Green Nursery School Saves Abandoned Historic Landmark

Wildcliff, designed by noted architect Alexander Jackson Davis, was built in New Rochelle in 1852 as a private residence with panoramic views of the Long Island Sound.  It was bequeathed to the City of New Rochelle in 1940 and was used as a nature center and most recently as an outdoor venue for a summer music festival.  Years of abuse and deferred maintenance took its toll, and the City made the decision to restore the exterior and gut the interior with the hope that a visionary tenant would bring new life to the building and grounds.

With the guidance of Fivecat Studio Architecture, early childhood educators Marie Inzinna and Kerrilee Hunter saw beyond the abandoned shell of the building and recently created a proposal for Jen’s Community: a LEED certified, sustainable nursery school and community meeting place for the citizens of New Rochelle and surrounding towns.

“The most challenging aspect of the design was ADA compliance,” admits Annmarie McCarthy AIA, NCARB, partner at Fivecat Studio.  “Egress and accessibility were critical from the beginning because our intent was to remain within the footprint of the building as much as possible.  The clients were instrumental to the early success of the design because they remained flexible with their program.”

“The City of New Rochelle has embraced the proposal, and fund raising has begun in earnest.   It’s an asset to the city’s GreeNR initiative and it restores Wildcliff as a historic landmark,” says Ms. McCarthy.  “What better way to revitalize this venerable old building than to introduce the energy and laughter of young children?”

***
Fivecat Studio | Architecture (McCarthy LePage Architects, PC) is an award-winning architecture firm serving Westchester County (NY), Fairfield County (CT), the Hamptons and the lower Hudson Valley. Since the firm’s formation in 1999, Fivecat Studio has established a regional reputation as a leading design firm providing complete architecture, interior design and construction management services for residential, commercial and small institutional projects. For more information, visit www.fivecat.com.
Inquiries regarding donations to Jen’s Community at Wildcliff should be addressed to jcwildcliff@gmail.com.