Master Planning for Massachusetts State Colleges
Boston and Central Region
Boston and Central Region
The character of the campus open spaces is integral to the character of the academic institution, and the amenities provided are very important to the students, faculty, and the surrounding community. Not surprisingly, new ideas for the campus landscape were a key component of most, if not all nine master plans for the nine distinct Massachusetts state and community colleges I worked on (in the role of Landscape Consultant to leading planners Chan Krieger Sieniewicz, Inc.)
The planning was done in two separate phases. The earlier phase included four campuses in the Central Region: Worcester and Fitchburg State Colleges, and Quinsigamond and Mount Wachusett Community Colleges. The Boston region included five urban and suburban campuses: Massachusetts College of Art, Framingham State College, and Bunker Hill, Roxbury, and Mass Bay Community Colleges.
Roxbury Community College, Boston
The three conceptual elements of the Roxbury Community College framework plan are: a distinctive streetscape along Columbus Avenue; a discernible pattern of buildings and landscapes that maintain and complement established view corridors and circulation; and new campus gateways that strengthen the campus identity.
Roxbury Community College landscape plan.
The redesigned quads become outdoor rooms for social activities and occasional classes.
New campus gateways will combine landscape and plaza areas, pedestrian amenities, and bold design to assert the RCC identity and become focal points of the neighborhood.
Bunker Hill Community College, Boston
Bunker Hill Community College is a modern, urban campus situated on the edge of Boston’s historic Charlestown neighborhood. The framework plan accommodates the marked current and future growth, redefines the campus around its central landscape, and improves the campus circulation.
The heart of the plan is its redefined central open space,as a collegiate and communal landscape environment. Beyond the traditional formal quad, encircled by buildings, the landscape consists of a collage of landscape zones, types, and character, to offer diverse appeal and experiences. The circulation loop provides the inner ring encircling the landscape core, providing visual appeal and orientation as one glimpses the quad while traveling around the circulation corridor. New academic facilities present a revitalized and more transparent image of BHCC.
Bunker Hill Community College is a modern, urban campus situated on the edge of Boston’s historic Charlestown neighborhood. The framework plan accommodates the marked current and future growth, redefines the campus around its central landscape, and improves the campus circulation.
The heart of the plan is its redefined central open space,as a collegiate and communal landscape environment. Beyond the traditional formal quad, encircled by buildings, the landscape consists of a collage of landscape zones, types, and character, to offer diverse appeal and experiences. The circulation loop provides the inner ring encircling the landscape core, providing visual appeal and orientation as one glimpses the quad while traveling around the circulation corridor. New academic facilities present a revitalized and more transparent image of BHCC.
At conceptual level, the new campus framework for Bunker Hill Community College is comprised of three major elements: a distinctive collegiate landscape, a unifying circulation loop, and a compact building core.
The heart of the plan is its redefined central open space, as a collegiate and communal landscape environment. Beyond the traditional formal quad, encircled by buildings, the landscape consists of a collage of landscape zones, types, and character, to offer diverse appeal and experiences.
Framingham State College, Framingham
The Framingham State College campus offers an attractive“small New England college” character and an advantageous regional location.The proposed Framework plan uses landscape and circulation improvements, and new facilities, to enrich the campus’s existing positive characteristics and solidify an already recognizable sense of place.
The “Circle of Campus” is a strong conceptual model already followed by the college in recent years; it features a strong academic core and concentric layers of landscape, student housing, and support functions. The new Framework plan solidifies this concept and re-centers the campus core on the historic May Hall and its front yard landscape. New gateways mark the campus thresholds, and streetscape improvements on State Street and Maynard Road create a safer and more pleasant pedestrian experience.
The Framingham State College campus offers an attractive“small New England college” character and an advantageous regional location.The proposed Framework plan uses landscape and circulation improvements, and new facilities, to enrich the campus’s existing positive characteristics and solidify an already recognizable sense of place.
The “Circle of Campus” is a strong conceptual model already followed by the college in recent years; it features a strong academic core and concentric layers of landscape, student housing, and support functions. The new Framework plan solidifies this concept and re-centers the campus core on the historic May Hall and its front yard landscape. New gateways mark the campus thresholds, and streetscape improvements on State Street and Maynard Road create a safer and more pleasant pedestrian experience.
The plan re-centers the campus core on the historic May Hall and its front yard landscape. The necessary automobile dropoff in front of May Hall is redesigned as a plaza and the parking is relocated to the rear.
Worcester State College, Worcester
The Worcester State College campus is characterized by arolling topography, a diverse yet fragmented landscape, and a collection ofunique facilities. To enhance the campuscharacter, the parking and roadways that fill the core need to be extracted andreplaced with an open, collegiate landscape.
Landscape is the foundation of WSC’s new campusframework. The richness and diversity ofexisting landscapes are enhanced and expanded to replace parking lots androadways as overly dominant surface condition. The plan acknowledges the uniqueexperience provided by the layering of different landscape types, quilt-likeover the expanse of the site. Tofacilitate the expanded role of landscape in the campus structure, vehicularcirculation and parking are pulled to the periphery, away from the core. Landscape and circulation improvements at thegateways, and a new line of grand trees along Chandler street frontage, createa revitalized visual impression while aiding traffic flow to the new parking garages.
The Worcester State College campus is characterized by arolling topography, a diverse yet fragmented landscape, and a collection ofunique facilities. To enhance the campuscharacter, the parking and roadways that fill the core need to be extracted andreplaced with an open, collegiate landscape.
Landscape is the foundation of WSC’s new campusframework. The richness and diversity ofexisting landscapes are enhanced and expanded to replace parking lots androadways as overly dominant surface condition. The plan acknowledges the uniqueexperience provided by the layering of different landscape types, quilt-likeover the expanse of the site. Tofacilitate the expanded role of landscape in the campus structure, vehicularcirculation and parking are pulled to the periphery, away from the core. Landscape and circulation improvements at thegateways, and a new line of grand trees along Chandler street frontage, createa revitalized visual impression while aiding traffic flow to the new parking garages.
Two main conceptual moves guide the future of WSC campus. First, an existing layered landscape is expanded to create a continuous quilt of open space and pedestrian connections. This move is facilitated by pulling the parking and circulation to the periphery of campus, and improving the existing loop roadway to accommodate remaining through traffic.
The framework plan for Worcester State features a new circulation scheme with parking concentrated near the campus gateways, to transform the campus core as a predominantly pedestrian environment.
Landscape plan for Worcester State College
