Renovating a Landmark
The Boys & Girls Club of Harlem
See how Pella windows helped transform a dilapidated building into a beautiful space for the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem.
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The Boys & Girls Club of Harlem's mission is to give their youth access to resources and opportunities to help them reach their full potential. An organization with a mission like that deserves an amazing space to match it.
"[Our] children have great value and purpose. If we invest in them when they are younger, that turns into investments later in life," said Michael Kornegay, Pella Windows and Doors of West Caldwell and a former Boys & Girls Club participant. "[The Boys & Girls Club] helps open their minds up and expose them to so many other things; it makes a world of difference."
In the 1980s, The Boys & Girls Club purchased a local landmark, a former elementary school, to one day call it home. The deteriorating building had been reclaimed by Mother Nature with trees now growing within it, instead of just on its grounds. All of its windows and even a portion of its roof were missing.
Historically Accurate Designs
To bring the Italian Renaissance Beaux Arts building back to life and maintain its landmark status, the team was required to restore the original features of the building. Replicating historically accurate windows for a 1900s building presented a unique design challenge, but Pella was excited for the task.
Restoring this beautiful building while adding modern conveniences was important to both Pella and The Boys & Girls Club of Harlem.
The team leveraged old photos and remnants of window trim found in the building to create design drawings with custom profiles. Along with a drawing of the original window next to the proposed solution, Pella also provided custom exterior trim extrusions to match the original profile trim – to ensure the new design would satisfy the historic requirements.
"We are very excited to have a space where we can demonstrate a model program. The windows just bring more light into what we are doing every day," said Dominique Jones, the Director of The Boys & Girls Club of Harlem.
Creating a Space to Complement the Program
The expertise of the entire renovation team paired with the high-quality building products and materials helps ensure the historic building remains a pillar in the Harlem community for years to come.
"Our goal is that this space allows them to be their best self and know that it is OK to be who you are." Dominique adds, "because we impart those values here, in such a beautiful space, it tells not just our kids, but it tells the world, 'you're important'."
