Depot Square Community Center was a response to the series of events hosted by our studio earlier in the semester. (For more details about the events see the Pop-Up Table) The project uses aspects of Teddy Cruz’s model for community development. A community should have a central public space that brings the people together. This proposal combines a community center with retail and welcome center for the train platform.

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There is no comfortable spatial transition from "The Flats" to downtown Holyoke. There is tear or disconnect that acts as a barrier between the two. The city has implemented a plan to build a new train platform and reintroduce rail service. The plan will make the city more accessible and be a catalyst for urban renewal. The Community Center will act to facilitate this momentum of change, stitching together community, ethnicity, culture, history, opportunity, goods, art, economy, and development. The design features an array of spaces for visitors as well as the community. The forms and spaces are intended to be geometrically aligned to promote a continual design and pragmatic approach. This architecture binds the Flats and downtown Holyoke, people, and culture into one unified experience.