CAMPUSWIDE DESIGN GUIDELINES - Facilities Services · The ground plane of simple turf and trees should be a model for future quadrangles and open spaces, both big and small. Simple

The further development of open space should reflect thesimple geometric rhythms and overall organization of thecampus. The natural environment should also generateform. Natural amenities such as woodlands, steep slopes andstreambeds should not only be preserved but highlighted.Hiking and biking trails should be encouraged. Areas ofmoderate density may have a park-like feel. Areas moresuitable for higher densities of buildings should have moreformally defined spaces.

Regardless of the type of open space, the primary palette ofgrass with large hardwood shade trees, simply organizedbrick walks and low stone walls should be extendedthroughout the campus. Uncharacteristic forms such asberms, curving walks and ornamental plantings should beavoided.

The following pages use examples to further illustrate thethree types of open space found on the campus and encouragetheir continued use.

Open spaces on a campus are often the physical core aroundwhich the university is built. At Carolina, McCorkle andPolk places are the psychological center of campus. They areplaces of interaction, study and recreation. Connected openspaces create clear and easy-to-remember navigation aroundthe campus. Hierarchy across campus is created; a perceivablefabric of buildings and space is woven.

The physical nature of the open space largely determines theactivities that occur there. A paved courtyard dictates certainuses, while a path through the woods dictates very differentuses. A variety of types of open spaces makes the campusexperience more stimulating and memorable. The ChapelHill grounds have such a variety, from the moderately scaledhardscape of the Pit, to the pristine lawn of Polk Place, tothe sweeping openness of McCorkle Place, to the controllednature of the arboretum and, finally, to the old growth forestof the Pinetum. Each of these types is an appropriate modelfor newly formed spaces of the future.

C A M P U S W I D E D E S I G N G U I D E L I N E S

O P E N S P A C E T Y P E S

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Formal QuadPolk Place

NaturalPinetum

CompositeMcCorkle Place

Campus Master Plan 2001 - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Proposed Open Space, UNC-Chapel Hill Polk Place and Surroundings, UNC-Chapel Hill

• It is important to note the difference between back-ground buildings and heroic buildings. Backgroundbuildings should work together to form spaces that setup axial connections between open space and a herobuilding or between hero buildings. Heroic buildingsshould be placed in positions of honor within theMaster Plan.

• Having too many heroic buildings without their background counterparts makes them less heroic.Background buildings without a heroic building maylack a focus. Heroic buildings should be limited to thosebuilding types which embody and relate the mostuniversal and lofty aspirations of the institution (forexamples, churches, libraries and places of assembly).

• Tree-lined, well-defined, rectangular spaces

• Symbolic core of campus

• Social gathering place

• Passive recreational activities

• Classical

• Relatively flat or controlled topography

• Well-defined exterior spaces similar to interior rooms

In the diagrams above and right, a prototypical room isjuxtaposed with a typical university quadrangle of similarproportions. Similarities are evident: walls of a room andbuildings around the quad; windows and the space betweenbuildings; a door and an entry court; a fireplace and aprominent building. In both the room and the quadrangle,each element plays a part in the greater compositionalwhole. The interdependency of specialized parts creates ahierarchy that gives focus and meaning to the composition.


O P E N S P A C E T Y P E S : F O R M A L

91Campus Master Plan 2001 - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Prototypical Quadrangle Prototypical Room

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Aerial of Polk Place, UNC-Chapel Hill Proposed Science Quad, UNC-Chapel Hill


O P E N S P A C E T Y P E S : F O R M A L

Polk Place, UNC-Chapel Hill Upper Quad, UNC-Chapel Hill


Pinetum, UNC-Chapel Hill Coker Arboretum, UNC-Chapel Hill

• Natural campus edges are formed.• Indigenous natural habitats are preserved.• Important environmental roles are played (for examples,

retaining stormwater and cleansing stormwater runoff).• Nature trails are used for hiking and biking.• Area’s topography may be steep.


O P E N S P A C E T Y P E S : N A T U R A L


Ehringhaus Field, UNC-Chapel Hill

McCorkle Place, UNC-Chapel Hill Existing View of South Campus, UNC-Chapel Hill

• Park-like settings are defined by edges.• Trees are informally placed.• Elements are more rustic (for examples, walls and seating). • Passive recreational activities take place.• Settings are romantic.• Topography ranges from flat to steep.


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Proposed View of South Campus, UNC-Chapel Hill


Three types of open space found on the Chapel Hill campus areformal, natural and a composite of the two. These general typesshould be the basis for future open-space design. In general, aquad or some other rigidly defined space will be formal in nature.A more loosely defined space may be composite. A natural spacemay form an edge to a space, as with a large wooded border, as inthe case of the Coker Arboretum. Topography often determinestype, especially with regard to how buildings can be sited.

The ground plane of simple turf and trees should be a model forfuture quadrangles and open spaces, both big and small. Simplebrick walks should be used for all paved walking surfaces, andtheir use is also encouraged for small parking and service areas.The stone walls found throughout campus should be replicated,both in material and method of construction. Furniture, asdescribed in the following pages, should be incorporatedcampuswide. Outdoor seating areas must be ADA accessible.

PREFERRED MODELS TO BE AVOIDED


S U M M A R Y : O P E N S P A C E T Y P E S


Manning Hall, UNC-Chapel Hill

Upper Quad, UNC-Chapel Hill

Polk Place, UNC-Chapel Hill Bell Tower lot, UNC-Chapel Hill

Phillips Hall annex, UNC-Chapel Hill

Brinkhous-Bullitt Building, UNC-Chapel Hill

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CAMPUSWIDE DESIGN GUIDELINES - Facilities Services · The ground plane of simple turf and trees should be a model for future quadrangles and open spaces, both big and small. Simple