Learning Resources

Abstract: Efforts to create a more sustainable campus need to address issues of transportation. While greater bike use provides environmental, economic, and social benefits, it still represents a small fraction of campus transportation. One way to increase the number of bike riders is through a bike-share system. This article reports on the potential demand for a bike-share system at Kent State University, a fairly large public university (28,000 students) in northeast Ohio. Like at many universities, Kent State students are not likely to use bikes for commuting purposes. Yet our survey indicates that while there is demand, there are also several impediments. An existing second-generation bike-share system has been very popular but has not quite addressed the issue of commuting. A new next-generation bike-share system—with station-to-station renting—may be just the program to promote the more practical use of bikes and help shift the dominant mode of transportation away from automobiles.

Abstract: This article outlines the challenges faced and solutions developed by the project team to address resiliency in the systems and use of the Burrowes Building at Penn State University. The project is designed to transform the space for greater learning and scholarship by faculty and students, promote administrative efficiencies, ensure adaptability for future needs, preserve the central building’s historic appearance, and improve Burrowes’s face on The Mall.
The article is segmented into six sections that present a comprehensive discussion of this project’s planning process, funding, and design:
- Campus Context: The Iconic Mall
- Academic Purpose and Benefits
- Planning for Resiliency
- Programmatic Challenges
- The Planning Process
- Design Solutions
The article closes with a report on how a seemingly unremarkable project, a simple mechanical, electrical, and plumbing renovation, can transform a building from a serviceable, “make-do” space into one that encourages and inspires its users. Further, the conclusion discusses the many ways in which the renovation of the Burrowes Building demonstrates the university’s commitment to resiliency now and in the future.

Abstract: New York was dealt a devastating terrorist attack in 2001, saw the fall of its financial giants in the crisis of 2008, and in 2012 was battered by a powerful storm that flooded its communities. The reality that this waterfront city continues to thrive demonstrates the magnetism of this adaptable place. Through the city’s plan for A Stronger, More Resilient New York, the state’s effort in New York Rising, and outcomes from HUD’s Rebuild By Design Competition resiliency is being implemented. Design with the place in mind is how our firm approaches resiliency. These are the stories and lessons learned from Cooper Robertson’s experience.

Abstract: The location of the new Whitney Museum of American Art, adjacent to the Hudson River in New York City, is particularly sensitive to rising water levels and storm surges. The building, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop in collaboration with Cooper Robertson, anticipates the effects of climate change and protects the museum’s staff and collection. This article examines the building’s design and the technical challenges of redesigning and implementing integrated and temporarily deployable flood mitigation strategies and technologies that demonstrate a successful precedent for any institution planning to build on the world’s changing waterfronts.

Abstract: In 2011, after an international competition, the City of New York selected Cornell University to develop a new applied sciences campus on Roosevelt Island. Cornell immediately began to turn its vision for Cornell Tech into reality, creating a graduate-only 21st-century urban university dedicated to technology commercialization and entrepreneurship tailored to the economic strengths and needs of New York City. To meet these ambitious objectives, Cornell would have to break the mold and pursue an approach never before seen in American higher education, including a campus organized solely around multidisciplinary hubs, a unique design that promotes collaborative connectivity, and a focus on third-party development partners to provide many of the campus’s key components.

Abstract: Within the higher education community, there is increasing awareness of the need to plan for more frequent occurrences of natural hazards and the effects of climate change. Many institutions are recognizing the operational and financial risks posed by these threats. Case studies at the University of Christchurch, Canterbury, and The Ohio State University demonstrate the value of a campus plan for guiding decisions around resilience. Incorporating resilience planning into the campus planning process provides an opportunity to engage key stakeholders to address a campus’s vulnerabilities, align resilience-related investments with the broad campus vision, and ensure the long-term viability of the institution.

Abstract: Aged buildings, streets, alleys, back lots, a dense neighborhood, and historic landmarks—can these puzzle pieces add up to campus opportunities? The University of Chicago conceived an unexpected and dynamic new campus destination, gaining 150,500 sq. ft. of academic space and creating a new landscape with 36,000 sq. ft. of new open space and 60 new trees. Neighbors, aldermen, administration, and faculty shaped a campus planning process applicable to large and small colleges and universities, developed from creative and sustainable planning principles.

Abstract: Urban centers are on the rise due, in part, to the steadfast commitment of their citizens, governments, local businesses, and educational institutions. Institutions of higher education, particularly those holding real estate assets and viewed as major stakeholders in their host cities, are forging ahead, leading the way in the next generation of sustainability—that of social responsibility—and believing with great conviction that the foundations of learning, and their architects, can and should aim to sustain not just the environment around schools, colleges, and universities, but the communities surrounding them as well.
These institutions’ renovations of older buildings, repurposed as venues for learning and community building, become three-dimensional opportunities for public outreach and shared resources, serving to reignite a city’s spirit, restore its pride, and lift up its own. What makes the community stronger makes the school stronger. From the possibility of improved transit and education, residence and recreation to the bright hope of a revitalized local economy, educational institutions and architectural firms, in partnership, have the power to empower people beyond the traditional campus border.

Abstract: Given the increase in student commuters, part-time students, and online learning, institutions of higher education are evolving to embrace a blended campus experience. The emerging importance of student connectivity and interaction can be seen in the new role of the student union as a center of student life and learning. This article explores how University of California, Berkeley, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, and Portland Community College have leveraged new student union complexes—including associated open space—to address changing student needs and increase social interaction.