Krieger Elementary School

Poughkeepsie, New York

Firm

Rhinebeck Architecture & Planning

Client

Poughkeepsie City School District

Area

65,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$5,000,000

Completion Date

09/2005

Poughkeepsie Schools, a small school district in New York’s Mid-Hudson Valley, is both blessed and burdened by having six elementary school buildings that were constructed prior to 1930. These handsome buildings represent the finest examples of pre-World War II civic architecture, but their outdated infrastructure was ill-equipped to serve the community’s contemporary educational needs.
The district commissioned the architect to evaluate these historic educational structures and determine whether to replace them with new schools or to restore, renovate and reinvigorate the existing buildings to serve the community for another century.
In the case of the Krieger Elementary School, the answer was obvious: the school’s beloved historic architecture could be restored readily, and the abundant available site area allowed for significant expansion to meet contemporary educational and community needs.
The 20,000-square-foot, two-story addition complements the existing school and houses the new entry lobby, media center, community room, computer labs, counseling suites and six general classrooms. The result is a facility with an appearance founded in the past and educational capabilities that will serve well into the future.