MBB Designs Adaptive Reuse of Firehouse as a Music School

Design for Impact

MBB is transforming the 167-year-old DeGraw Firehouse into a new music school for the Noel Pointer Foundation, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that provides high-quality string music education to youth from historically underserved communities across New York City. This 5,835-square-foot adaptive reuse project is sponsored by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and administered through the NYC Department of Design and Construction.

Maximizing usable space within the tight footprint of the 1857 building, the three-level renovation provides a welcoming street-level lobby and library as well as acoustically optimized spaces for performance, instruction, recording, and string instrument storage. The design restores the historic character of the brick and terra cotta façade and adds a backyard terrace. The preserved “B.F.D.” signage beneath the bracketed cornice refers to Brooklyn Fire Department, recalling an era before the consolidation of Brooklyn with New York City.

Replacing the former garage door, a transparent storefront entrance signals the building’s new identity as the headquarters of the foundation, established in 1995 in memory of Grammy-nominated violinist Noel Pointer. The high-ceilinged reception space is furnished with lounge seating, artwork, and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves leading to the new ensemble space. A constant stream of children and caregivers will visit the school during the busy after-school program hours, giving way in the evening hours to neighborhood musicians.

Our strategy for maximizing usable space included excavating and finishing the cellar level to provide additional rehearsal and recording studios. Efficient storage for loaner string instruments enables the Foundation to serve students who cannot afford their own. In addition to a new open stair rising through the lobby, the design adds an egress stair and an elevator to provide accessibility.

Acoustic design is central to the project. Exterior walls are heavily insulated to address neighborhood concerns about noise control, while individual classrooms are acoustically isolated to ensure the integrity of each lesson or performance. The main ensemble space—fulfilling a long-sought dream of the Foundation—features a ribbed wood ceiling and acoustic wall baffles to scatter sound.

This efficient yet impactful renovation design supports the Foundation’s mission to transform lives through the power of music.