Location
406 East 91st Street
Completion
2014
Client
Convent of the Sacred Heart
Square Footage
50,000 SF
Architect
BKSK Architects, LLP
LEED
Gold
Convent of the Sacred Heart – Athletic Facility
Sciame was the Construction Manager for the transformative 50,000 SF gut renovation and expansion of an existing parking structure into a state-of-the-art athletic facility for the Convent of the Sacred Heart, a historic private all-girls school located on the Upper East Side. This project provided the school’s Pre-K through Grade 12 students with a modern space for athletics and recreation, including a six-lane, 25-yard swimming pool constructed with advanced water filtration and climate control systems to ensure optimal performance and safety.
The facility also features dance studios designed with professional-grade sprung flooring, acoustical treatments, and mirrored walls to accommodate various performing arts programs. The regulation-sized gymnasium supports volleyball, basketball, and fitness activities and is equipped with high-performance sports flooring, retractable bleachers, and modern AV systems for events and games. Additional fitness areas include dedicated spaces for strength training and exercise, outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment.
To support the facility’s new uses, the project involved new MEP upgrades, including HVAC units specifically designed for pool and gymnasium environments. The facility was designed to meet stringent accessibility standards, incorporating elevators and ramps throughout to ensure inclusivity.
Project Awards
The Brick Industry Association
Brick in Architecture Award
What a night! A huge thank you to everyone who came out on Wednesday to represent Team Sciame at the 2025 J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in Central Park!
Despite the weather, the Sciame team showed up strong, lacing up and powering through the 3½-mile course!
We’re proud of the determination, camaraderie, and good humor everyone brought to a soggy evening in the park.
#jpmcc
New York Construction’s Contractor of the Year – Looking back, 2006 was a standout year for Sciame Construction. We were honored as Contractor of the Year, a testament to our growing reputation for delivering some of New York City’s most architecturally daring and culturally significant projects.
In April 2006, Sciame Construction completed the Morgan Library and Museum Expansion, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop and BBB Architects. The project was led by then EVP/Division Head Joseph Mizzi, who began his career at Sciame 11 years earlier in 1995.
The following month, our founder, Frank Sciame, passed the torch of day-to-day leadership by promoting Joseph Mizzi to President of Sciame Construction, while continuing to serve as Chairman and CEO.
This leadership transition helped shape the next chapter of our story, and was memorialized in the cover photo of New York Construction, and the firm’s Contractor of the Year honor.
Thanks a Half-Billion! – At Sciame Construction, we proudly led the effort to reimagine the WTC Memorial and Museum, a project of national significance. Frank Sciame, our founder, was tasked with creating a design that honored the original vision while staying within a $500 million budget. Working closely with Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Pataki, and a team of 13 advisers, including notable figures like Jack Rudin and Robert Douglass, we developed cost-effective design options, ultimately reducing the budget from nearly $1 billion to $510 million. Our approach preserved key elements like the voids, waterfalls, and pools while optimizing infrastructure and resizing the museum. Sciame’s commitment to excellence ensured a memorial that balances beauty, dignity, and sustainability.
Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center – Though relatively small in size, the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center was a technically complex project successfully constructed and delivered by Sciame Construction. This groundbreaking laboratory made an outsized impact on global health. It was here that Dr. David Ho pioneered the development of the revolutionary “AIDS cocktail,” a combination therapy that transformed HIV from a fatal diagnosis into a manageable condition. His groundbreaking work earned him the title of TIME magazine’s Man of the Year, underscoring the center’s profound contribution to the fight against the AIDS epidemic.
