Master Plan

October 7 , 2005
by Tom O'Keefe

In 2001 the Carolina Board of Trustees approved the Campus Master Plan. Compiled by the architectural firm Ayers/Saint/Gross, this Plan was meant ensure that the principles which had guided the first 200 years of UNC’s development continued to shape the campus into the 21st century. The idea for the Plan was born in 1997 when concerns arose about the manner in which new construction was being undertaken. The need for the Plan was reinforced by decisions to increase enrollment across the 16 campus system and to push for a higher education bond referendum.

In the 40 years following 1920, a comprehensive plan was used to guide the construction of Polk Place. It was decided to follow a similar model, and the following four guiding principles were laid out in the Plan of 2001: 1) Support Carolina’s mission, 2) Export the qualities of McCorkle and Polk Places, 3) Enhance the University’s intellectual climate, and 4) Support local and regional planning principles.

It became obvious after a few years that the plan was in need of an update (suggesting that revision may be an ongoing process). Open community meetings were held in the fall of 2004 and the spring of 2005 to solicit feedback, and a proposed draft of a Campus Master Plan Update has been showcased at recent open forums.

The class started the lab in the Frank Porter Graham Room in the Frank Porter Graham Student Union. It was one of the few rooms to go untouched in the renovation of the Union, and students seated at the roundtable in the middle of the room noted plaques with the names of inductees to the Order of the Grail. Dr. Willis addressed the class on a variety of topics related to campus development based on her experience around campus and on the Buildings and Grounds Committee. She discussed how an older building’s design can offer clues in determining its original purpose. Howell Hall, the original chemistry building completed in 1905, has huge windows that could be opened to air out the labs. Kenan and Morehead Labs, two more modern research chemistry facilities, have narrow slit windows reflecting advances in ventilation and a growing need of chemists to be able to precisely control lab conditions such as humidity and temperature. An aerial view of the Labs reveals the numerous exhaust fans of the extensive ventilation system. These two buildings, now widely regarded as scars on the campus landscape for their towering bland concrete facades, were built in the 1970s at a time when Carolina lacked adequate lab facilities and was receiving little or no money from the General Assembly. Concerned that top chemists would jump ship, administrators partnered with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), allowing the pharmaceutical giant to build the two lab buildings on campus and use them for five years in exchange for handing them over thereafter. Consequently, GSK was minimally concerned with the aesthetic appeal of the buildings or their architectural flow with other area buildings.

The building agenda is significantly influenced by who is in power, hence the rush by faculty and staff to meet new chancellors during a change in power. UNC's relationship with the town also influences UNC’s building agenda. The Health Sciences Library was originally intended to be built in the middle of South Columbia street, equal distances from all of the major health schools. But the town blocked the closing of the street. Fearful that it would lose funding, the school simply shifted the Library to one side of the road where it was subsequently built pressed against the face of MacNider Hall.

The class sat in on a community presentation detailing the master plan. Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities Planning and Construction, Dr. Bruce Runberg, introduced Director of Facilities Planning, Anna Wu, who presented on the highlights of the 2005 update to the Campus Master Plan. She discussed the construction of focused physical homes for different intellectual communities, including the Arts Common and the Science Complex. Sector by sector students observed the changes detailed in the Plan. The South Campus road network will be improved. Infrastructure across campus will be expanding, which means that new chiller plants, steam lines, and parking decks will be under construction. Athletic facilities must be improved and kept up. Already, a robust expansion of student housing facilities is underway. Pedestrian improvements can be expected, including elevated walking bridges (as over South Road) and further developments like the path over the Ram’s Head Facility, meant to reduce the amount of climbing walkers must do (as on the return trip from the Business School). Additionally, though it remains unclear what form of transport to expect, a transportation corridor has been left that passes along the far edge of South Campus and terminates close to the Hospital Complex. This leaves open the possibility of Triangle Transit Authority (TTA) buses or light rail connecting the university with Raleigh, Durham, and the greater triangle area.

UNC is clearly closing in on its building capacity. This fact requires the campus to consider expansion out along the soft south and east edges of campus and the future development at Carolina North.

Susannah Lach, a sustainability research assistant with the Facilities Services Division, addressed the class about the green features of the new Ram’s Head development. As students enjoyed lunch, she highlighted the role of the landscaped rooftop and the underlying rainwater storage system in storm-water-runoff control. A food pulper and dehydrator are used to compost all food waste. Kitchen grease waste is used by Piedmont Biofuels to create biodiesel. A full range of vegetarian dining options are offered. The green features at the Ram’s Head facility can be seen as connected to broader institutional and student emphases on sustainability.

Jonathan Howes, former mayor of Chapel Hill and current Special Assistant to the Chancellor, and Linda Convissor, master plan coordinator for the university, also addressed the class. They talked about some of the challenges and costs related to the construction of the Ram’s Head facility. The average cost to construct a parking space in a garage must be less than $25,000 to be considered economically feasible; in the Ram’s Head the average cost per space was roughly $60,000. The legislature does not appropriate building funds for parking facilities, so it became necessary to charge ($1.25/hour) for parking in the facility. Additionally, students voted an increase in their student fees to help fund construction. There were also complications involving the town. Under the Umstead Act (which has lately been challenged), it is unlawful for the university to unduly compete with local business. To avoid stepping on toes required a delicate balancing act. Finally, there were complications with vendors. Harris Teeter was originally to be the grocery store on the bottom level of the facility until, upon discovering that they would not be allowed to sell alcohol, the company pulled out.