To mark the University of Windsor?s 50th anniversary, the school engaged +VG Architects to create a campus master plan for the Ontario institution with a vision for the next 50 years. The plan, presented in 2013, aimed to enrich the student and community experience, update the feel of the campus and make the university more competitive.
The first phase of the plan has been completed. +VG revamped an anonymous desert of parking lots facing the backs of buildings and their service entrances into an inviting pedestrian realm with hospitable, human-scaled spaces that engender a sense of place and arrival.
?We?re transforming the campus into more of a green space by weaving the formerly disconnected open spaces together to make a better, more cohesive campus environment,? says project architect Deb Westman, Senior Associate at +VG?s office in Brantford, Ont. ?It was important to create a more student-centred campus environment with places for work, study and play. ?Parking lots were moved from the interior of the campus to new parking areas and structures on the perimeter, which makes the central campus more pedestrian- and student-friendly,? she adds.
?We designed unique student-experience areas, including an outdoor stage for events, and custom furniture, called pods, for outdoor study and collaboration that support laptops with Wi-Fi and charging stations. They?re certainly getting used.?
Most of the master plan?s seven zones in Phase 1 have been completed over a period of fi...