UNews - Court

Past shaping the future

trevor.kenney — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 19:14:47 +0000

The coulees offered extraordinary opportunities: dramatic heights and depths unusual in the Prairies, and the possibility of outlook, proximity to the river and a microclimate milder than the windswept flatlands.

Standing there on the far edge of the coulee I saw etched against the sky the light tracery of an old iron railway bridge, 300 feet in the air, spanning a mile across the river.

I came to the conclusion that though any building upon the exposed flatland should be interred in earth berms so that they would become part of the land, the academic building could span the coulees and, like the old bridge in its rigid flatness, reveal the rich contours of even the most level prairie.

It seemed to me that the top storey of the university should lie below the tableland in an uncompromising straight line spanning the haunches of
the prairie.
...
Dr. Arthur Erickson (LLD '81)

The Architecture of Arthur Erickson
With text by the architect

When renowned Canadian architect, the late Dr. Arthur Erickson (LLD '81), first came to Lethbridge to design ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall and formulate the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Development Plan, he was in awe of the coulee landscape, inspired by the High Level Bridge and concluded the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ should be part of the land.

"Architecture, as I see it, is the art of composing spaces in response to existing environmental and urbanistic conditions to answer a client's needs," Erickson once said. "In this way the building becomes the resolution between its inner being and the outer conditions imposed upon it. It is never solitary but is part of its setting and thus must blend in a timeless way with its surroundings, yet show its own fresh presence."

The construction of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall began with a simple sod turning ceremony.

The vision as outlined in the 1969 Erickson-Massey Development Plan saw academic space integrated with residences "so that learning becomes part of living." The 1969 planning objectives also included attractive pedestrian walkways that linked to green spaces; closely knit, clear organization of campus buildings that took advantage of unique views of the river valley; and building sites chosen to ensure reverence, preservation and protection of the coulee landscape.

Construction of the original ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall was a monumental task.

Over the years, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ campus has expanded and evolved with recommendations initially set out in the Campus Development Plan Review (1993), the Master Plan Report (2000) and the Core Campus Expansion Plan (2001) – the latter of which is the springboard for the new ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Campus Master Plan (UCMP), which was ratified by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors in December 2012.

Spencer Court, architect and associate director of Campus Planning and Architecture at the U of L, has been leading the current UCMP renewal. He says the new plan takes previous planning history into consideration and maintains key planning initiatives while advancing the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's current strategic goals.

"Key elements from past plans have been retained, but the earliest plan had the most fundamentally correct principles or truths that continue to provide value and timeless importance today," he says.

Those principles of strengthening the existing site and building features, creating a compact campus, integrating campus with nature, and using an appropriate brand of architecture to produce a unique campus identity and experience are instilled in the 2012 plan.

Prepared in a collaborative effort with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ by Moriyama & Teshima Architects and Planners, Gibbs Gage Architects and Educational Consulting Services, the UCMP sets out a series of recommendations aimed at guiding larger-scale planning decisions for the main campus of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ over the next 25 years.

According to the UCMP, these guidelines "accentuate the existing campus design – organizing systems to allow the unique beauty, original order, coherence and distinctive setting of the campus to re-emerge." The UCMP suggests "a highly interconnected system of buildings and pedestrian networks to create an intimate and harmonized learning environment, integrating both academic and residential programs."

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall as we see it today, nestled in the coulees and taking advantage of the natural landscape.

What makes the UCMP unique is the way it frames and defines the academic core with a celebrated gateway accessing the heart of campus, while promoting pedestrian-friendliness and retaining the physical geography that informs future buildings and outdoor spaces.

"Campuses are like people in that they mature and become complete over time," says Court. "As key participants at a critical point in the development of our campus, we are privileged to produce a planning vision at a time when many are likely to witness the campus evolve into a more complete place."

The UCMP points to three key directives that align with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's 2009-2013 Strategic Plan and 2011-2015 Capital Plan. The first is to physically support the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's mandate to be a comprehensive and academic research institution and to provide opportunities for a community of learners – students, faculty, researchers and staff – to interact in purposeful spaces. Second is to reinforce the quality of built and natural environments at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ with an emphasis on improving campus life and the everyday student experience. Third, the plan will provide guidance in planning and management of assets while being stewards of the land.

These directives will aid in creating the physical "Destination U" that is currently being defined at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. U of L President Dr. Mike Mahon agrees.

He says this UCMP is vital for establishing this legacy.

"As individuals who have various roles on campus, we are at one point in time, but universities live for a long, long time. It's critical that we look to the future from a planning perspective, and plan for years ahead that we can't even imagine. It is vitally important that our buildings and grounds deliver on the notion of the Destination ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ," says Mahon. "The U of L is very fortunate to have had the kind of vision that Erickson had around building into the coulees and really connecting the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ with the topography and with nature."

The UCMP aims to create a unique identity to differentiate the U of L from other universities and to offer a distinctive and memorable experience for its students. To do that, the plan outlines specific design work including a refocused ceremonial entrance along Aperture Drive, and framing a new "Coulee Quadrangle" north of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Library, bordered by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall and future buildings to form a campus heart. The UCMP also establishes a network of interconnected buildings that engage the coulees using a unique brand of landform architecture that fully integrates with the landscape. In addition, the construction of the "Prairie Quadrangle" adjacent to Markin Hall will serve to improve connectivity from the academic core to Exploration Place.

The updated Campus Master Plan will further the vision first established in 1969.

One of the biggest values of the new UCMP is creating a compact campus that fosters a better sense of community. Although the UCMP organizes the physical campus, it is the arrangement of those spaces and places that not only leads to a sense of community but also supports academic programming and student life.

Establishing Aperture Drive as the ceremonial entrance to the U of L is just the beginning. The gateway will be framed with a building element linking the Library to the Students' Union Building, as well as a signature building travelling southward that responds to the coulee setting and the Oldman River vista. This building will act as a bridge directly linking the residence precinct to the rest of campus.

Retaining the land in its natural state is also part of the UCMP proposal, and so, the natural coulee space south of the library will be left in its pristine state to preserve the natural view. It's the shared experience of the beautiful scenery of the unique prairie and coulee landscape that brings the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community together and that's an important consistency of the UCMP, says Court.

"We are located in a world-class, unique setting that our forebears committed to being, literally, in this place. That is the driving force in how we go forward," he says. "It is the threshold experience between plateau and river valley we want to be, and since we are here, we should capitalize on that because in the physical sense it's one of our most significant differentiators."

While the prairie land surrounding the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is vast, a key UCMP goal is to create a campus with synergy, ease of access and more importantly, logical pedestrian circulation.

"There's a point where everyone who arrives here by transit, bicycle or automobile becomes a pedestrian, and in the master plan the campus nucleus is predominantly pedestrian-based," says Court. "The master plan has tried to focus on creating a compact, pedestrian-oriented, connected campus that responds to external factors such as weather or the opportunity for memorable views and seriously considers how people move through it."

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Campus Master Plan is just that – a plan. At this point, campus planners have not initiated detailed design studies, but most of the features will likely be developed over time. The recommendations in the UCMP, however, are critical for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to reach its strategic goals, says Chris Eagan, director of Facilities.

"The UCMP follows the institution's strategic planning. It allows the creation of a common vision of what space, building and landscape places look like to fulfill our strategic goals," he says. "The UCMP is a broad vision that will be accomplished incrementally through individual capital projects. These projects have urgent and important needs that must be subservient to the institutional requirements outlined in the master plan. It will give the structure and guidance of university planners to all those who design and implement the plan for years to come."

After the UCMP is formally ratified in December 2012, a public open house celebrating the new plan and its document release will be held early in the new year.

According to Court, the new UCMP offers many advantages as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ looks to the future.

"Overall, it's addressing original concepts that the institution has already put substantial resources and value into," he says. "Those early ideas are treasured fidelities – concepts we shouldn't turn our backs on. If we've learned anything, we've learned that they are important and they still apply going forward."

...

For more information on the UCMP, please visit: www.ulethbridge.ca/masterplan

This story first appeared in the Fall 2012 issue of SAM. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Mapping out a plan

trevor.kenney — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 22:17:36 +0000

Greater than 150 people recently discovered that long-term campus planning is more than drawing the shape of a building on a site plan or figuring out where to put a parking lot.

By participating in a series of input sessions that will help guide the next few decades of development on campus, students, staff, faculty members and community representatives got the chance to learn how involved the process is, and how strongly people feel about the future of the campus landscape.

"The consulting team and I felt there was a real collaborative spirit of engagement among all the participants," says Spencer Court, the U of L's campus planner and architect.
"Our campus is something people feel strongly about, and these sessions pointed out the fact that each of us contributes in our own way – directly or indirectly – to improving student experiences."

Campus planner and architect Spencer Court understands the affinity people have for the U of L campus.

Court says that participants as well as facilitators commented on the energy level in each session, which took place over three days in mid-September.

"People came away reporting to have had a very positive and engaging experience at the sessions. Students particularly expressed gratitude for being consulted," he says.

The campus planning design team is a collaborative arrangement between three separate firms. Moriyama + Teshima Architects and Planners lead the master planning effort and are supported by the Calgary architecture firm Gibbs Gage Architects and Educational Consulting Services Corp., which led the on-site workshops.

Coincidentally, Raymond Moriyama and eventual partner Ted Teshima, the men behind Moriyama + Teshima, grew up in Raymond and Taber respectively.

"Our team is led by the founder's son, Jason Moriyama, who remembers spending time in southern Alberta as a youth visiting his grandparents," says Court.

Developing a master plan for any institution is like holding up a mirror and assessing both successes and weaknesses.

"This process considered our legacy, our present circumstances and affirms the direction we take in the future," says Court. "A master plan is also a unifying framework that we would use to capitalize on our landscape setting and enhance our sense of place. That, in turn, enriches the student experience and creates a vibrant and talked-about destination."

Court says the process is expected to take about a year.

"The early stage we are in involves a lot of discovery, consultation and consensus building in connection with the various institutional mandates, such as the Strategic Plan and other planning documents. We are already three months into the formal process of interviews and research. The initial conceptual planning work is expected sometime in February 2012."

Open houses and presentations are also planned for 2012, in addition to less formal feedback mechanisms and an evolving website.

"With the help of the Students' Union, we will be connecting with students through more convenient public 'white board forums' in the next few weeks," says Court.
"At locations all across campus, questions from the planning sessions will be modified and put forward in engaging ways so that students, and people who might not have had the opportunity to attend the sessions in September, can comment. A campus master plan website is also being developed to document the master plan process. That site will also have a mechanism for feedback."

Discussion was lively

Do members of the U of L community have opinions about what future development on campus looks like? They certainly do. Following are a few highlights from the recent Campus Master Planning discussions.

• There is a significant need for social spaces of various types that are configurable, scaled to purpose and less formal. These spaces could punctuate campus and be appropriated by student, faculty and staff to facilitate learning and contribute to a gathering place at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. The plan will recognize this area as one that supports a better student experience and improves education delivery out of the classroom or lab.

• In focusing on research and graduate programs, the institution should not lose sight of its roots in liberal education, and should carry out designs that further enrich this academic experience for students. Doing so maintains our institution as truly comprehensive.

• ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall is an icon in a truly unique landscape setting that should be celebrated, enhanced and leveraged. Appropriately identified programming that continues to serve a liberal education model of undergraduate study should be conceptualized in an effort to re-envision the embodied potential within ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall.

• The campus community is not mixing as well as we did in one large building. Safe pedestrian movement is currently not carried through, as students, faculty and staff often compete with automobiles in a vast area of parking.

• There is no intuitive, well-planned welcoming front entrance, only a ceremonial one that is disconnected from the adjacent city landscape.

• Students value the opportunity to be consulted. Leeanne Mundle was the lucky winner of an iPad2, offered as a random draw prize to encourage student participation.

Court named Canada West athlete of the week

trevor.kenney — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 22:14:29 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women's rugby program clinched its fifth consecutive Canada West title this past weekend, thanks in large part to the efforts of fifth-year captain Shannon Court.

Court was named Canada West Female Athlete of the Week on Tuesday for her contribution. The Red Deer, Alta. native scored four tries in two games and was the backbone of a defensive effort that stymied the opposition all weekend long. Court was responsible for shutting down opponent attacks and caused numerous turnovers in both the semifinal victory over UBC Thunderbirds and the championship final over ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta.

After scoring three tries versus UBC in the semifinal, Court added a brilliant try to put the championship game out of reach in an eventual 18-5 victory over the CIS #5-ranked Alberta Pandas.

The Horns now prepare for the CIS National tournament, Nov. 4-7 in Peterborough, Ont. The club will be seeking its fourth consecutive CIS crown.

UNews - Court

Past shaping the future

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Mapping out a plan

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Court named Canada West athlete of the week

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