Marist College Selects DLR Group to Design New Campus Master Plan

Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it will partner with Marist College to design a new campus-wide master plan for its campus in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., according to a news release. The plan will serve as a blueprint for the Marist 100 initiative, a strategic plan that aligns with the college’s centennial celebration in 2029. Marist has a 242-acre riverfront campus in the Hudson Valley and a population of about 5,500 undergraduate students.

DLR Group will engage with members of the college community at large—including faculty, staff, students, and administration—to maintain the campus’ quality and functionality while addressing a growing student population and diversity. The planning process will entail a series of open forums and sessions for the community. Ideas gathered “will further enhance Marist College’s identity, sense of place, and accessibility to the student body,” the news release reports. Marist and DLR will also explore new avenues of technology use for both academic and operational purposes.

“We are building our master campus plan at an exciting time as such strong momentum continues to propel Marist forward,” said Dr. Geoffrey Brackett, Executive Vice President of Operations and Community Relations at Marist College. “A well-designed plan with thoughtful community input will really accelerate how our campus spaces and infrastructure support the exceptional student learning and living experiences that have become the hallmark of a Marist education.”

Community engagement will involve town hall meetings, interactive workshops, online surveys, and more. This first phase of the process is expected to be complete by November 2024, according to the news release.

“As a community-oriented design firm, we take our commitment to campus engagement seriously,” said Kaveri Singh, AIA, Principal and Higher Education Leader with DLR Group. “More than anything, we’d like to have a holistic understanding of what Marist College is already doing to provide such a distinctive student experience and to create a master plan that elevates those existing practices.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Texas State University Completes Stadium Renovations

    Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, recently announced that it has completed a series of additions and renovations to its football stadium, according to a news release. Formerly known as the Bobcat Stadium End Zone Complex, the Johnny and Nathali Weisman Football Performance Center is an 85,000-square-foot expansion featuring hospitality spaces, banquet spaces, exterior concourses, and upgrades to the field house.

  • Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland, OR

    Preserving Legacy, Designing for the Future

    As historic academic buildings age, institutions face a difficult decision: preserve and adapt or demolish and rebuild. How do we honor the legacy of these spaces while adapting them to meet the needs of modern learners?

  • California School District Completes Elementary School Modernization

    The San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting for a whole-site modernization of Pacific Beach Elementary School, according to local news. The school first opened with one building in 1930 and added six more between 1938 and 1957.

  • Little Grand Market

    Designing for Belonging: Why Student Wellness Starts with Space

    From walkable site planning to flexible interiors, intentional design choices play a critical role in how students experience comfort, connection, and community.