Universal Pre-K at Bishop Ford

The Bishop Ford High School, located in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, has undergone a transformation as part of Mayor Bill de Blasio's Universal Pre-K initiative. The school was built in 1962 to the design of George & Robert Stickle.

Our project involved repurposing the existing rooms on the cellar and first floor of the school into 17 new classrooms, a warming pantry, and storage space for the new pre-kindergarten. The redesigned rooms are brighter, more engaging spaces for learning, with new lighting, VCT flooring, dropped acoustical ceilings, window shades, and paint finishes. The blackboards have been converted to whiteboards, and all existing open web steel joists have been spray fireproofed.

One of our top priorities was to create brighter and more engaging spaces for learning, so we installed new lighting, VCT flooring, dropped acoustical ceilings, window shades, and paint finishes. In addition, we converted the blackboards into whiteboards and spray fireproofed all existing open web steel joists.

We also wanted to ensure that students had access to clean and refreshing drinking water, so we installed custom-designed tile backsplashes throughout the hallways and new drinking fountains with water bottle fillers. Furthermore, we renovated the lobby with new lighting and built-in decorative tack boards, creating an inviting entrance for students and visitors.

Despite the project's accelerated schedule, we completed Bishop Ford UPK in time for the 2015-2016 school year. It is the City’s largest Pre-K facility.