City University of New York Hunter College, Roosevelt House Renovation

0308 Roosevelt House 7 Crop

City University of New York Hunter College, Roosevelt House Renovation

The Roosevelt House Renovation restores the historically significant architectural features of the original Sara Delano Roosevelt House and incorporates modern systems throughout to provide the College with a unique facility that meets academic and social program requirements.

0308 Roosevelt House 28

The design of The Roosevelt House Renovation celebrates the history of the house while providing entirely new infrastructure to allow for twenty-first century education, research, and dialogue in public policy and human rights.

James Polshek, Design Partner
0308 Roosevelt House 6

Roosevelt House, an integral part of Hunter College since 1943, re-opened in 2010 as a public policy institute honoring the distinguished legacy of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Its mission is three-fold: to educate students in public policy and human rights, to support faculty research, and to foster creative dialogue.

The institute provides opportunities for students to analyze public policy and experience meaningful civic engagement; for faculty to research, teach, and write about important issues of the day; and for scholarly and public audiences to participate in high-profile lectures, seminars and conferences. 

No houses could have a better background for the use they will now serve. Always in both houses there was an effort to look on all human beings with respect, and to have a true understanding of the points of view of others.”

Eleanor Roosevelt at the dedication of the house to Hunter College in 1943

The program is comprised of highly flexible spaces, including a lecture hall for 100 people, capable of supporting receptions for 175, with an adjacent catering kitchen for receptions and dinner functions; conference / meeting rooms for groups of thirty and sixty people; faculty and staff offices with the flexibility to facilitate private, semi-private, triple and quadruple work station layouts; and two residential apartments with a private entrance for visiting professors.

0126 0002 Crop

Details

Year
2010
Location
New York, NY
Size
22,000 GSF
Program
Lecture Hall, Catering Kitchen, Conference and Meeting Rooms, Work Stations, Residential Apartments

Team

Ennead Design Team
James S. Polshek, 1930-2022, Richard Olcott, Joseph Fleischer, Christen Johansen, Charmian Place, Chris Andreacola, Andrew Burdick, Jennifer Dubas, Brad Groff, Jörg Kiesow, Tina Mesiti-Céas, Allison Reeves