丨美国纽约丨MASS Design Group

Family Partnership Center

Project Data

Full Team

Year: 2023

Status: Completed

Size: 1,660 sq ft

Location: Poughkeepsie, New York, United States

Partners: Family Services Poughkeepsie NY

Collaborators: LaBella Associates, OLA Engineering, Meyer Contracting Corporation

Focus areas: Adaptive Reuse, Civic Spaces & Cultural Centers

Services: Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Strategic Planning

Project Team: Evelina Knodel, Christopher Kroner, Esther Ndacyayisenga

Full Team

Project Team: Evelina Knodel, Christopher Kroner, Esther Ndacyayisenga

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The Family Partnership Center is the heart of social services in the City of Poughkeepsie. Together with Family Services, Inc., MASS supported a series of building upgrades, beginning with the development of a new accessible community entrance.

Home to more than 20 nonprofits and service organizations, the Center provides essential resources for families and individuals across the Hudson Valley. This project began after the devastating flooding of Hurricane Irene in 2011, when MASS was invited to help Family Services assess the building’s infrastructure, starting with flooding from the nearby Fall Kill Creek. Through a comprehensive needs assessment and interviews with tenants, MASS helped shape a long - term vision to transform the former school into a true community hub. That vision unlocked funding for the first phase of improvements: a safe, triple - height ADA - accessible entryway and a welcoming public gathering space.

Sean Hemmerle

MASS

The original entrance was structurally compromised, and the multiple stairs to the main level made the facility difficult to access. Family Services saw the repair as an opportunity to reimagine a vibrant new arrival experience so that every patron could enter equally. MASS responded with a design that delivers on multiple fronts: improved access, a refreshed public lobby, and a harmonious architectural addition that respects the historic character of the building.

MASS

Set back slightly from the existing structure, the new entry addition creates space for native planters and a long front bench, offering a moment of rest and greenery for those awaiting pickup. MASS designed the façade to be largely transparent to complement the existing building, drawing from its horizontal coursing to guide the placement of new windows, lighting, and homage to historic details. On the western elevation, full-height operable windows bring daylight and natural ventilation into the space, while electronic shades reduce glare and heat gain, making the room comfortable year-round.

Inside, a broad staircase and elevator provide seamless vertical circulation to the main building and a new community “living room”—a bright, furnished space for waiting, gathering, food distribution, presentations, and informal conversation. Warm wood slat ceilings and trims create a welcoming, dignified atmosphere. These improvements enhance accessibility while restoring the building’s role as a civic commons where neighbors, service providers, and community members meet with dignity.

MASS

MASS MASS

MASS

Through this project, the Family Partnership Center has reaffirmed its role at the heart of Poughkeepsie—welcoming all with openness, care, and connection. Beloved by local youth as “the Ship,” the Center continues to evolve, with MASS supporting sequential upgrades to tenant suites and helping leadership pursue additional funding for asbestos abatement and sustainability improvements.

Sean Hemmerle