less than 125 sq ft, so the team says designers had to “painstakingly” choose layouts for each of the 41 room types and carefully plan and design furniture that fit into every inch of space.

This project preserved many historic elements, including a terra-cotta Guastavino tile arch restored as a key feature in the hotel’s largest suite. For the lobby, the team stripped the iconic staircase down to the concrete, recast the degraded steps and refinished them to match the original ones.

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