Page Ayres Cowley
Practice: Page Ayres Cowley Architects, LLC
Established: 1992
City: New York City
Country: United States
www.pac-architects.com
[email protected]
Page Ayres Cowley graduated from New York University, Brookes College, Oxford, and Columbia University; and completed postgraduate work at Harvard and Tufts University. Her practice, established in 1992 and the recipient of many preservation and design awards, specialises in conservation, adaptive re-use and new construction in historic settings. Current conservation work includes: The Corbin Building (1889), Fulton Street Transit Center, (Arup is the lead consultant); the restoration of Cedarmere Mill (1862); and an adaptive re-use project on Madison Avenue.
Page has worked in London with Feilden + Mawson, Goddard Manton Partnership, Terry Farrell and Farrell & Grimshaw; and in New York with Beyer Blinder Belle. She serves on the NYS Open Space Advisory Committee and is Land Use Co-Chair of Community Board 7, Manhattan. She serves on the Historic Districts Council board, Sir John Soane's Museum Foundation advisory board and Butterworth-Heinemann's Conservation and Museology series editorial board.
Page Ayres Cowley Architects, LLC
Strecker Memorial Laboratory, Roosevelt Island, New York
Designed by NY architect Frederick Clark Withers, this Romanesque-revival structure opened in 1892 as one of the first institutions in the nation for pathological and bacteriological research. Gutted by fire, this local and national landmark was adapted for re-use as an electricity substation for the Metropolitan Transit Authority. PAC designed the restoration of the exterior and received a Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award from The New York Landmarks Conservancy for its 'miraculous preservation effort'.
| How does diversity of people reveal itself at work? | As a multi-disciplinary firm based in New York City we attract architects and clients from different backgrounds and experiences. Conservation affects everyone. Most of our work involves some aspect of preservation. We present projects before various community and advocacy groups for approval. The exposure to a range of points of view is fascinating and we learn from differing opinions about what heritage means to others. Often this knowledge strengthens our advocacy position and helps us understand neighborhood concerns. |
| Who are your role models who inspire you? | My mother, who told me I could do anything if I put my mind to it. Jane Austen. And people who are engaged and passionate about what they do. I also owe a lot to my previous employers who were remarkable and who shared with me the business side of running a practice and the importance of ethics. Their advice on things gave me the confidence to start my own firm. |
| How have your clients and projects benefited from your involvement? | I think they appreciate the quality of the effort that we expend and our attention to detail. Our projects can take 5-7 years from commission to completion because they are subject to public funding or competitive grants. We form long-term relationships with many of our clients and public-agency work and I believe that our clients know of our commitment to their goals. |