Learning Resources

Abstract: This article covers an approach to the housing master planning process through work performed at The University of Alabama and The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The unique outcomes and recommendations derived from each plan will be explained through four facets: (1) existing conditions, including why the time was right for master planning; (2) the strategic vision/mission of each institution; (3) market realities; and (4) final recommendations/next steps. Distinctive recommendations and findings show that housing master plans should not follow a boilerplate template but instead follow the individual institutional mission and direction. Finally, the article shows that although the two housing master plans differ, they both provide value by helping to inform future housing decisions at their respective institutions.

Abstract: The LEED® Green Building Rating system was designed to transform the American building industry. Colleges and universities have become important contributors to the green movement, and today higher education represents one of LEED’s largest user groups. This article investigates the popularity of LEED in higher education—probing strengths, weaknesses, and issues of cost—and identifies trends in universities’ use of the rating system. The article also identifies trends in campus construction and discusses planning practices that can help university administrators who seek to foster transformational change and organizational learning. The article concludes with recommendations for improving LEED and the way institutions use it.

Abstract: In an effort to remain relevant and responsive to evolving developments in higher education, academic libraries are transforming existing spaces to meet the current and future needs of their students. By incorporating the specific programmatic elements of a learning commons with a focus on the institution’s unique demographics and goals, collegiate libraries will be better positioned as collaborative and flexible interdisciplinary resources. In this article, Bond Architects describes the process and outcomes of a library planning study conducted with St. Louis Community College’s David L. Underwood Library on the Florissant Valley campus.

Abstract: The most successful campus housing supports the academic development of students, but also acts as a venue for personal and social growth. So what kind of common spaces can support students whose main form of engagement happens on their smart phones? The Massachusetts State College Building Authority, which designs and constructs all of the student life facilities for the system's nine campuses, hired an architect and planner to evaluate its residential buildings and characterize the public spaces that were most successful in terms of student engagement. Attributes identified in the study—proximity, variety, "ownership," and flexible furniture, to name a few—are universally applicable in the design of engaging residential common spaces.

Abstract: This article details the creation of a survey to measure student perceptions of the outdoor campus environment, as the outdoor campus environment has not been adequately assessed in the past. The information collected through this survey (referred to as the Outdoor Physical Campus Assessment) provides feedback for campus planners about the outdoor physical campus environment from a student perspective and may also be used for benchmarking. During a first-time deployment, 1,710 students responded to the survey, yielding statistically reliable data that can be used to make valid assertions about the outdoor campus environment.

Abstract: This project examines the evolution of the campuses of Harvard, Yale, Penn, Princeton, and Columbia (collectively referred to in this study as “the Five”) from their founding, through the centuries of their development, and into the future to better understand how academic and other forces gave form to the buildings and grounds and how historical outcomes may inform future growth.

Essays and illustrations present and analyze the vision plans currently under consideration by each university. As these plans are works-in-progress, web links are provided to follow evolution beyond today. A capstone essay titled “Hindsight-Foresight” presents themes linking the past, present, and future of campus development at the Five. The goal of the project–through publication, exhibition, and live presentation/discussion–is to engage campus planners, other design professionals, and architectural historians in further exploring how academic and other forces gave form to the buildings and grounds and how historical outcomes may inform future growth.