Barnard College Center for the Study of Child Development

Barnard College’s vision for its new Center for the Study of Child Development was to build synergy between preexisting programs within the college’s psychology department, including the Center for Toddler Development, the Cognitive Development Center, and the Language Acquisition and Development Research Laboratory by connecting them in a single space: the historic, 125-year-old, Milbank Hall.

Built at the turn of the 20th century and housing a variety of administrative and academic spaces, Milbank Hall presented a challenging building environment. We managed the CSCD’s development from programming and planning through design and then oversaw the demolition and gut renovation of Milbank Hall’s basement level to create the new space. We coordinated closely with the Barnard Capital Projects team to strategically relocate other departments within the building affected by the Center’s relocation and managed the entitlement process for the College, addressing the change of use within the building and approvals for the operation of the Toddler Center.

Designed by Architecture Research Office (ARO), the finished project integrates arched niches, playful colors, and natural light throughout the space. It features a large playroom, observation areas, classrooms, offices, conference rooms, spaces for parents, and research facilities to enable top-quality data collection, coding, analysis, and neuro-brain research.

The management of the Study of Child Development was our first engagement with Barnard College. Since then, we have been pleased to support the College’s ambitions on a range of project management and strategic planning assignments, including developing a comprehensive Local Law 11 strategic plan to address repair and inspection obligations, implementing several repair and renovation projects, and planning for comprehensive upgrades to both campus and building infrastructure.