Keene, NH

In 2016, H3 (in partnership with KCS Architects) was awarded the commission to program and design a new arts facility for MoCo Arts, a non-profit arts education center in downtown Keene, NH. MoCo Arts, established in 1991, provides classes in dance and theatre to children ages 18 months to 18 years+ in an inclusive, nurturing, supportive atmosphere designed to enrich both the lives of their students, and community.

H3 designed a 17,000sf modern facility including the 2,500sf Founder’s Black Box Theatre, and three light-filled dance studios ranging from 1,200sf to 1,700sf. A bright, active lobby, support spaces and administrative spaces help create an active community within the building. The building fronts Roxbury Street in the heart of downtown Keene, with a contemporary façade sensitive to the historic vernacular of the neighborhood. An open plaza connecting the entrance to the sidewalk provides an intimate public space, encouraging community by activating the street life of a pedestrian friendly downtown.

The open, transparent lobby and windowed dance studios that front the street activates the neighborhood while providing a glance at the cultural activities within. With a restrained cost of $5 million, the design team proved that beautiful, iconic cultural spaces that support the arts and community can created at any budget.

CLIENT: MoCo Arts
COMPLETION: 2018
SIZE: 17,000 square feet
COST: $5 million