STUDIO V is partnering with renowned non-profit organization Met Council to greatly expand their current operations center, with additions that both enhance current facilities and celebrate their mission of community support.  As the largest Jewish charity in the country dedicated to serving the needy, Met Council provides immediate assistance for self-sufficiency through comprehensive social services. STUDIO V’s new design will allow the industrial space to dynamically adapt to multiple uses, from food distribution to business events and donor meetings. Striking new design elements will embody Met Council’s work, creating a symbol to tell their story, convey their values, and celebrate their volunteers and donors.

After several years of operating in the Canarsie area, Met Council tapped STUDIO V to strategically expand their Food Distribution Center, incorporating a newly purchase neighboring warehouse. The design merges the industrial interior and function of the Center with new modern offices and conference spaces. STUDIO V is approaching the design pragmatically, laying out the groundwork for expanding storage and refrigeration first, phasing construction to ensure continued operations during the redesign. An optimized warehouse layout is crucial to distribute more than 20 million pounds of food through approximately 150 food distribution sites every month. The design team is improving the existing space with revised cold storage, racking, and shelving systems to prioritize optimal circulation for people, food, and equipment.

STUDIO V is also focusing on transforming the community food pantry into a flexible and accessible space by inserting functional assembly and loading docks for increased efficiency. Warm and welcoming productivity spaces will support training, volunteer events, gatherings, and daily operations. A striking mezzanine atop the offices, overlooking the warehouse, will provide an adaptable space for meetings, staff gatherings, and donor events.

Extending from the face of the building will be a dramatic, colorful polycarbonate canopy. Back-lit translucent interior panels will display the names of Met Council’s devoted volunteers and generous donors. STUDIO V took inspiration from international food and higher education centers for their inventive use of polycarbonate as a canvas to express community identity. Both practical and symbolic, the canopy will protect trucks and workers from inclement weather while acting as a physical embodiment of Met Council’s identity.