RCDolner also put in new mechanical and electrical systems, which Koshner says was a challenge. “You have to reroute duct work and piping into areas where you have structural components that you have to penetrate,” he explains. “In many cases, you have to preserve similar existing architecture. When these buildings were first built, they didn’t have air conditioning. Now, the goal is to heat and air condition them using today’s technology while incorporating the components so they don’t become a detraction to the architecture.”

Koshner adds that working on a structure built in the late 1800s or early 1900s often brings surprises during the construction phase. “They may have the original architectural drawings, but so many alterations were undocumented over the years, you never know what you will find,” he says.

“When we first built the cafeteria, we were adding a new entrance to it, and we built new elevators and stairs in a vertical hoistway,” Koshner says. “While tying into existing load-bearing walls, we noticed they were hollow, so we had to come up with alternate structural attachments. We opened up the wall to see what was there, and there was an oculus that was nothing more than a round opening in the wall that had subsequently been closed up. My guess was somewhere in years past they had art displayed there.”

Today, the company is finishing up the 19th century paintings gallery and the African oceanic galleries. It is getting ready to embark on the American wing of the museum, Koshner says.

Schools Rule
One of RCDolner’s favorite education construction projects was the Kimmel Student Center at New York University four years ago. “In the middle of the center is a theater with 1,000 seats called the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts,” Koshner says. “There is a theater balcony accessible from both sides, which provides superb views of the performances from roughly 200 seats.” The company also built an orchestra pit and a tech booth with light, sound and projection capabilities.

In 2004, RCDolner completed work on the Millbank Chapel in Columbia University’s Teachers College, which was originally built in 1897 and renovated in 1960. The school called on the company to complete its third renovation. “They wanted to modernize it and preserve the integrity and detail of the original structure,” Koshner says. “They were looking to upgrade the mechanical, electrical, life safety and audio-visual systems.”

Koshner says the Millbank Chapel was originally used as a teachers’ hall. However, the company was asked to convert it into a 200-seat auditorium theater. “There was a lot of restoration and conversion of the existing historic design with millwork and ornamental plaster, wood flooring, as well as historical paintings with gold leaf stenciling,” he says. The project received the Chicago Athena Award in 2004.

Today, RCDolner is working on the Poly Prep Day School in Brooklyn, which involves expanding an existing brownstone for additional classrooms, dance and art studios and a gymnasium. The building was erected in 1890 and the objective is to “put a new, modern school adjacent to it so that it has a continuous flow,” Dolce says. “We took off the whole rear façade of this building, which required a lot of underpinning to keep it intact.

“For this façade, we’re using a rain screen, which is a new technique that I’ve never seen done in the 35 years I’ve been in the business,” he continues. “This is where Alabama limestone sits away from the structure to create a shadow. The new building is made of stone and glass, and it’s very contemporary. But, when you look at the entire structure as it relates to this gothic limestone mansion, it all comes together beautifully.” The project began in August 2006 and is expected to be completed this September.