Redevelopment Concept. Site Potential

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Redevelopment Concept. Site Potential"

Brittney Adams
5 years ago
Views:

1 CAMPUS MASTER PLAN Site Potential The projected site for development is the area that has become available since the removal of Johnstone. However, the development possibilities increase dramatically if other facilities in the immediate area were replaced thereby expanding this site. The following site options were explored: Johnstone site Johnstone + Physical Plant Facilities sites Johnstone + Physical Plant Facilities + Harcombe Dining-University Union sites Obviously removing Johnstone provides a substantial site for redevelopment. If, in addition, the physical plant facilities in this area were to be moved to another location, the potential for developing this site for housing, student life, recreation, and academic activities would be greatly enhanced. If this move were accomplished, however, the power plant would remain in place. The future of Harcombe Dining is another issue that has an impact on development. This facility was built in the 1950s and the systems and kitchen equipment are due for replacement. Functionally the building is also outdated. Food service was much different when Harcombe was built. At that time lunch and dinner were served to large numbers of students at specific times, requiring a much larger kitchen than a new facility would need. Today, meals are offered over longer time periods, decreasing the number of seats needed by almost 30 percent, from 1,400 to 1,000. Although students expect a wider variety of food options, the kitchen area should be smaller for this type of operation. Harcombe should be replaced, as renovating it is unrealistic. The decision is seriously influenced by the impracticality of phasing a renovation. The University cannot do without a large-scale dining facility in this area. Harcombe cannot be renovated and remain in operation during renovation, therefore replacement is the most viable option. Redevelopment Concept The consensus of the workshop was that the more inclusive site development area would be notably better than one limited to the Johnstone area, and that Harcombe Dining should be replaced. Another premise was that the area should continue to be a mixed-use site a combination of housing, student life and academic uses, and open space. The site would then fit into the campus as a whole and would serve as a hub, bringing people together. A major goal in the redevelopment should be to provide strong links, with noteworthy green spaces and pathways, to the central campus on the east and south borders and to the athletic sector to west and north. This would be achieved with open spaces, pathways, and by placement of new buildings. It should be a pedestrian sector where parking would be eliminated and surrounding roads closed. Service to the new dining hall should be within the building envelope, with the entrance area adequately landscaped to minimize the effect of this utilitarian use on the residential ambience. The site would then become a crossroads while providing replacement housing, student life support, academic space, and more playfields for athletics and recreation. Drawing 20 shows how the redevelopment might look in the future. The residence hall and replacement dining hall are the first two phases. Later phases would include student life and academic buildings. Playfields would be constructed on the physical plant site north of the existing power plant. The fields are shown in the optimum orientation. An alternative orientation, using less space and retaining some parking, is shown by dotted line. Fike Recreation Center would be expanded with a small addition. 60

2 Drawing 20 JOHNSTONE DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT CAMPUS MASTER PLAN 61

3 CAMPUS MASTER PLAN CENTER OF CENTERS The concept of a Center of Centers sprang from the University's mission statement, in which academics, research, and service are stressed. An especially relevant goal is to: Foster Clemson's academic reputation through strong academic programs, mission-oriented research and academic centers of excellence, relevant public service, and highly regarded faculty and staff. One of Clemson's distinguishing academic features is the nearly eighty outstanding centers and institutes associated with the five colleges that reflect both college and cross-disciplinary interests. These centers and institutes foster the highest qualities of teaching, service, and research; but can be difficult to find on campus as they are often housed in illsuited, out of the way spaces selected because of space availability rather than purposeful placement. Such random locations discourage spontaneous interaction and exchange of ideas between centers, and appear to diminish the importance of these vital University entities. The development will create a place of connections that will encourage the integration of teaching, service, and research. Cloistered spaces around a central garden court are envisioned, designed to combine formal and casual activities and to promote lively associations. Drawing 21 is a graphic representation of this concept. These facilities will be innovative and sustainable buildings that will provide the flexibility required to adapt to whatever facility needs might arise in the future. The open court will be an exciting campus center in itself as a venue for activities ranging from a jazz ensemble concert to the casual tossing of Frisbees. The Center of Centers will complement the focused research activities that will continue in remote locations and those that are projected in the Douthit Hills development. Research in all three locations will help position the University to become one of the top twenty public institutions in the country. The open space between Cooper Library and the Strom Thurmond Institute is a vast, unarticulated green. The development of this space as a Center of Centers will provide a link between the east and west academic communities, and between the Library and the Thurmond Institute. Placing centers and institutes together with space for a broad spectrum of activities such as faculty offices, seminar and classrooms, prototypical research modules, service learning workshop and student life-related program space, and a café or coffee shop will stimulate a fertile crosspollination of ideas and will strengthen each of the individual units. Possible candidates for location in the Center of Centers are the Pearce Center for Professional Communication, the Rutledge Center for Ethics, the Student Development Center, the Calhoun Honors College, Clemson College, and the University Gallery. 62

4 Drawing 21 CENTERS DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT CAMPUS MASTER PLAN 63

5 CAMPUS MASTER PLAN LANDSCAPES AND OPEN SPACE Notable design features at Clemson are the landscape and outdoor open space. These components contribute to the beauty and sense of place on campus. The Campus Plan identifies landscapes and open spaces that will be preserved and, in some cases, expanded; and new open space that will be created. Drawing 22 shows existing and projected landscape elements as well as existing parking lots and projected parking decks. The landscapes that will be preserved are green. On the inner campus those areas are the historic campus green; Bowman Field; the north-south spine from Bowman Field south to the Library and the Strom Thurmond Institute, continuing to Perimeter Road; President's Park; a border north of Highway 93; and Woodland Cemetery. South of Perimeter Road to the west is the Calhoun Field Laboratory; and to the east are the Schoenike Arboretum and Botanical Garden, including the sites of the Hayden Conference Center and Hanover House. The dotted green line shows the projected extension of the north-south campus green. From Perimeter Road this spine will continue south to the Madren Center and the lake. New or enhanced open spaces are blue green. The asterisk indicates that the space is newly created. These areas will be consistently developed throughout the Core Campus to encourage social interaction, an integral aspect of a pedestrian campus. Parking is also shown. Existing lots are labeled with the letter P and new lots with an asterisk. Three new parking decks are shown in gray with a black star superimposed. Three parking decks that will be added at a later time are indicated with a white star. Campus gateways are red circles on the map: new gates are solid red with a large black asterisk, and existing gates are dotted. There are three gateways along Highway 93. One exists east of campus, and there is a new one at the intersection of College Avenue. The third is a new one marking the west end of Perimeter Road. Two others are associated with the road, one at its east end and one marking the south entrance to campus. Open space used for athletics and recreation is light green and includes athletic fields and the golf course. Jogging trails are indicated with the pink dashed line. Wooded areas, particularly evident along the lake to the west and intertwined with housing to the east, are dark green. 64

6 Drawing 22 LANDSCAPES AND OPEN SPACE CAMPUS MASTER PLAN 65

University of Denver Land Use Plan Update I. Executive Summary

University of Denver Land Use Plan Update I. Executive Summary Executive Summary The task of developing a Land Use Plan for the University of Denver has been an exciting collaborative process that engaged a variety of interested people, including members of the University