Poughkeepsie Root Cellar

Course: Urban Design Studio II, Columbia University, 2018.
In Collaboration with: Chenyu Xu, Yeonkyu Park, and Yicheng Xu.

The Hudson Valley has long been known for its rich and diverse agricultural production, yet food insecurity persists in Poughkeepsie affecting 26% of households. This project re-purposes the underground reservoir at College Hill Park 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 at affordable prices. The proposed system expands on Poughkeepsie Plenty Mobile Market by including two new routes dedicated for schools and neighborhood parks . The reservoir will serve as a destination and a recreation area to activate College Hill Park. It will also include a seed library and serve to educate the visitors about using and processing leftover crops.