Baruch College is one of the senior colleges in the City University of New York (CUNY) system. Founded in 1847 as the Free Academy, it was the first institution to offer free higher education to the public in the United States. BCA served as historic preservation consultant on a variety of projects over twenty years.
Newman Library
The Lexington Avenue Cable Car Company was transformed into the Newman Library by Baruch College in the early 1990s. BCA was responsible for the entire restoration of the brick and terra cotta façade of this Italian Renaissance-style building.
Vertical Campus
In 1998 as part of the planned expansion of the college that would take over a block of historic but un-savable structures, BCA was hired to research and develop a mitigation plan. BCA presented the concept to create an electronic exhibit that highlighted the history of the college and the neighborhood, historically known as Rose Hill. BCA gained approval from the SHPO to implement this concept. Archival research and artifact salvage prior to the demolition of the buildings informed the creation of the exhibit, which was sited outdoors, constructed of a glass fresco curtainwall containing portions of the neo-classical façade of the Horse Auction Mart as well as an electronic exhibit with interactive timeline showing the evolution of the site from pre-Revolutionary War Times to the present day. Without justifying demolition, the exhibit endeavored to demonstrate that Baruch’s Vertical Campus building represent another episode in the continuum of New York’s changing urban landscape. Unfortunately, the exhibit was never completed at its original location. The interactive timeline can be seen here: http://rosehillexhibit.bcausa.com/
Field Building
The Lawrence and Eris Field Building was built in 1929 and designed by Thompson, Holmes, and Converse. BCA has been involved in the limestone and brick building’s phased rehabilitation campaign since 2009. BCA produced a comprehensive façade restoration report during Schematic Design taking into consideration new design interventions that included restoration treatments.
