In addition to serving the general community, Hudson River HealthCare serves the low-income population of Peekskill, NY, with a special focus on those who are elderly, homeless, living with HIV/AIDS, and recovering from alcohol and substance abuse. HRHCare provides healthcare to approximately 50% of the City of Peekskill’s residents, including a large and growing population of immigrants, and is anticipating a dramatic increase in demand for services in coming years.
The addition matches the 1037 Main Street structure in height, with a slight setback so as not to diminish the symmetrical integrity of the historic structure. A 2-story high glass bay window, housing an open stair, faces Main Street and references the scale and glazing pattern of 1037. A metal-clad canopy connects the bay window to a single story entry vestibule, reducing in height as it rounds the corner to complement the scale of the second historic building in the complex, 55 Bank Street. The addition attempts to unite the two disparate historic buildings in the complex through careful integration of scale and materials, with an architectural expression that relates to the 1939 building’s “moderne” appearance.
The heart of the project is an existing green space at the corner of Main and Bank Streets, richly planted with an array of trees and understory and populated with locally-crafted sculpture. The new main entry to the facility faces the corner green, allowing for a covered and welcoming arrival point and engagement of the sculpture garden. The main level of the addition is largely open space with a new covered lobby extension which links the entry to the south edge of the project, providing access from an existing surface parking lot, a multi-level parking garage and nearby residential areas. Future plans call for the redesign of the parking lot to dually-function as an open community event space edged by a new vertical green wall on the south façade of the existing HRHC building, and the “greening” and redefinition of the underutilized parking structure as a community garden, growing healthy produce for both patients and community residents.
The internal functioning of the project is enhanced by a newly developed east-west axis on each floor that connects the various clinic units with the elevators and stairs. The interior of 1037 is completely renovated to provide expanded accommodation for each clinical unit as well as new MEP, lighting, and life safety systems.
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