Page 24 - College Planning & Management, October 2017

AT FIRST GLANCE
The City of Brotherly Love
There is not much open space in the street grid occupied by Drex- el University and its neighbors in Philadelphia. Yet what open space there is, the university, in a series of modest as well as large projects in recent years, has crafted various solutions, with a number of those projects part of the university’s Public Realm Master Plan.
On the smaller scale, adding plantings and furniture to areas such as a campus walkway and near a popular volleyball court for students are simple moves that Drexel’s Niki Gianakaris says “can make spaces much more welcoming.” It works: wooden chairs sit
under great shade trees, offering an attractive place to pause just
a few feet from bustling city streets; and metal chairs and tables sitting near the volleyball court beside a city sidewalk lend a subtle, cosmopolitan feel to the space.
A bigger move: the $5 million Raymond G. Perelman Plaza at the center of campus. The plaza, which occupies the former site of a city street turned over to the university years ago, provides what the university has called its “town square.” The plaza’s large scale, its furniture and pavers combine with abutting landscaping to make a new, distinctive place.
Meeting a Variety of Needs
Elsewhere, a number of campuses have also embraced projects that remake plazas while meeting a number of needs. In various instances, institutions have used Unilock paving stones; including projects at Amherst College, the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) and Loyola University in Chicago, according to Unilock’s Elaine Willis.
At Loyola, seen on page 20, a multi-pronged expansion project turned a city street, bought by the institution, into pedestrian paths and a plaza consisting of permeable pavers and native plantings, which help manage stormwater. UMass likewise went with a permeable sys- tem that helps manage stormwater while presenting a surface in bands of varying tones. The functional pavers, which vary intricately in color and pattern, also provide visual interest, as is also found in hexagon pavers in three tones on the Amherst College campus. There, the pav- ers create flowing pathways between buildings and planted areas.
As these examples around the U.S. show, there are many divergent ways to design, construct and equip meritorious outdoor spaces on campuses. One point is shared and evident, however: achievement can start from the outside in. CPM
Scott Berman is a freelance writer with experience in educational topics.
24 COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / OCTOBER 2017
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PAVING THE WAY. Hardscape need not be flat and monochromatic. Paving stones and paint are just two of a number of options that can be used to add visual appeal – and even wayfinding – to surfaces that otherwise would appear solely utilitarian. The smallest details can contribute to a dynamic first impression for your campus.
PHOTO © UNILOCK
PHOTO © SCOTT BERMAN