Gaynor Doubles in Size with Early Childhood Center

By[ Sean Creamer ] The Claremont Stables on West 89th Street served the Upper West Side for years, providing a means for city-dwellers to learn horseback riding. Now, the horses have long gone, but the building will still be used for education. The Stephen Gaynor School at 148 W. 90th St. recently announced it would reinvent the old Claremont Carriage House and Stables to create a state-of-the-art education facility called the Early Childhood Center, which will specialize in teaching learning disabled children. The space will expand the Gaynor School by 45,000 square feet and will house a theater, 11 additional classrooms, a science lab and art facilities including a photography room and a library and writing center. By the end of construction the school will hold 400 students, according to Dr. Scott Gaynor, head of the school. "This is an amazing opportunity for us," said Gaynor. "We look at this as a huge canvas in which we can design programs for our children." Because the school works with kids who require specialized education, Gaynor knew he had to tailor the facility to the acute needs of the children. While the exterior may resemble the Claremont Stables of old, featuring the original facade and newly installed barn doors, the interior features a plethora of innovative architecture and technology. Light and open space were an important focus of the construction. The building allows for more direct sunlight as opposed to fluorescent lighting, cutting down on energy costs. The design allows for the corridors, cafeteria and classrooms to be illuminated by natural light accompanied by motion-sensor lights in an effort to conserve electricity. Because the facility is used to teach younger children who suffer from learning disabilities, the classrooms are designed to immerse children into a learning environment. While there is a heavy emphasis on the teacher to center the children's attention upon him or her, there are also devices that will be employed to assist the teacher. One of these is the Phonic Ear System, which projects the teacher's voice to speakers in the classroom so that "it feels like everyone in the classroom is having a personal conversation with the teacher," Gaynor said. The speakers also create a sound barrier to subdue natural noises coming from the streets below. The construction of the building called for major soundproofing to couple with such special audio systems. The floor tiles are rubberized, classroom windows are soundproofed and have insulation and the ceiling tiles are acoustic. "It really calms the space for the children, some of whom can be overstimulated by loud noises," said Gaynor. Coupled with the revitalization of the Stables, the Gaynor School is rebuilding the Carriage House into a "secret garden" hidden behind the facade of the building. The garden addition will also act as a means to connect the 90th Street and 89th Street buildings, extending the playground of the school. The redesign was done by Rogers Marvel Architects. The construction of the building follows the strict guidelines of the United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, otherwise known as the LEED program. In addition to motion sensor lights, there are low-flush toilets and climate controlled heating and cooling systems, according to Donna Logue, director of the Early Childhood Center. "We use green products for maintenance purposes," said Logue. "It is wonderful for the environment, but so important for our students who have sensitivities to the cleaning chemicals."