The first patient was admitted to Sheppard Pratt Hospital in 1891, and it holds a rich history of humane care for the mentally ill. The historic buildings possess a rich architectural history, and our firm was retained to provide guidance in the restoration and re-use of various campus buildings, including the iconic gate house.
Formally a dwelling for the gate keeper, the team proposed a design to turn the abandoned structure into a three-unit guest house for short stay visitors of patients or guest speakers to the institution. The first floor — which is divided by the old roadway into two halves — features a kitchen, living room, and dining room, while upstairs, there are three bedrooms, each with full a bathroom.
In a historically sensitive exterior restoration all gingerbread, pendentives, and arched windows were restored, along with the porch which had to be removed in 2009 due to its structural separation from the main house. The restored porch preserves the original fabric, while inserting an appropriate guard rail behind to comply with code. This project also included a comprehensive new foundation drainage system.
