Communicorps: Keene State Students Design for the Community

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.