‘Story of Place’

What are the housing needs in Poughkeepsie? Who are you designing for, and why?

‘How can we give our full selves, as architects, to try and heal the best we can?’ It all begins with the initial seed of empathy, to respectfully embed ourselves in the lives of others, and to build with purpose.  

Ondie spoke about ‘What makes Poughkeepsie special?’, she said ‘The way it used to be.’

So what went wrong? Can we return to this greatness? How can we navigate housing within the current social and economic landscape of Poughkeepsie? How can we preserve the Queen City and build its people back up with it?

Well the first step is addressing Poughkeepsie’s concerns in order to ‘preserve’ anything. I understand Ondie’s definition of preservation to be less about the physical built environment and rather the shared essence of the city; one full of pride, love, and compassion. Some of the issues Ondie brought up included the need for affordable housing, mental health and addiction services, and accessible healthy food options. 

Where do we start? Well we have to turn to long term solutions. No longer should we design exclusively for the present, but rather design for a caring future. Solutions that are integrated into the pre-existing infrastructure of Poughkeepsie, leaving room for prospective ideas and development. 

So getting to the ‘Who are we designing for, and why?’ –to put this simply– we are designing for the current needs of those occupying Poughkeepsie, using solutions that answer the present questions and thoughtfully respond towards a humane future. 

Next step, where can we find these empathetic people, the ones who can create change? I think I might know.