Sage and Coombe designed and refurbished the entry portico and interior spaces for a residential cooperative tower on Lower Fifth Avenue. The project involved modernizing the driveway, canopy, outer lobby, concierge station, gardens, exterior lighting, and signage.
To commemorate Yves Saint Laurent’s work, an enchanting temporary installation was crafted within the venerable confines of a historic bank. This ingenious design ingeniously employed pipe scaffolding as its structural canvas, artfully combining a sophisticated palette of materials, including translucent polycarbonate and meticulously painted plywood panels. The result was nothing short of mesmerizing—a captivating series of distinct rooms, each meticulously defined by its unique interplay of color and transparency. As visitors navigated through this immersive tribute, they embarked on a visual journey, a vivid narrative that mirrored the evolution of Yves Saint Laurent’s iconic career.
ClientInternational Festival of Fashion Photography
Embarking on the exciting endeavor of renovating a beach house to cater to the dynamic needs and aspirations of a multigenerational family is a project that encapsulates a profound commitment to preserving cherished traditions while embracing the evolving dynamics of familial life.
As part of their continued commitment to enhancing Benjamin Moore’s paint stores, Sage and Coombe returned to a store they had previously designed. Their objective was to introduce a cutting-edge “color lab” that enables customers to evaluate color options under four distinct light sources, replicating various real-world conditions with precision.
Bronx River Arts Center, NYC DDC & NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
Bronx, Ny
typology
Learning
Situated within a refurbished four-story former warehouse along the revitalized Bronx River Greenway, The Center stands as a beacon of creativity and environmental stewardship. At its core, The Art Center is driven by a clear mission: to nurture arts education within the framework of responsible ecological practices. Drawing inspiration from this dual purpose, Sage and Coombe embarked on a design journey that harmoniously integrates environmental and architectural strategies.
This transformative project seeks to modernize The Center, enhancing its capacity to cater to both adults and children with well-equipped classrooms and studios, all while ensuring strict compliance with contemporary life safety, egress, and accessibility standards. In alignment with its environmentally-conscious mission, the initiative has also been officially registered with the US Green Building Council (USGBC), with the ultimate aim of attaining LEED Silver certification.
To maximize its visibility from key vantage points such as Tremont Avenue and the Greenway, as well as from the elevated subway that gracefully winds around the site, the building will be adorned with a captivating super-graphic. This striking visual statement will proudly announce The Art Center’s presence and, more importantly, its unwavering commitment to the arts and environmental sustainability.
Awards
AIA Merit Award for Unbuilt Design, 2011
Design Award Public Design Commission, 2010
ClientBronx River Arts Center, NYC DDC & NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
In the autumn of 2014, Sage and Coombe Architects were carefully chosen to craft a Master Plan for the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue (BHS). Established in 1960, BHS has called a spacious brownstone building at 131 Remsen Street, nestled near Downtown Brooklyn, its home for the past two decades. During this time, their congregation has seen remarkable growth, with educational, community, and preschool activities multiplying, resulting in most of their rooms being in constant use throughout the day. In 2013, recognizing the need for more space, BHS made a significant move by acquiring the adjacent townhouse at 127 Remsen Street. Subsequently, they initiated a capital campaign to explore expansion possibilities for this newfound property.
Sage and Coombe Architects have undertaken a comprehensive approach to this endeavor, engaging in interviews with community leaders, building committee members, and educators. They have also led an inclusive community workshop to gather innovative ideas from the synagogue’s members. Presently, the team is diligently developing a range of phased expansion proposals that not only cater to programmatic, mechanical, structural, and budgetary considerations but also seek to create inviting new spaces that can better serve the diverse needs of the entire community
Undertaking the meticulous full-scale renovation of a historic townhouse nestled in the charming neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights, this project is a testament to the art of preserving the past while embracing the future. The comprehensive renovation aims to restore and enhance its original splendor, paying homage to its historic architectural details, such as intricate moldings, ornate fireplaces, and grand staircases, all while seamlessly integrating modern amenities and design elements.
This project involved the transformation of a run-down commercial property in the Chelsea neighborhood into a spacious single-family home, ingeniously divided into a lower-level duplex and an upper-level triplex. This design allowed for separate living spaces for both the parents and their young adult children. The challenge here was the limited footprint and the absence of a rear yard. To address these constraints, the design strategy cleverly positioned the staircase at the rear of the property while situating the living areas at the front. The distinctive curvilinear staircase emerged as the central architectural feature that seamlessly connected all floors. To compensate for the absence of a rear view, it was brilliantly illuminated with obscured glass, infusing the home with natural daylight. On the street-facing facade, a series of French doors gracefully opened onto front balconies. These balconies were crafted from sheet metal, adorned with historic texts personally chosen by the client, adding a touch of personalized history to the home’s exterior
Sage and Coombe played a pivotal role in bringing acclaimed artist Chris Doyle’s captivating installation, titled “Dreams of Infinite Luster,” to life within the windows of the 21C Museum Hotel in Durham, North Carolina. Sage and Coombe’s contributions ensured that the architectural aspects of this piece were perfectly orchestrated, enhancing not only the visual impact but also the structural integrity of the installation.
Sage and Coombe played a pivotal role in providing architectural support for artist Chris Doyle’s groundbreaking installation, “Ecstatic City Melbourne.” This transformative project breathed new life into Federation Square, turning it into an engaging, interactive public space. The heart of the installation consisted of three distinct “miniplex” theaters, seamlessly connected by a walkway. Sage and Coombe’s architectural expertise was instrumental in ensuring that this innovative endeavor not only achieved its artistic vision but also functioned cohesively within the urban landscape, creating a dynamic and unforgettable experience for all who visited Federation Square.
“The Lightening” was a site-specific artistic installation by acclaimed interdisciplinary artist Chris Doyle. The installation consisted of a group of sculptures that radiate animation, light, and sound into the garden’s formal structure. Sage and Coombe provided architectural support.
Sage and Coombe provided architectural support for artist Chris Doyle’s “The Moons” installation at the Sprint Center Arena. The installation featured three 10-foot circular LED screens depicting people from Kansas City, running 24 hours a day.
Over the course of more than a decade, Sage and Coombe has provided architectural services for the selective renovation and expansion of this historic progressive school in the Landmark District of Greenwich Village. Projects have included several rounds of master planning, the incorporation and renovation of an adjacent property, and ongoing facility redesign and improvements.
In response to the City and Country School’s need to provide improved accessibility as well as better athletic and community gathering space, Sage and Coombe developed a master plan approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission of New York to create a significant rooftop and rear-yard addition that provides additional classrooms, a multi-purpose space, new stairs halls, an elevator, and greener yards. Preparatory construction began with the excavation of the cellar, underpinning of the adjacent buildings, and seismic upgrades of the existing facility.
As part of New York’s Design Excellence initiative, Sage and Coombe designed a new park facility serving Clove Lake Park in Staten Island. Sited to serve an upper park plaza and lower pathways and clad in a rustic green glazed brick, the two-story building is unique among the park facilities.
Sage and Coombe Architects, a renowned architectural firm with a stellar reputation, received a prestigious invitation from Colossa Media, the industry leader in hand-painted outdoor advertising. This invitation entailed a significant task: to undertake the redesign of Colossa Media’s offices, located in the vibrant neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The primary objective of this project is to create a dynamic workspace that can seamlessly accommodate their rapidly expanding team. With Sage and Coombe Architects at the helm, this collaboration promises to be a remarkable fusion of artistic innovation and architectural excellence.
As one of six firms selected by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Sage and Coombe designed a series of utilitarian and distinctive buildings in both new and existing parks throughout the five Boroughs. Sage and Coombe lead the update and repair projects for existing historical park facilities.
As an integral part of the Department of Parks and Recreation’s Design Excellence initiative, Sage and Coombe undertook the design of numerous small park facilities. While most of these projects followed conventional construction methods, a pivotal moment emerged when the Parks Department sought enhanced efficiency and consistency. Their mandate to Sage and Coombe was clear: conceive a prefabricated building that could be easily replicated and delivered. The design had to strike a balance between iconic aesthetics and robust durability, all the while meeting stringent anti-vandalism specifications. The goal was to create a visually striking, uniform landmark that could be readily identified by city residents and park users alike. creating a consistent visual landmark that would be recognized by users throughout the city.
Designed college-style quad for the Democracy Prep Charter School in Harlem, creating places to teach and reflect for the school’s ambitious college-bound students.
“The Edgeless School: Design for Learning,” an eight-month exhibition at the Center for Architecture, presented nineteen innovative, recently built elementary and high schools in the United States. Sage and Coombe conceived of the exhibition design and installation, which required the conceptual and practical placement of architectural models, photographs, text, and videos. The design addressed ways physical spaces embody pedagogical philosophies, shape students’ learning experiences, and the effect of new technology and contemporary approaches to pedagogy on school design.
Awards
AIANY Honor Award The American Architecture Award, The Chicago Athenaeum, Museum of Architecture and Design, 2014
Global Design Award, SEGD (Society of Environmental and Graphic Designers), 2013
The challenge of successfully modernizing Engine Company 293 was to upgrade the building’s functions and amenities and provide a partial third-story addition while preserving the integrity of its historic character and civic stature.
Sage and Coombe was commissioned to design a marine firehouse and adjacent harbor as part of a nationwide program to improve port security, partly funded by the Department of Homeland Security. Working with the requirements that the pier maintains public access on all sides and necessary sightlines of public pier access and zoning view corridors. The new facility was designed using sustainable materials and strategies as a model for future New York City civic projects.
Awards
Design Award, AIANYS Excelsior Award for Public Architecture, 2014
Design Award, AIA New York State, 2013
Design Award, Public Design Commission of the City of New York, 2010
Repurposing of two historic buildings on a 2-acre site in downtown Newark as the new headquarters and education center for the Greater Newark Conservancy. With the adaptive reuse of an old post office building, a former historic synagogue, and an outdoor teaching garden, the new campus was designed to accommodate new classrooms, office spaces, a community meeting space, and a teaching kitchen, highlighting environmental initiatives.
As one of six firms selected by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Sage and Coombe designed a series of utilitarian and distinctive buildings in both new and existing parks throughout the five Boroughs. The success of the initial building has led Sage and Coombe to develop the prototype into a deployable system now being implemented in over 30 parks throughout the city.
With a goal to increase the efficiency of its design and maintenance program, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation asked Sage and Coombe to develop a prefabricated building which could be easily reproduced and delivered. Designed as a prototype, the Greenpoint Prefabricated Comfort Station was developed with a local modular manufacturer and dropped by crane onto the site. The glazed brick cladding recalls the history of ceramic manufacturing in the neighborhood, providing a vibrant solution to a community in great need of park facilities.
Sage and Coombe reshaped the former home of playwright Edward Albee for its current occupant, a music-industry client, to create a series of new spaces. The project involved adding upper floors to the original turn-of-the-century building (which once served as a stable) and cutting away the back of the building create a new yard and sculpture garden.
As one of six firms selected by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Sage and Coombe designed a series of utilitarian and distinctive buildings in both new and existing parks throughout the five Boroughs. The success of the initial building has led Sage and Coombe to develop the prototype into a deployable system now being implemented in over 30 parks throughout the city.
Sage and Coombe’s premiated entry for the High Line Competition proposed preserving The High Line as an urban farm to harvest wind and provide habitats for indigenous and migratory birds, insects, and native plant life.
The Mayor of Highland Park, New Jersey, engaged Sage and Coombe Architects to design two indoor and one outdoor classroom at the Native Plant Reserve, a new riverfront park. The outdoor space is shaded by a canopy that echoes the form of many of the larger trees on the site. The indoor classroom is partially buried in the earth and features a planted roof to temper the indoor climate and retain stormwater.
HT Chen Dance Company, NYC Department of Design and Construction
New York, NY
typology
Art
As part of New York’s Design Excellence initiative, Sage and Coombe renovated a community dance center to improve its public spaces and expand its teaching and performance studios. Moveable partitions create a flexible space that can be closed for rehearsals and classes and opened to accommodate gatherings prior to events in the adjacent theater.
ClientHT Chen Dance Company, NYC Department of Design and Construction
Designed a family compound on a site above the Hudson River, including a house with guest quarters, an indoor pool, a swimming pond, bridge, tennis courts, and barn. The public face is clad in pre-patinated copper to contrast with fall foliage and snow-covered landscape. The private side, fully glazed with full height mahogany doors and windows, overlooks the river valley below.
Designed the new offices of the J.M. Kaplan Fund to include meeting and event space for the venerable family foundation. The design consists of two closed conference spaces, one defined by a timber fin exterior providing a point of deflection at the entry and another more private space for family meetings. The central space, with Manhattan views to the south and west, is surrounded by closed offices and secondary conference rooms and provides the setting for common work areas and public events.
As part of an ongoing partnership to reinvent neighborhood paint stores for the Janovic family, Sage and Coombe designed the flagship Chelsea store within scheduling and budgetary constraints. An extensive graphic program specific to each store added literary and artistic quotations about the character and use of color and paint. At the junction between the paint and home furnishings departments, the design became emblematic of a new identity for Janovic.
In its first project for the Janovic family, Sage and Coombe was engaged to reimagine the flagship store selling home decoration and paint. The success of that project led to a series of follow-up projects with the Janovics and, eventually, with Benjamin Moore Paint.
As part of New York’s Design Excellence initiative to increase physical culture for neighborhood children and funded in part by the City Council member from Bedford Stuyvesant and the Mayor’s Office, Sage and Coombe was asked to complete a feasibility study of this full-block outdoor pool. The building, originally designed by Morris Lapidus in the 1960s of cast-in-place concrete, had programmatic, safety, and operational concerns. Despite its heavy usage, it only served its community three months of the year. Looking at the range of available and needed facilities in the neighborhood, the design alternates included outdoor and indoor facilities: a gym, a pool, community meeting spaces, and outdoor soccer fields.
Sage and Coombe enlivened and modernized the internal garden courtyards of a housing complex with designs for swimming pools, bath houses, and shade structures. The efficient triangulated structure allows for large areas of column-free shade, while the dual-sided colorful fins provide the residents a constantly changing visual experience.
The Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park, previously a lumber yard mill, cargo weigh station, and brownfield is now a new 6.6-acre waterfront park in Wilmington, NC. The project became an achievement for public spaces because of a democratic referendum in 2012 to develop a public park instead of a privately owned baseball stadium. This site went from an abandoned brownfield into a new community-supported public park.
The project was done in close collaboration with NYC-based Hargreaves-Jones landscape architects. The prime firm invited us to design these pavilions to provide the required services and to frame and delineate this new landscape.
Sage and Coombe was engaged to develop a Master Plan for the Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School, a college preparatory school in Brookville, New York. As part of the effort, Sage and Coombe conducted extensive surveys of LuHi students, faculty, and leadership to identify priorities while also helping the school develop fundraising tools to generate enthusiasm for the project in the community. Sage and Coombe has completed the first phase of classroom and administration office upgrade constructions in Fall 2024.
As one of six firms selected by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Sage and Coombe designed a series of utilitarian and distinctive buildings in both new and existing parks throughout the five Boroughs. The success of the initial building has led Sage and Coombe to develop the prototype into a deployable system now being implemented in over 30 parks throughout the city.
Set on the top floor of the Citigroup Center, hedge fund managers Magnitude Captial retained Sage and Coombe Architects to design their first headquarters: an office environment that was essentially corporate while remaining approachable and open. Sage and Coombe worked with the Magnitude team to develop a palette of materials and details to reinforce this image.
A home away from home, this rustic house in Norway, Maine is situated near a pond and a historic boys summer camp. Its simple forms and construction echo the tradition of nearby camp cabins.
Sage and Coombe was engaged by the cooperative board of directors at the historic Majestic Apartments to develop a facade master plan for approval by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Sage and Coombe is currently working with the town of Maplewood, NJ to expand and renovate their existing facility.
The current library, built in 1956 and expanded in 1969, is susceptible to flooding and no longer meets the needs of the community. The project is currently under construction after a community-driven design process and public fundraising.
Sage and Coombe was engaged under New York’s Design Excellence initiative to restore, repurpose, and expand a 1947 diner, enhance the surrounding landscape and hardscape, and create a small outdoor performance space for the Midland Beach Park Facility.
Mulberry Commons is a transformational urban destination in the center of Newark, NJ. Completed in 2019, the first phase, Mulberry Commons Park, is a dynamic, welcoming space featuring an event lawn, intimate seating terraces, a play area, an illuminated interactive fountain, and a botanical garden.
Phase II will extend the park with an elevated pedestrian bridge that spans McCarter Highway and the Northeast Corridor, adaptively reusing the existing McCarter Highway bridge and creating a new elevated plaza and train Hall for Newark Penn Station.
Awards
AIA New York State Design Award, NY, 2020
AIA New Jersey Design Award, Mulberry Commons, NJ, 2020
Newark Community Economic Development Corporation, Mayor's Office of Newark
Newark, NJ
typology
Transit
Sage and Coombe was engaged by the City of Newark and working with a private-public client group, Sage and Coombe partnered with Landscape Architect Supermass Studio to design a transformational downtown park in Newark connecting Newark Penn Station, the Prudential Center, the historic Ironbound District, Peter Francisco Park, and a new riverfront park extension. The design features an event plaza and lawn, market and cafe terraces, a beer garden, and a pedestrian bridge to the Ironbound that will also serve as an elevated waiting room connecting directly to the train platforms below.
ClientNewark Community Economic Development Corporation, Mayor's Office of Newark
Sage and Coombe was selected to stabilize and restore the NY Central Railroad sub-station in Upper Manhattan as part of New York’s Design Excellence initiative. The intent of the project was to restore the building to its original condition within defined budget limitations. The work involved selective replacement and stabilization of historic brickwork, cast concrete elements, and decorative metal grilles.
Sage and Coombe was engaged to redesign a series of donor-funded children’s reading rooms in four branch libraries across the New York Public Library system. Respecting modest budgets and tight schedules, the spaces were made more efficient, inviting, and emblematic of their respective neighborhoods.
The Fort Washington Branch Children’s Room is located on the second floor of a four-story structure built in 1914 with funds donated by Andrew Carnegie.
The library was last renovated in the 1950s. The 2,500-square-foot space has an 18 ft ceiling and original casework, with built-in window seats that adorn three perimeter walls.
Sage and Coombe redesigned a series of donor-funded children’s reading rooms in four branch libraries across the New York Public Library system. Respecting modest budgets and tight schedules, the spaces were made more efficient, inviting, and emblematic of their respective neighborhoods.
Sage and Coombe redesigned a series of donor-funded children’s reading rooms in four branch libraries across the New York Public Library system. Respecting modest budgets and tight schedules, the spaces were made more efficient, inviting, and emblematic of their respective neighborhoods.
Built as part of New York City’s Design Excellence program within both the Department of Parks and Recreation and the DDC, the Ocean Breeze Indoor Athletic Facility sits within a new 110-acre park being developed as a part of former Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC initiative, whose primary goal was to bring large scale regional parks to every borough.
Located on Staten Island’s Eastern Shore, the building overlooks the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, lower Manhattan, and the Freedom Tower.
Awards
Open House New York: Works By Women, Ocean Breeze Indoor Athletic Center, Staten Island, NY, 2018
AIA New York State Excelsior Award, Ocean Breeze Indoor Athletic Center, Staten Island, NY, 2017
Architizer A+ Award, Ocean Breeze Indoor Athletic Center, Staten Island, NY, 2016
Award for Excellence in Design, Public Design Commission of the City of New York, Ocean Breeze Track and Field House, 2010
Renovation of an mid 20th century wood frame house and new accessory building, including the addition of a new geothermal system and a complete reconstruction of a later addition to the main house building.
Following an earlier project on the school’s flagship campus, Sage and Coombe designed a 38,000-square-foot expansion campus within a new building to serve middle and upper school children. The program includes nineteen homerooms, special classrooms for science and language, an indoor “cafetorium,” and a rooftop yard.
After two earlier projects, Sage and Coombe designed an 83,000-square-foot expansion within a new building to serve a K-8 program. The space includes thirty-two homerooms, special classrooms for science and language, and an indoor “categorium.”
As part of New York’s Design Excellence initiative, Sage and Coombe designed a LEED Gold facility to house park offices, a maintenance garage, and restroom facilities to support the adjacent soccer fields. The challenge of the site—a former dumping ground—required a pile-supported structure and methane venting with a public face, establishing a visual identity for the park. The project was conceived as a pair of simple textured brick masses that inflect and frame a central pedestrian path, creating a gateway to the adjacent fields.
As one of six firms selected by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Sage and Coombe designed a series of utilitarian and distinctive buildings in both new and existing parks throughout the five Boroughs. The success of the initial building has led Sage and Coombe to develop the prototype into a deployable system now being implemented in over 30 parks throughout the city.
Sage and Coombe designed a historic building’s 1,600-square-foot computer and fabrication lab. The project left the original masonry foundation visible while floating a clean plywood layer to create a modern display, lighting, and tools surface. New openings in the historic masonry wall serve as views and display spaces for completed projects.
Following extensive research and interviews with students, faculty, and staff, Sage and Coombe completed a Master Plan formatted as an interactive digital document and presented as a “bridge to the future” for the school. The goal was to clarify needs and desires, establish a menu of possible projects and associated costs, and allow the school and its donors to prioritize their work to chart a course forward.
Following their work on the Master Plan, Sage and Coombe was asked to move forward with designing the first phase of a Performing Arts Center. The project will serve as a practical and academic link between north and south campuses, create new dance studios and practice rooms adjacent to the existing theater spaces, and establish a new arts quad to highlight Poly’s extensive arts education program. The project has been completed at the beginning of 2024.
Sage and Coombe designed a new park facility serving the Rockaways and the Public School 197 playground. The building is clad in a blue glazed brick, echoing the seaside sky, and the upper register windows are protected by a stainless steel perforated screen depicting clouds from a 19th-century painting of New York Harbor.
As part of its plan for Riverside Park South, Sage and Coombe designed several shade structures, restroom facilities, maintenance and operations offices, and a comfort station situated between 65th and 67th Streets on the West Side.
Situated a facility in a newly expanded park in the City Line neighborhood of Brooklyn, concerning the adjacent park features and visitor pathways. Governed by strict requirements to limit vandalism, each project material was thoroughly tested for appropriate resistance before being included in the design.
In December 2012, after extensive damage from Hurricane Sandy, Sage and Coombe was asked to design a series of raised platforms or “islands” at the elevation of the former boardwalk to allow access to and from the street and beach. Each island provided outdoor showers, shading from the summer sun, and access to concession facilities.
Three primary sites at Beach 86th, 97th, and 106th Street were the project’s focus, with a secondary site at Beach 116th Street. Spanning over 1.5 miles, Sage and Coombe sought to restore amenities and create a visual link between the sites without the benefit of a connecting boardwalk.
Awards
Award for Excellence in Design, Public Design Commission of the City of New York, Beach Access: The Rockaways, 2013
Sage and Coombe renovated and designed the new home of the Rockaways Waterfront Alliance, a local environmental nonprofit group, within a decommissioned historic firehouse. A flexible gallery and event/teaching space opens to a small cafe at the rear and, through a translucent bifold door, directly connects with a canopy to the street, inviting the community into the building and an adjacent teaching garden. Open classroom space occupies the second floor, serving as a community resource for after-school and adult programming.
ClientRockaway Institute for a Sustainable Environment
The Ryder Branch Library is undergoing a comprehensive renovation project to enhance its facilities and energy efficiency. These enhancements aim to modernize the library space, improve accessibility, and reduce energy consumption for a more sustainable operation.
Following the design of the brand’s flagship store, Sage and Coombe converted a former vegetable warehouse into the company’s headquarters. The complex included two showrooms, administrative, sales and press offices, the design of display systems, cabinetry and lighting, new air handling systems, and the discreet location of a staff kitchen and bathrooms.
Sage and Coombe transformed a former Dumbo neighborhood heating plant into a functional and symbolic arts center. An existing coal hopper was left hovering in the three-story space above the main gallery. Discreet from daily gallery operations, ten studios, a kitchen, bathroom, woodshop, and common/teaching space were built in the partially day-lit cellar.
Sage and Coombe designed the corporate headquarters and staff workspace for a pioneering voice-recognition technology company. The design involved the development of a system to reuse existing construction creatively and an extensive graphic program that included cladding existing partitions with translucent sheeting carrying the text of famous soliloquies.
Sage and Coombe developed a Master Plan for the college’s five campus buildings after surveying existing conditions, analyzing code and zoning issues, and interviewing numerous community members. The goals of the Master Plan were to strengthen the St. Francis College identity, define a network of public and student spaces, create clear and efficient circulation, establish logical departmental adjacencies, and provide a road map for campus improvements. We also redesigned and renovated a series of students lounges and classrooms.
As part of New York’s Design Excellence initiative, Sage and Coombe reimagined a vital community recreation center’s main entrance and critical public areas.
As part of New York’s Design Excellence initiative, Sage and Coombe restored the landmark Sunset Park Recreation Center to serve the needs of a growing community.
Working with the former India Center for Art and Culture curator, Sage and Coombe designed a start-up gallery specializing in contemporary Indian artists.
Sage and Coombe oversaw the redesign and expansion of the Buckley School, a one-hundred-year-old independent day school for boys, grades K-9, located on the Upper East Side in Manhattan. Initially engaged to conceive a master plan for the project, Sage and Coombe was chosen to modernize the primary classroom building and create a cutting-edge new science, music, and art facility across the street inside two five-story townhouses.
The main building was entirely reimagined through updates to every classroom, the creation of a new lobby and new lower- and upper-school libraries, and the enhancement of the theater program by adding collapsible tiered seating to an existing lunchroom.
The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center
New York, NY
typology
Art
The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center is a Puerto Rican and Latino cultural institution in New York City. Sage and Coombe is designing selective improvements to accessibility, life safety, and public space. The first phase will include a handicap-accessible ramp at the front of the building and an elevator. It may consist of a connection between the courtyard and the rear yard.
ClientThe Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center
The Conference House Pavilion aims to reflect the site’s rich history through a multifunctional outdoor community space facing the expansive views of Raritan Bay. Located at Ward’s Point, the 4,500 sq. ft. pavilion complements the 17th-century Conference House. Both structures are part of Conference House Park, a National Park named after the Staten Island Peace Conference during the American Revolutionary War. Replacing a deteriorated and largely demolished neo-Victorian-style Pavilion, the project salvaged the existing pile structure while elevating the deck eight feet to achieve a new Design Flood Elevation. This cost-effective and sustainable approach mitigated site disturbance.
Awards
AIA New York State Excelsior Award, Conference House Park Pavilion, 2021
Conference House Park Pavilion, Architect’s Newspaper Best of Design Awards, Honorable Mention, 2020
Conference House Park Pavilion, AIA New York State Design Award, 2020
Public Commission Award for Excellence in Design, Conference House Park, Staten Island, NY, 2014
Sage and Coombe completed a three-phase, publicly-funded project for the Noguchi Museum in Long Island City, Queens. Asked to rethink and renovate the original two buildings occupied by the museum. Sage and Coombe was also responsible for the design of a new entry pavilion with a museum-standard acclimatized gallery above; the redesign and restoration of other gallery spaces, museum café, bookshop, multipurpose space, and sculpture storage. The project included a comprehensive reconfiguration of the museum’s building systems that required replacing the entire building envelope, introducing a building management system, and addressing code compliance, accessibility, dewatering, and structural stability.
Awards
Building of the Day, Noguchi Museum, Long Island City, NY, 2017
Open House New York, Noguchi Museum, Long Island City, NY, 2017
AIA Brooklyn/Queens Design Award, Noguchi Museum, Long Island City, NY, 2016
Sage and Coombe served as the USTA’s design architects, tasked with guiding the definition of the campus expansion and improvement. The site is situated on City parkland and requires close collaboration with the Department of Parks and Recreation.
Sage and Coombe led the renovation of an existing cellar educational space in the landmarked Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church to accommodate three daycare classrooms and two office spaces.
As one of six firms selected by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Sage and Coombe designed a series of utilitarian and distinctive buildings in both new and existing parks throughout the five Boroughs. The success of the initial building has led Sage and Coombe to develop the prototype into a deployable system now being implemented in over 30 parks throughout the city.