Founded in 1887, Pratt’s main campus is located in Brooklyn, New York with programs consisting primarily of fine arts and architecture. The Institute engaged JacobsWyper to address multiple infrastructure and accessibility issues bringing the campus up to current standards and engaging student life in a dynamic and welcoming experience.
Starting with East Hall, one of the three original buildings built when the school opened in 1887, the subsurface campus wide central plant is being replaced. Capped with a reimagined entry plaza, this industrial age facility is poised to serve the campus facilities throughout and expand its surrounding park setting with new planters, an outdoor classroom, and quiet respite nooks for student life. Within the building and along side the original power plant equipment, designated a National Historic Mechanical Engineering landmark, a new elevator will provide ADA accessibility to all floors.
The adjoining North Hall was built as part of the urban renewal project led by Robert Moses and was designed by McKim, Mead, and White in 1958. Working closely with Pratt Institute, a new elevator and ramp entrance addition provides ADA accessibility to the many classrooms, dance studios, Writing Center and the Provost’s Office while providing “front stoop” gathering space for students and a podium of sculpture. JacobsWyper is also conducting an elevator replacement study at Higgins Hall, the Institute’s home for the School of Architecture and listed as a Landmark building with the City of New York. With in-house expertise in historic preservation, we provide Pratt’s historic campus restoration and reuse services that develop creative responses to preservation goals while resolving systemic infrastructure issues and improving student life throughout.
