Shifting Community

2025 · Enfield, NY

Flexible food pantry and community center that funds itself through events. Offset masses shape the space. Food Pantry & Community Center Instructor: Hanna Tulis Type: Core Studio Spring 2025 The existing Enfield Food Pantry lacked space, funding, and organization. The project for a community center in Enfield presented a unique question: how do we destigmatize a food pantry, make it an essential communal gathering spot, and also provide the town with viable revenue to keep the pantry running. The simple shifting of masses allows for a natural separation of space while also forming a large gathering space. The program provides the community with a center that can function with the people. Everyday functions and extraordinary moments coexist within a framed rhythm. The center holds space without fixing it, offering a framework that bends to its users. The Enfield Food Pantry relies heavily on financial support from a variety of sources to sustain its operations and serve the community effectively. With 15-20 organizations currently funding the pantry, the financial network is robust, but it also highlights the pantry’s dependence on external funding streams. Looking ahead, the Enfield Food Pantry must explore ways to diversify and stabilize its funding sources to ensure its long-term viability. A simple form that would allow for all of the functions of the pantry without a separate pantry space needed. Thinking of the deficit in the pantry brought forth a flexible open space that allows for a variety of events, a new method of funding the pantry. The choice of a saw-tooth roof allows for fair southern light to enter the open space throughout the day. Offsetting the 3 masses naturally creates spaces in between, allowing for loading in the back, and an outdoor gathering space in the front.