Pratt Institute Higgins Hall Exterior Restoration

Brooklyn, NY

The North Building of Pratt Institute’s historic Higgins Hall was gutted by fire in 1996, requiring a complete rehabilitation, and EE&K was retained to carry out the restoration of the exterior masonry and roof. This New York City Landmark dates to 1869 and has most recently housed the Institute’s School of Architecture.

The project required the reconstruction of the building’s north gables and portions of the upper facades, with new brick to match the original. The scope of work included a thorough cleaning and repointing of the surviving brick and brownstone to correct all fire damage. The exterior rehabilitation was divided into two phases. Phase I addressed the building’s roof and upper facades, to preserve the construction and structural integrity of the building. Phase II addressed the restoration of the exterior facades at the lower floors. The building is now fully occupied and functional. Tom Shutte, President of Pratt Institute, was the recipient of the NY Landmarks Conservancy’s Lucy B. Moses Award presented in 1998.