CLIENT: Carmel Retreat House 1071 Ramapo Valley Road Mahwah,
New Jersey 07430 CONSTRUCTION COST:$2,000,000 CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION DATE:1998
1996 Heritage
Award for Best Adaptive Re-Use of an Historic Building, presented
by the Mahwah Historic Preservation Commission
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DiGeronimo,
P.A. carefully designed the all new exterior construction to harmonize
with the existing Dutch Colonial style architecture. Our goal was
to retain the period charm so integral to the serene and contemplative
Carmel Retreat House experience.
Originally built in 1906-11 in Dutch Colonial style, the building
evokes typical northern New Jersey-New York 'New Amsterdam' days.
DiGeronimo's design for the base house renovations focused entirely
within the confines of the existing historic structure. The design
program included sleeping quarters for five permanent religious residents,
and lodging for as many as 55 transient retreatants.
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Retreats require group classrooms, an enlarged kitchen, dining area
and relaxing spaces. The expanded program included private bathrooms
in all sleeping areas, new counseling areas, a new office, and a gift
shop.
American Disability Act (ADA) accessibility compliance and life-safety
improvements required a DiGeronimo design for a complete building
upgrade including three new stair towers and a comprehensive smoke
detection and sprinkler system.
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The Carmelite Fathers, a Roman-Catholic religious order, had been
faced with an increasingly difficult financial situation. The Carmel
Retreat House had been an aging building, expensive to maintain, with
a limited number of accommodations. It's operation had been far exceeding
the costs of other competitive retreat houses.
The DiGeronimo designed renovations to the 22,800 sq. ft. complex,
including a new 5,000 sq. ft. addition, created economic viability
and new life for the facility.
