The 3rd Street Music School Settlement in New York is the longest-running community music school in the United States. It was founded in 1894, with a goal to help poor children with music, and provide a source of spiritual and cultural nourishment to children of all backgrounds. This remains its mission today.

In the early 1970s the school moved locations to an old hospital building on East 11th street that was built in 1927. This property had undergone minor renovations throughout the years with the last major renovation being in the early 1980s. At VAKOTA, we began working with the school regularly in 2016, after the school had decided to engage in a multi-year major renovation project. We now work with the school every single summer, while school is out of session. Area by area and room by room, the school is getting the upgrades and updates it deserves to not only make it look bright and on-brand, but also make the most efficient and functional use of space possible.

In 2017, we were tasked with converting a large studio on the school’s third floor into a beautiful space that could house a number of programmes from Pre-school to adult music lessons, as well as being used as a Recital Hall and concert venue. It needed enough storage that all of the existing instruments, sheet music and learning tools could be hidden away while performances took place – but be just as easily accessible for groups and classes.

To do this we created a beautiful, music-themed, curved wall of cabinets that can house instruments of all sizes, maximizing both space and functionality. For example, ends of cabinets remain open so that heavier items such as drums and amps can be placed behind the wall. We carried the school’s color and brand into the room, as well as representing the building’s previous architect and friend, James Vincent Czajka, in the design – using his favourite piece of music (Debussy’s Clair de lune) in the graphics.

In 2016, we took our design eye to the building’s lobby, entrance sequence, and main circulation – making such a huge impact that one student returned in fall, only to turn around and walk straight out, convinced he’d entered the wrong building!

On the Lower Level we moved the building’s bathroom in order to make the lobby bigger, allowing us to create a brighter, more inviting and fun space. The new design further expanded the school’s brand and messaging through colorful graphics and large scale signage which defined the rooms. We designed color coded info ‘zones’ that made student information more accessible, as well as reducing paper usage on notice boards.

This year, we’ve been working with the school to develop designs and programs that will help to reduce energy consumption and make the school more environmentally friendly. This work involves renovating the bathrooms to include low flow fixtures, LED lighting with occupancy sensors, and a natural ventilation system that brigs fresh air and ventilation to the hallways.

On top of this, we’re looking into how COVID-19 is affecting the functionality of the school’s learning spaces. Working on the 3rd Street School is one of the highlights of our year, and while we still have some projects in mind – such as the façade restoration on the back of the building – we can’t wait to see what else next summer will bring for the project.