Adaptive Reuse: Reimagining a Historic House on Governors Island as an Artist Residency | Masters Design Project

Site Context

Nolan Park on Governors Island is home to fourteen Victorian-style residences originally constructed in the 19th century to house military officers stationed on the island. After decades of abandonment, the houses fell into significant disrepair before being selectively retrofitted to accommodate cultural nonprofits, community organizations, and artists. Today, these buildings are activated during the day but remain uninhabited at night, existing in an in-between condition: functional yet incomplete, inhabited yet uninhabitable.

Within this context, the studio re-examines one of the Nolan Park houses through the lens of architectural alteration. The project proposes interventions that transform the existing building into an artist-in-residence program, introducing short-term housing as a way to reimagine the island’s cultural and spatial potential. The design challenge lies in balancing preservation with transformation—retaining the historic character of these houses while exploring how new forms of occupation can extend their life and meaning.

In New York City, where space is limited and resources are finite, alteration has become a dominant architectural strategy, often more common than ground-up construction. This tendency reflects both practical and cultural concerns, including the reuse of existing materials and foundations, the conservation of embodied energy, the reduction of demolition waste, and greater economic efficiency.

Design Process

The design process begins with the creation of field drawings and a hybrid object, both of which are closely interconnected. These initial explorations inform the design language that is later applied to the project, guiding the introduction of new interventions within the existing historic house.

The process includes site visits, building measurements, site analysis, program development, and studies of materials and color. At each stage, physical models are produced to ensure a cohesive and well-integrated design outcome.

Final Outcome

The proposal treats the existing house as both an artifact and a framework. Its foundations, floor levels, and rooflines establish critical constraints while also offering opportunities for new architectural interventions.

The project is conceived as a short-term summer artist residence with public exhibition spaces, totaling 5,500 square feet of enclosed area and 2,550 square feet outdoors. The program includes sleeping quarters (200 SF), bath/cook/eat areas (800 SF), studio and working spaces (2,500 SF), circulation (500 SF), and public gallery spaces (1,500 SF). An additional 2,500 square feet of outdoor space supports art display and viewing, either partially covered or open.

The design addresses key themes to ensure a thoughtful and cohesive intervention. Structural integration connects new elements with the existing system, including floors and stairs, while changes in massing and proportion respect the original house’s scale. A dialogue between old and new is established by preserving, reinterpreting, and contrasting architectural elements. Material and color choices create a layered expression that acknowledges the building’s history while introducing a new identity.

Conclusion: The final outcome transforms the existing house into an artist’s residence that incorporates museum and exhibition spaces, along with studio work areas. This transformation is conveyed through floor plans, detailed axonometric drawings, sectional diagrams, and a physical model.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]