Come celebrate the new Campus Master Plan!

The University of Lethbridge recently celebrated its 45th anniversary, but we`re already looking ahead to the future.

Our campus has seen a lot of changes over the years, and we`re excited to enhance it even more by creating a compact, pedestrian friendly university.

To do that, we set out to create a new University Campus Master Plan with recommendations to guide the planning decisions for the physical campus at U of L for the next 25 years.

The 217-page document was ratified by the U of L Board of Governors in December 2012. Read more about the plan here.

A public open house celebrating the new plan will take place on Monday, Jan. 28, 2013.

The informal event begins with a social reception from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the newly-renovated stairwell area of the Physical Education Building followed by a presentation during the Architecture and Design course in PE264 at 6 p.m.

The reception will feature image boards, banners and slide show media. A short minute presentation will take place, with the consultant teams in attendance for casual conversation.

The main presentation in PE264, will be jointly presented by Associate Director of Campus Planning and Architecture Spencer Court, and representatives from project consultants Moriyama + Teshima Architects (Toronto) and Gibbs Gage Architects (Calgary). A short question period will follow.

These events are free and all members of the University and broader community are invited to attend.  If you have questions, please contact Spencer Court at spencer.court@uleth.ca

Facilities featured in 45th anniversary videos

45thThe U of L celebrated its 45th anniversary last year with several activities and video presentations throughout the year and we were pleased to be a part of it.

Associate Director of Campus Planning and Architecture Spencer Court was recently featured in one of the U of L’s 45th Anniversary YouTube videos talking about some of our planning projects.

Judy Jaeger, Facilities Caretaking Manager and Co-chair of the SOS program was also featured.

Check out the videos here.

You can also view the University’s YouTube page here.

 

 

 

 

Campus Master Plan ratified

A new University Campus Master Plan was ratified by the U of L Board of Governors Thursday, Dec. 13.

The 217-page document will be published in the New Year. It contains recommendations to guide the planning decisions for the physical campus at U of L for the next 25 years. For example, the UCMP would aid in the development of the proposed Destination Project by pinpointing a location for the new facility and emphasizing the functional parameters that help to create a unique campus identity and student experience.

Key planning principles of the UCMP include:

  • Establishing a campus Gateway along Aperture Drive.
  • Framing a new “Coulee Quad” creating a campus heart.
  • Interconnecting buildings that engage the coulees.
  • Creating a unique brand of architecture that integrates with landscape.
  • Generating a unique campus identity and experience.

For more details on the plan check out the Fall 2012 edition of SAM magazine.

More information on the UCMP can also be found at http://www.uleth.ca/masterplan.

An open house celebrating the new plan will take place Jan. 28, 2013. Details on the event will be announced in the coming weeks.

Report outlines vision for renewal of University Hall

The impending release of the University Campus Master Plan and forthcoming Strategic Planning are important milestones for the University that will help shape the future of our campus and University community.

One of the University’s goals is to become a comprehensive research university with a strong focus on graduate studies and a foundation in liberal arts. Part of that goal is to provide an up-to-date science program and the U of L has earmarked a new science facility as its highest capital priority.

This endeavour is dubbed The Destination Project and is composed of three main elements: New construction geared toward supporting high-intensity science research and teaching; the redevelopment of vacated space in University Hall for alternate users; and the development of additional campus infrastructure to provide heating and cooling, emergency power, and other related support.

The University Hall Renewal Visioning and Inception Planning Report is the latest milestone in the three-tiered project.

The document describes the long-term vision for University Hall, its future purpose and the conceivable mixture of building uses. It also touches on design principles and the possible reorganization of University Hall’s physical layout.

View the report here.

More information and history on The Destination Project can be found here.

Proposed project looks to expand study space on campus

Having a place to study on campus is an important part of student life. However, informal learning and social spaces outside of the classroom is sparse. Markin Hall is currently the only building on campus that meets a new established minimum target (15 per cent) assigned for learning spaces. Other than the Library Information Network Centre (LINC), less than five per cent of space in our campus buildings is currently allocated as informal study space.

To address the shortfall, Facilities is presently undertaking a planning initiative that would not only see the creation of more study hubs and commuter lounges for students, it would also see the reorganization of the library in order to house a Learning Commons with customized, functional learning environments.

A Key Parameters document outlining the framework of the project is available here.