Poughkeepsie, New York State
Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation I New York City
Team: Chenyu Xu, Fatma Mhmood, Yeonkyu Park, Yicheng Xu
Storytelling Panel in UD final review
Poughkeepsie Root Cellar
Site Context
System
Reservoir Design
Botanical Garden
Seed Library
Food Market
The Hudson Valley has long been known for its rich and diverse agricultural production, yet 79% of the crops produced in the region are shipped outside the valley. Despite the productivity of the farmlands, food insecurity persists in Poughkeepsie affecting 26% of households.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as a “lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.” While food insecurity has multiple effects, including higher medical costs, higher mortality rates, lower birth rates, etc, we focus on the role of access as a central means to remedy the problem for Poughkeepsie residents.
The College Hill underground water reservoir, which exists since the 1860s, will be deactivated in January 2018. Our project repurposes the underground reservoir to a storage and distribution center to bring fresh food to the residents. Gleaned crops from local farms in the Hudson Valley region will be stored and processed in the reservoir to provide a consistent supply of fresh food throughout the year.
From the reservoir, we propose a distribution system of mobile markets to provide better access to the day and in different neighborhoods. In addition to the routes of Poughkeepsie Plenty by Dutchess Outreach, our reservoir system includes two new routes dedicated to schools and neighborhood parks to expand on the existing mobile market by Poughkeepsie Plenty.
The reservoir will also serve as a destination for the visitors to educate them about using and processing leftover crops, and it will serve as a recreation area to activate College Hill Park.
