New Orleans, LA/New York, NY, Dec. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trahan Architects and Usdan announced today they are creating a strategic master plan for Usdan, on Long Island, New York, to support ongoing operations as a summer arts camp for children, the development of year-round programs for people of all ages, and revenue generation to support student scholarships and ensure the continuity of this dynamic place that has played a formative role in over 40,000 children's lives.
The strategic master plan will outline a vision of a sustainable campus that leverages existing assets and is deeply rooted in nature – one which fosters creativity, community and an exploratory approach to learning; retaining Usdan’s incredible spirit of place and the very special connection to nature that makes this campus so unique.
Lauren Brandt Schloss, executive director at Usdan said, “Trahan Architects has such an acute passion for the relationship between land and the built environment. Usdan is both built structures and a wilderness landscape, so we thought Trahan's sensitivity to the natural world was a perfect fit.”
“When I first met members of the firm, one of the first images they shared was of the Fundo Tic-Toc Pier in Chile,” said Schloss. “When I saw the harmony of the simple structure and how it highlighted the beauty of the environment, in my mind, I thought, ‘We are done! We found our partner. Let’s bring this sensibility to Usdan.’ Further, when I walked the campus with founder and CEO, Trey Trahan, he talked about how the land itself will have all our answers. Creating a sustainable world for this community is a high priority for my colleagues and me, so Trahan’s respect for the lessons of the land will guide us in our work together.”
According to Schloss, Usdan hopes the campus, which traditionally hosted a singular arts program during the summer season for a youth community will expand to year-round multi-faceted arts programming for people of all ages. They envision the campus hosting these new and additional uses. The partnership with Trahan will allow them to plan for these changes and support the maximum benefit for the community with minimum impact on the land.
Trahan Architects’ New York City’s managing principial, Kevin Thomas said, “Usdan embodies the transformative power of the arts with a campus that is deeply rooted in nature. This synergy of culture and the environment is directly aligned to how we approach our work. Usdan’s vision is powerful, honest and authentic to the arts. This creates a unique opportunity for visitors to focus on the arts experience in a safe, open and accessible environment within the wooded arts campus. Usdan plays a formative role in many students lives, and Trahan Architects is very grateful to contribute to their journey.”
Trahan Architects is a multi-disciplinary firm based in New Orleans with an additional studio in New York City whose projects include the renovation of the Caesars Superdome (formerly the Mercedes-Benz Superdome) in New Orleans and the Coca-Cola Stage at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. Trahan Architects has won five National AIA Awards and is ranked the number one design firm by Architect 50, the annual ranking by Architect magazine, the official publication of the American Institute of Architects which topped the list by building “dramatic, sumptuous and well-detailed projects.”
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