CAMPUS PLANNING - Roger Williams University
CAMPUS PLANNING - Roger Williams University
CAMPUS PLANNING - Roger Williams University
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2002-2003 RWU Presidential Fellowship Report: Campus Planning<br />
the result of landscaped parking areas, the original farm<br />
complex is now dwarfed by the recreation center and<br />
pending additions to the campus. It, is therefore<br />
increasingly important, as the core of the campus fills in, to<br />
maintain the openness at the fringes of the campus.<br />
This pastoral setting is one of the most powerful aspects of<br />
to the identity of the <strong>University</strong> as perceived by visitors and<br />
local residents alike. The north campus represents a unique<br />
opportunity to extend that identity to the water. The careful<br />
placement of buildings along the high ground overlooking<br />
this meadow as it rolls down to the Bay offers a spectacular<br />
setting for the next phase in the evolution of the <strong>University</strong>.<br />
It is not a question of preservation of the existing meadows,<br />
for their own sake, as much as a question of how to use<br />
buildings to frame activities and views that will make the<br />
meadow a vital extension of the Campus, while preserving<br />
the pastoral sense that is such a magical aspect of this<br />
region. I this regard, I believe we should aspire to the<br />
precedent established by our most prominent neighbors,<br />
Blithewold and Mt. Hope Farm.<br />
Fig. 10: Topography<br />
The campus sits on a powerful and dramatic landform – a<br />
peninsula. A peninsula has a strong directionality and<br />
campus participates in that directionality in a unique way.<br />
Route 114 occupies the crest of a ridge that, along with the<br />
water's edge, are the most prominent features of the site.<br />
Fig. 11: Grids<br />
The grid of the original campus conforms to the orientation<br />
of the original farm plots and the orientation of the grid of<br />
the town of Bristol dating from colonial times. When Rt.<br />
136 was connected to the Mt. Hope bridge, that connector<br />
cut diagonally through this grid roughly parallel to the<br />
coastline. The former Nike missile silos are at a slight angle<br />
to 136. The resolution of these grids, their relation to the<br />
topography and to views represent the key design<br />
challenges for the northward expansion of the campus.<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<strong>Roger</strong> <strong>Williams</strong> <strong>University</strong> enjoys a dramatic natural<br />
setting. Many people comment on this without a true<br />
appreciation of what it is that they find so appealing. How<br />
do we protect or build upon something if we do not know<br />
what it is What are the unique qualities of the landscape<br />
that resonate with the general public and how do we design<br />
buildings that reinforce or support the existing fabric of the<br />
campus I hope the preceding analysis has offered some<br />
clues.<br />
The campus core is expanding and becoming denser at the<br />
same time. This density is important in building a sense of<br />
community and creating a strong pedestrian core with a<br />
variety of outdoor gathering spaces to suit different needs.<br />
Views from buildings at the fringe of this core should be<br />
maintained and new building sites should respect existing<br />
open space corridors, while also exploiting the topography<br />
to allow for new building sites to take advantage of water<br />
views while maintaining or framing views from above.<br />
Inadequate attention to the design and planning of the<br />
automotive infrastructure on the campus has and will<br />
continue to be a significant problem unless a major effort is<br />
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