KEENE, N.H., 5/03/10 - For 18 years, students from Keene State College's Communicorps class have solved design problems for community organizations in the Monadnock region. This required course in the architecture program emphasizes a team approach to solving complex architectural problems, giving sophomore and junior students valuable experience with real-life architectural challenges. On April 28, community members were invited to see the designs at a luncheon in the Mountain View Room. Twelve student teams (42 students) created designs for six major projects.

This year's projects included:

• Master plan for the re-use of the current Keene Middle School building

• Re-design of the Keene Public Library Annex (Pond Mansion and the Masonic Hall) for library, community, and other uses

• Design of a new parking garage in downtown Keene with a commercial space component, tripling the available on-site parking and complementing the architectural expression of Main Street

• Master plan for Wheelock Park, requiring planning for many sporting events and an increase in vehicular traffic

• Set of design options for Southwestern Community Services (SCS) for the use of N.G. Gurnsey Building on Dunbar Street in Keene

• Also for SCS, design of transitional housing facility for newly released inmates of Cheshire County House of Corrections

Keene State offers the only four-year B.S. Architecture degree at a public liberal arts college in New England. Designed to give students a solid foundation in the artistic, scientific, and technical aspects of architecture, the curriculum offers a range of courses in studio design, building science, sustainable design, history/theory, digital technology, and practice.

For more information on the Communicorps program, contact Donna Paley at dpaley@keene.edu.

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