MASTER PLAN REFRESH 2009

Transcription

1 MASTER PLAN REFRESH 2009

2 The Master Plan Refresh Team Casper College Steering Committee Walter H. Nolte, Ph.D., President Jane Sullivan, Board Trustee Susan Miller, Board Trustee Charles Chaplin, Board Trustee Carmen Simone, Vice President Academic Affairs Joanna Anderson, Vice President Student Services Lynnde Colling, Vice President Administrative Services Mike Sawyer, Facilities Operations Director Bob Sutter, Casper College Foundation Board Laura Driscoll, Dean of Continuing Education/Community Randy Stutheit, Special Assistant to the President Grant Wilson, Communication Instructor Dave Arndt, Electronics Instructor Lois Davis, Dean of Educational Resources Lisa Goss, Financial Aid Specialist Laurie Lye, Campus Events Specialist Rich Fujita, Director of College Relations Andrew Smyth, Student GSGarchitecture Tim Schenk, AIA Principal Deborah Catellier, AIA Project Manager Thanks to Photographer Matt Young for the Thunderbird photos for this document. tbp/architecture Ric Mangum, AIA Managing Partner Carlene Nolan Pederson, AIA Principal 1

3 Purpose for the Master Plan Refresh In January 2009 Casper College began a condensed process to update the previous 2005 campus master plan. The college wished to Refresh the current plan and relook at several building locations along with the anticipated size of the proposed new buildings. The task was to explore alternative locations for three key buildings and the future residence hall complex. GSG Architecture and tbp/architecture were hired to analyze the previous master plan sites for the buildings and to suggest substitute sites. The three main site issues to be examined were the complicated topography of the campus, the infrastructure to support the new development, and convenience of parking. The task would also require analyzing the resulting effects on the pedestrian and vehicular traffic on campus. The proposed buildings were not officially programmed but estimated building square footage was used for the planning process. The Gateway Building was estimated to be a 3-story building at approx. 78,000 sq. ft. Residence halls would be built for 450 to 500 students. The Student Union was estimated to be a 3-story building approx. 120,000 sq. ft. The Music Building was estimated to be approx. 30,000 sq. ft. It was the desire of the college to retain the previously conceived districts for the campus as proposed in the 2005 Master Plan. Minor changes to district concepts were, however, a result of the planning for the Refresh. A master plan document is a vision for the future. It is meant to guide the incremental development of the college. It is as important to know where not to put a building as it is to know where to place the building. 2

4 The Refresh Planning Process The Refresh planning process was participatory and invited comment from the entire college community. The planning team worked closely with the Steering Committee to assess prior problems and evaluate new ideas. Presentations were held at different points in the process to evaluate options and inform decisions. Three different sessions were held in the Roberts Commons Building for open comment. These presentations allowed participants to share ideas and concerns and to inform the campus community of proposed p future development concepts. The new Refresh ideas and concepts were also placed on the college website for further comment. All participants were asked to leave behind notes with questions, ideas, observations, or concerns. All comments were recorded and reviewed by the Steering Committee. The plan was approved by the Steering Committee on April 17 th and recommended to be presented to the Casper College Board of Trustees for approval on April 21, The Board members present voted unanimously to approve the Master Plan Refresh. Photos by Matt Young Casper College 3

5 The Existing Casper College Campus The original campus buildings constructed along College Drive faced north and northwest. Today the most used entries for the Goodstein Foundation Library, Strausner Student Center and Saunders Health Science Center are in the back of the buildings; internal to the campus. The Roberts Commons Cafeteria, while being a hub of activity, is a building out of place. The college wishes to remove the existing building and rebuild the cafeteria within a new student union building. This will open up the center of the lower campus providing a large green open space that the college campus currently lacks. The Emerging Casper College Campus Concept The above observation and the proposed removal of the Roberts Commons Cafeteria provided the opportunity for the campus to create a central core or Heart of the Campus. A collegiate activity zone is concentrated in this area of the campus and a central space concept would provide for two new academic building locations at the edge of a circular lawn. It was this concept that directed the recommended future flow of pedestrian traffic for the campus and the location of the surrounding uses. 4

6 The 2009 Master Plan Refresh The Casper College Master Plan Refresh will provide a guide for future development on the campus. It integrates decisions from the 2005 master plan with current and future building projects on the campus. The Master Plan Refresh will inspire, guide and inform future decisions to allow the campus to develop with a campus sense of place. N The Casper College 2009 Master Plan Refresh 5

7 The Future of the Casper College Campus The intended scope of the Master Plan Refresh was limited to the concerns involving the four key future buildings. However, a building should not stand alone on a campus but be part of a larger vision. Each building is a part of the whole. Buildings should be located to define and give to the campus quality open spaces. Therefore, it is just as important to design how the buildings link together and how the open space of the campus evolves. The Master Plan Refresh includes a vision for a large green central open space that will give the campus the desired Heart of the Campus that was missing. 6

8 Basic Building Elements of the Plan 1 THE GATEWAY BUILDING 2 RESIDENCE HALL COMPLEX 3 THE STUDENT UNION 4 THE MUSIC BUILDING 5 FUTURE ACADEMIC BUILDING N 7

9 Basic Site Elements of the Plan A THE CENTRAL LAWN B PLATEAU QUADRANGLE C CAMPUS DRIVE CROSSWALK D ARTS DISTRICT PLAZA & WALK E RESIDENT LIFE WALKWAY F RES. LIFE PLAZA & GREEN G CARILON SQUARE H GATEWAY PLAZA C A B D E F F G H N 8

10 The Key Buildings GATEWAY BUILDING The Gateway Building is located south of the Physical Science Building. The new facility will be a three story 78,000 to 80,000 sq. ft. facility built in the side of the hill. As aprominent building on the campus the Gateway Building s main and most prominent entry is visible from Casper Mountain Road. It will address the campus from three directions. The building has an entry on the north for easy access to the Business Sh School quad. The third entry is by the Carillon on the T-Bird parking level. All entries will be accessible. Expanded parking to the east of the building along Lisco Drive will be developed to serve the building. This new parking will be convenient for the high volume of Work Force Development activity expected to be in the building. N 9

11 The Key Buildings RESIDENCE HALL COMPLEX The Residence Hall Complex will be located south of the academic core and in relatively the same location as the existing dorms. The existing buildings will be demolished as appropriate when the new structures are constructed. The 450 to 500 student complex is intended to have a protected central green space for student functions and informal activites. The arrangement of the buildings will protect the space from the notorious Casper winds. The halls are connected to the central green space with a treed walkway crossing the parking areas. This path leads from the Central Lawn to a common gathering space within the residential complex. The location of the halls is convenient to the future Student Union and has ample parking and opportunity for future growth. N 10

12 The Key Buildings THE STUDENT UNION/U.W. BUILDING The future Student Union, estimated at approx. 102,000 sq. ft, will be built on the hillside connecting students from the lower campus to the upper Business School quadrangle. Althoughh not designed, d this building will likelyl be three stories with a partial fourth floor. The center core will contain elevators and stairs to assist pedestrian movement. The location requires the existing road and any utilities buried in the pavement to be moved further out from the hillside making a larger footprint area for the building. Upon completion of the Union the Roberts Commons Cafeteria will be demolished. This demolition provides the opportunity for the Central Lawn. N 11

13 The Key Buildings THE MUSIC BUILDING The future Music Building will be constructed at the corner of Campus Drive and Lisco Drive between the Theater and Visual Arts Building. The building is estimated to be approx sq. ft. The prominent entry for the new building will be on the Arts Plaza at the center of a new Arts Walk connecting the envisioned Arts District. Service to the building is envisioned to located on the south side from Lisco Drive. Parking is located to the east allowing the building to sit closer to the other academic buildings. The Arts District is located at the Campus Drive entry from Casper Mountain Road. The location is well suited for public visitors to the campus. Ample parking is provided. N 12

14 The Key Buildings A FUTURE BUILDING ALONG THE CENTRAL LAWN A prominent future building site is shown along the south edge of the new Central Lawn. This is a place holder for one large or two smaller academic buildings. The location is key due the academic core and the proximity to the Residence Hall Complex. A large parking lot is shown south of the site. This convenient parking will assist the academic core as the college develops. It will be very important that the south end of the Central Lawn develops as envisioned by the plan. Casper College will have a unique opportunity to create a true Heart of the Campus. To achieve this the Central Lawn must be defined by the buildings located along thecircular walkway. These bildi buildings will provide wind protection and a sense of enclosure. N 13

15 Existing Campus Activity Zone The initial analysis of the existing campus showed that the heart of the current campus is unidentifiable. It is present only as an activity zone. Today most pedestrian activity occurs around the Roberts Commons Cafeteria. This active pedestrian area is paved for parking. A small lawn does exist between the library and the cafeteria in front of the Bailey Residence Hall. The exterior space is often enjoyed by the students. Many are seen sitting in the sunshine any chance they are given. The plan recommends removing parking in the core of the campus and replacing it with a circular lawn defined by existing and proposed new buildings. The topography of the campus is also one of the main constraints for design. Students must transverse a hill to connect to other college buildings for classes. An interior pathway similar to the Thorson Institute of Business Building would be desired due to climate issues in Casper. One important question for the planning process was where is the central activity zone of the campus? What is the Heart of the Campus? Lower Middle Plateau Upper Master planning the Casper College campus is dictated by existing campus elements and the topography of the land. The campus is currently laid out on three levels with a more than 80 foot change in contours overall. Interestingly the highest elevation change is near the central point of the campus. 14

16 The Central Lawn The New Proposed Campus Activity Zone 15

17 The Central Lawn Connections The Master Plan Refresh creates a large gathering space called the Central Lawn. Large spaces on campuses are used for many functions but the primary significance of the space is as a connection to other spaces. Here primary and secondary pathways come together. Grass Fountain University of Montana Framed view of pathways across central space. The spaces often contain important sculpture, ponds, fountains, and paved areas for performances or graduations. Paved Plaza The Casper College Central Lawn will create an axis from Goodstein Foundation Library to the front door of the Student Union proposed to step up the hill. Along this axis is the opportunity for a visual corridor. The plan suggests a new 2-story entry for the library giving it added prominence within the setting. The new plan will provide a more easily understood pedestrian movement system on the campus. 16

18 Central Lawn Size Precedents Eden Seminary Webster Groves, MO Gothic quad approx. 230 x290 Bldg facades define 4 sides of the open space with colonnade connections to other destinations Washington University St. Louis, MO Brookings quad approx. 340 x300 Bldg facades define 4 sides of the open space enclosing the quadrangle with archway connections to other destinations University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM Central Lawn approx. diameter 450 Bldg facades define 3 sides of the open space. Lawn replaced parking lot. Washington University St. Louis, MO Brookingsquad approx. 340 x300 Bldg facades define 4 sides of the open space enclosing the quadrangle with archway connections to other destinations Casper College Casper, WY Central Lawn approx. diameter 360 Space is defined and has a sense of enclosure on all sides. Lawn replaces parking lot and Roberts Commons Cafeteria. Bailey Residence Hall removed for future academic building. The Outdoor Room 17

19 Campus Parking Today the campus has 2078 parking spaces. The parking lot north-northeast of Roberts Commons will be removeded and a larger parking lot will be constructed south of the future Central Lawn. Upon completion of the Master Plan Refresh projects the number of parking spaces could increase overall by approx spaces. Enlargement of the parking lot east of the Administration Building would provide an additional 50+ spaces. There is also a potential for two additional parking lots; one on the low hill south of the residence halls and another across College Drive to the north of the tennis courts. Google Earth Aerial 18

20 Campus Walkways The Master Plan Refresh recommends enhancing the landscape around existing buildings and along existing and new pathways on the campus. Along with the architecture of the buildings, vegetation creates the desired campus sense of place. Vegetation should be planted with the changing of the seasons in mind. It is suggested that plant species natural to the Casper area be used. 19

21 Campus Secondary Open Space Enhanced green space and plazas will be developed in the future. One major area will be the elimination of parking and parking drive along the south side of the Administration Building. This parking area will be replaced with green space and walkways that connect to an enhanced street crosswalk across Campus Drive in front of the Aley Fine Arts Center. The new Student Union will connect with the upper Business School quad. This area will be enhanced to provide seating areas and exterior gathering g space for students. Well defined walkways will also be developed between buildings on the upper campus. The addition of an enclosed circulation link on the west side of the College of Business will allow students the ability to easily move between the T-Bird parking level and the College of Business quad at any time of the day by way of an enclosed stairway and elevator, minimizing disruption within the College of Business 20

22 Campus Service along Open Space Service to the buildings along the Central Green will be scheduled before or after class hours as much as possible. Emergency and service vehicles only will drive on the large walkway circling the green space. The walkway will be constructed to carry the weight of these vehicles. Although deliveries will be made on this walkway it is important to respect the pathway as a student space. Parking of campus vehicles should be limited and student safety should be the top priority. 21