This series contains plans created by Joseph Urban and/or his staff, working out of an office at 5 East 57th Street, as well as contractors and subcontractors, for the original New School building at 66 West Twelfth Street (later named the Alvin Johnson Building). The series consists of three subseries: Design; Construction; and Lettering, Signage, and Color Schemes.

The Design subseries consists of original pencil sketches and drawings studying aspects of the building's interior, including the auditorium, lobby, library, and classrooms, as well as an exterior elevation. The drawings are neither signed nor dated, but are assumed to have been made by Joseph Urban or his staff during the design phase of the project.

The Construction subseries--largely comprised of original drawings and blueprints of floor plans, details, and shop drawings--dominates the series. It is divided into four categories: Architectural drawings, Details and elements, Shop drawings, and Systems and structure. Where original drawings are present they are noted in the inventory beneath the title.

Lettering, signage and color schemes consist of full-scale plans of wall lettering for the building's exterior, lobby, and auditorium. Also included here are a very small number of plans regarding color schemes in parts of the building--the plans present here, however, are in black and white.