Buttermilk Labs
Governors Island Building 301

301 Comfort Road, Governors Island, NY

Preparing for ever-increasing climate change is critical to NYC’s future. Buttermilk Labs at the Center for Climate Solutions is the adaptive reuse of Building 301 on Governors Island as a hub for clean energy entrepreneurship, business growth, and workforce development. The project is a public/private partnership between North River Company LLC, BJH Advisors LLC, and the Trust for Governors Island.

A Neo-Georgian single-story plus cellar brick edifice built in 1934 as a school for children of US Army and Coast Guard personnel stationed on the island, Building 301 was later expanded with flanking wings in 1954. It was included in the National Historic Landmark designated by the National Park Service in 1985, and within the boundaries of the Historic District designated by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1996.

Buttermilk Labs will capitalize on its unique location and historic character to create a vibrant waterfront workplace for environmental sustainability and climate resiliency start-ups and non-profits. It will supply ±10,000 SF of office and co-working space, R&D laboratory space, 2,000 SF of event and convening space, and other public amenities for Governors Island visitors and tenants.

The former school’s proximity to Yankee Pier permits quick and easy access to and from Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, while its connection to the waterfront and the outdoors offers an “office in the park” environment unique to NYC. Climate adaptation inquiry, research and implementation are both business concepts and design solutions implicit in the renovation.

AYON Studio’s architectural work involves exterior repairs to ensure that decaying conditions are remediated with the appropriate materials and methods. The adaptive reuse features a relocated south-facing main entrance across from Yankee Pier and Buttermilk Channel, accentuated by a new perforated entrance porch, along with various interior alterations and several sustainability and flood resiliency initiatives. We are designing the project to achieve exceptional energy performance standards, targeting a minimum of LEED Gold certification.

Client
Buttermilk Labs
c/o North River Company LLC /
BJH Advisors LLC                             

Services
Conceptual Design, SD, DD, CD and CA

Project Team
Architect: AYON Studio
Sustainability, Interiors and Lighting: CO Adaptive
Acoustics, A/V, IT & Security: Cerami
Structural Engineer: Silman
M/E/P and FP Engineer: Derive
Civil Engineer: Langan
Landscape Architecture: EKLA  
Code Consulting & Expediting: Vitacco
Commissioning: Above Green 

Size
±23,000 SF

Completion
2026